Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program

The Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program's goal is to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment. It is a competitive, peer-reviewed, extramural research prog

The STAR program is designed to meet the long-term research needs of the nation through extramurally-funded grants and cooperative agreements. Funded research topics are strategically identified to address critical knowledge gaps that need to be filled to protect public human health and ecosystem health.

For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Only these types of organizations may apply. Organization types are consistent with definitions at 2 CFR 200.1: Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations located in the U.S. and its territories or possessions. Public and private institutions of higher education (IHEs) located in the U.S. and its territories or possessions. State and local governments. Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments. U.S. territories and possessions. Note that 2 CFR § 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR § 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this program. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR § 200.1 are also eligible to apply as nonprofits or as instrumentalities of the unit of government depending on the applicable law. Profit-making firms and individuals are not eligible to apply. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible. Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply. National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, "FFRDCs") may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. An award recipient may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement. Federal employees may not receive salaries or augment their Agency's appropriations through awards made under this program unless authorized by law to receive such funding. Certain competitions may allow for early career awards. The following requirements in addition to the requirements listed above apply to early career awards. The early career awards will support research performed by Principal Investigators (PIs) with outstanding promise. PIs from eligible applicant institutions applying for the early career portion of the funding opportunity must meet the following additional eligibility requirements: 1. By the closing date of the funding opportunity, hold a doctoral degree (for example, a Ph.D. or equivalent) in a field related to the research being solicited; 2. Have received the doctoral degree no earlier than 10 years before the month of the closing date of the funding opportunity; and 3. Be untenured by the closing date of the funding opportunity. In order to be deemed eligible, the application must include an early career verification. See funding opportunities at: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants for additional information pertaining to eligibility requirements.

Public nonprofit institutions/organizations and private nonprofit institutions/organizations located in the U.S.; state and local governments; Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments; U.S. territories or possessions; Anyone/General Public, Health Professional, Education Professional, Student/Trainee, Graduate Student, Scientists/Researchers.

Funds awarded via grants/cooperative agreements are available for allowable direct cost expenditures associated with the performance of research plus allocable portions of allowable indirect costs of the institutions, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Applicants must propose EPA mission relevant research based on excellent science as determined through peer review by experts drawn from the national and international scientific community. Other more specialized scientific areas may be solicited via joint funding opportunities with other Federal agencies. The STAR program may fund research centers that focus on long-term, multi-disciplinary research. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: https://www.epa.gov/geospatial.

The funding mechanism for all awards issued under STAR solicitations will consist of assistance agreements from the EPA. All award decisions are subject to the availability of funds. In accordance with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, 31 U.S.C. 6301 et seq., the primary purpose of an assistance agreement is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by federal statute, rather than acquisition for the direct benefit or use of the Agency. EPA award recipients may incur allowable project costs 90 calendar days before the Federal awarding agency makes the Federal award. Expenses more than 90 calendar days pre-award require prior approval of EPA. All costs incurred before EPA makes the award are at the recipient's risk. EPA is under no obligation to reimburse such costs if for any reason the recipient does not receive a Federal award or if the Federal award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs. If you wish to submit applications for more than one STAR funding opportunity, you must ensure that the research proposed in each application is significantly different from any other that has been submitted to the EPA or from any other financial assistance you are currently receiving from the EPA or other federal government agency. Collaborative applications involving more than one institution must be submitted as a single administrative package from one of the institutions involved. Each proposed project must be able to be completed within the project period. Applicants should request the entire amount of money needed to complete the project. Some solicitations issued under this assistance listing may allow for the submittal of Multiple Investigator applications. The applicability of Multiple Investigator applications will be described in the solicitations. For further information, please see the EPA Implementation Plan for Policy on Multiple Principal Investigators (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-grants-guidance-and-policies).

Grants are normally funded for a minimum of 3 years (over 180 days). Total approved project period may not exceed 5 years.

EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372- and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c)." Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to NOFOs under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the NOFO. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the NOFO.

The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. See the web page (https://www.epa.gov/research-grants) for additional information on the evaluative criteria for the NOFO.

For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. Customarily, applicants are notified about award decisions within six months of the solicitation deadline. After being recommended for award, applicants will be required to submit additional certifications and may be requested to provide responses to comments or suggestions offered by the peer reviewers, a revised budget, and/or make appropriate revisions. EPA Project Officers will contact Principal Investigators to obtain these materials. The official notification of an award will be made by the Agency's Grants and Interagency Agreements Management Division. Before or after award, certain applicants will be expected to provide additional quality assurance documentation.

For Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement.

Approximately 150-180 days from the close of the solicitation.

A standard grant application should be prepared and submitted electronically as a new grant using Grants.gov, which will be reviewed in the same manner as the original application and will compete for available funds.

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable."