Office of Research and Development Consolidated Research/Training/Fellowships

The Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solution (OASES) Consolidated Research/Training/Fellowships program supports research and development to: (1) determine the environmental effects of air quality, drinking water, water quality, climate c

OASES supports leading-edge research to provide a solid underpinning of science and technology for the Agency. Research builds the understanding of how to protect and enhance the relationship between humans and ecosystems. OASES conducts a comprehensive research program to protect air, water, land, and human health and ecosystems, to improve environmental compliance and stewardship, and to conduct and promote coordination and acceleration of training for individuals relating to the protection and enhancement of the relationship between humans and ecosystems. Investigator initiated grants/cooperative agreements may be funded in broad areas such as environmental chemistry and physics, air quality, drinking water quality, environmental engineering, water quality and availability, and health and ecological effects of pollution.

The EPA uses this assistance listing for the National Priorities Research competition under which applicant eligibility has been limited to public and private nonprofit institutions and public and private universities and colleges located in the United States, consistent with congressional intent. For certain Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) 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: U.S. States. U.S. territories and possessions. Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments. Public and private institutions of higher education located in the U.S. and its territories or possessions. Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations located in the U.S. and its territories or possessions. State and local government departments. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities. 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 receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program. 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. 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; state and local governments; Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments; U.S. territories or possessions; anyone/general public; health professionals; education professionals; students/trainees; graduate students; scientists/researchers; and foreign universities/organizations.

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 the established policies of EPA. Funds may be available to support research activities including but not limited to experiments and studies where authorized by specific statutes, in both science and engineering disciplines. Funds may also be used for training and program participant support. 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 this program 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 EPA 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). When applicable, an environmental impact assessment is made by the Office of Research and Development as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities 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 NOFOs. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the competitive announcement.

The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. Consistent with the merit review regulations in 2 CFR 200.205, non-competitive awards will be evaluated for merit including: the relevancy of the proposed project to EPA's strategic plan and the objectives of the program; the availability of funds within EPA; the seriousness, extent, and urgency of the environmental problems toward which the project is directed; the degree to which the project can be expected to produce results that will have general application to pollution control problems nationwide; whether the project is consistent with existing plans or ongoing planning for the project area at the State, regional, and local levels; the existence and extent of local public support for the project; whether the proposed project is environmentally sound; consistency of project objectives with the protection of human health and the environment and contributes to scientific knowledge in the topic area; overlap or duplication of proposed work with other ongoing or completed projects; the technical feasibility of the project; soundness and originality of approach and adequacy of research methods; the anticipated public benefits to be derived from the project in relation to the costs of the project; significance of anticipated results; qualifications and competency of the staff identified for the project considering their demonstrated prior performance in the proposed or other research areas; adequacy of the support offered by the applicant's organization in terms of general facilities, support personnel and services, library, specific equipment and/or facilities available to the investigator; appropriateness of the proposed project period and project budget; and probability the project will be adequately managed to ensure timely and successful achievement of the stated objectives and outputs/outcomes to achieve program goals.

For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications submissions 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. For non-competitive awards made under this assistance listing, EPA will conduct an administrative evaluation to determine the adequacy of the application in relation to grant regulations and to technical and program evaluation to determine the merit and relevance of the project. The Agency will then advise the applicant if funding is being considered. A final work plan will then be negotiated with the applicant. 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. For noncompetitive awards, contact headquarters for application deadlines.

Approximately 120-180 days.

For competitive awards, 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. For non-competitive awards, 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.

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.