Title 40—Protection of Environment--Volume 1
PART 46—FELLOWSHIPS
§ 46.100   Purpose.
This part establishes the requirements for all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fellowship awards.
§ 46.105   Authority.
EPA is authorized to award fellowships under the statutes listed in this section. EPA is not required to award fellowships under all of the listed authorities, but does so at its discretion.
(a) Section 103(b)(5) of the Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7403(b)(5));
(b) Section 104(b)(5) and (g)(3)(B) of the Clean Water Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1254(b)(5) and (g)(3)(B));
(c) Section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 300j-1);
(d) Section 8001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6981);
(e) Section 10 of the Toxic Substances Control Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 2609);
(f) Section 20 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 136r); and
(g) Sections 104(k)(7) and 311 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(7) and 42 U.S.C. 9660).
§ 46.110   Objectives.
EPA awards fellowships to help individuals participate in academic and professional educational opportunities in fields related to pollution control and environmental protection. Fellowships provide support for undergraduate and graduate students, including staff of state, local or Tribal agencies responsible for environmental pollution control and environmental protection.
§ 46.115   Types of fellowships.
In general, EPA may award you one of two kinds of fellowships.
(a) The first are fellowships to students who are selected on the basis of EPA requests for applications and program announcements. These fellowships may assist you with the costs of academic and professional career studies in pollution control and environmental protection in fields such as science, engineering, technology, social science, and specialty areas supporting environmental protection efforts.
(b) The second are fellowships awarded to current or prospective employees of state, local and Tribal environmental pollution control or regulatory agencies who are nominated to receive fellowships by their agency. These fellowships may assist you with the costs of academic and professional career studies in pollution control and environmental protection in fields such as science, engineering, technology, social science, and specialty areas supporting environmental protection efforts.
§ 46.120   Definition.
Fellow: You are a fellow if you receive an EPA fellowship award.
§ 46.125   Exceptions.
The Director, Grants Administration Division, may approve exceptions from this part on a case-by-case or class basis.
§ 46.130   Debarment and suspension.
EPA will not award you a fellowship if you are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from participation in federal programs. Names of individuals who are excluded or disqualified are located in the Excluded Parties List System maintained by the General Services Administration and currently located at http://www.epls.gov.
§ 46.135   Eligibility.
If you wish to apply for an EPA fellowship, you must be:
(a) A citizen of the United States, its territories, or possessions, or lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence;
(b) Accepted by or an applicant to an accredited educational institution for academic credit in an educational program directly related to pollution control or environmental protection; and
(c) If you are applying for a fellowship offered specifically to employees or prospective employees of state, local and Tribal organizations, you must be nominated by the head of the state, local or Tribal agency, or designee, based on the need for academic and professional career study to enhance your skills related to the needs of the organization.
§ 46.140   Benefits.
EPA fellowships may include funds to help you pay such things as:
(a) A part, or all, of your tuition and fees, as determined appropriate by EPA.
(b) An expense allowance for books, supplies, and equipment (equipment is an item with a unit acquisition cost of more than $5,000) as determined appropriate by EPA. You may use this allowance for expenses that are necessary for your education, such as the cost of health insurance, supplies, and travel to conduct research and attend technical meetings relating to the fellowship. You may acquire equipment only with EPA's written approval and there will be very few instances where the purchase of equipment is authorized (see § 46.225.)
(c) A stipend determined by the EPA program office based on EPA's resources and your course load.
§ 46.145   International travel and work.
(a) You may use fellowship funds for travel to or work in a foreign country only if the travel or work is approved by the EPA Office of International Activities (OIA). You will be notified of OIA approval in the fellowship award or in a letter from the EPA project officer or the award official.
(b) If you travel to or from a foreign country and the travel cost is paid under the fellowship agreement, you must comply with the Fly America Act. In accordance with that Act, you must travel on U.S. air carriers certificated under 49 U.S.C. 1371, to the extent that such carriers provide service, even if the foreign air carrier costs less than the American air carrier.
§ 46.150   Request for applications.
EPA generally requests fellowship applications through electronic and printed announcements or other means designed to inform potential applicants.
§ 46.155   Submission of applications.
The request for applications or program announcement will advise you how to file an application and what information you must include. You must submit applications for fellowships on EPA's “Fellowship Application” (EPA Form 5770-2) or in any other form EPA designates. EPA will provide instructions for completing the application. You must submit the original and two copies of the application unless the instructions require otherwise. Alternatively, EPA may allow you to submit applications electronically. It is also likely that EPA will require you to submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts to the office identified in the request for applications or program announcement.
§ 46.160   Evaluation of applications.
EPA will evaluate your application based on criteria identified in the request for applications or program announcement. Evaluation criteria may include:
(a) The relevance of your proposed studies to EPA's mission.
(b) Your potential for success, as reflected by your academic record, letters of reference, and any other available information.
(c) The availability of EPA funds.
§ 46.165   Notification.
If EPA does not select you to receive a fellowship, we generally will notify you within 60 days after final selections are made. If you are a successful applicant, EPA will send you a fellowship agreement in accordance with § 46.170.
§ 46.170   Fellowship agreement.
(a) The “Fellowship Agreement” (EPA Form 5770-8) is the written agreement, including amendments, between EPA and you. The fellowship agreement will state the amount of Federal funds awarded and the terms and conditions governing the fellowship.
(b) The EPA award official may approve any pre-award costs you incurred, if determined appropriate by the award official. You incur pre-award costs at your own risk (see also § 46.195).
§ 46.175   Terms and conditions.
(a) If EPA awards you a fellowship on the basis of a nomination by your current or prospective state, local or Tribal government employer, by accepting the fellowship agreement you agree to remain in the employment of the state, local, or Tribal employer for twice the period of the fellowship. If you fail to meet this obligation, EPA may, after consultation with your employer or prospective employer, require you to repay the amount of the fellowship.
(b) You must submit a copy of your transcript to the EPA project officer after the completion of each year of the fellowship, if required by the fellowship agreement. You must also submit copies of any publications and other products from the research, if required.
(c) EPA may require you to provide various performance reports under your fellowship, but we will not require reports more frequently than quarterly. At the end of the fellowship, you must submit a final report and other documentation, if required in the fellowship agreement.
§ 46.180   Acceptance of fellowship award.
You must accept your fellowship by signing and returning the EPA award form (EPA Form 5770-8) to the EPA award official within three weeks after receipt, or within an extension of time approved by the award official. If you do not sign and return the Fellowship agreement to the award official or request an extension of the acceptance time within three calendar weeks after receiving the agreement, the award official may void the agreement. EPA will not pay for costs incurred under voided agreements.
§ 46.185   Activation notice.
(a) Each fellowship includes a “Fellowship Activation Notice” (EPA Form 5770-7). You must complete, sign, and obtain other appropriate signatures on the Activation Notice when the program supported by the fellowship agreement begins. In certain instances, e.g., if your program of study is at an EPA facility, the EPA project officer may sign as sponsor on the Activation Notice. You must submit the Activation Notice to the award official.
(b) If you do not submit the Activation Notice (EPA Form 5770-7) within 90 days after the date of the award, the award official may initiate action to terminate the fellowship agreement in accordance with § 46.210.
§ 46.190   Fellowship agreement amendments.
(a) If you need to make any of the changes listed in paragraphs (a)(1) thorough (3) of this section, you must notify the project officer and receive a formal amendment (EPA Form 5770-8) approving the changes. You must sign and return one copy of each amendment to the award official. If you make the change before you receive the amendment, you do so at your own risk. Changes that require formal amendments are:
(1) A change in the amount of the fellowship;
(2) A change in the academic institution you attend; or
(3) A change in the duration of your fellowship.
(b) You must obtain the EPA project officer's written approval of changes in the field of study or approved research project.
(c) You do not need EPA approval of minor changes that are consistent with the objective of the fellowship agreement. Minor changes do not, however, obligate EPA to provide additional funds for any costs you incur in excess of the fellowship agreement amount.
§ 46.195   Project period.
Based on the “Date Fellow Will Enter on Duty” which you enter on the Activation Notice (see § 46.185(a)), EPA will establish the project period for the fellowship. If you incur costs before the date of the fellowship award, the date on the Activation Notice must reflect that fact (see also § 46.170(b)).
§ 46.200   Payment.
EPA will not make payments under a fellowship agreement until the award official receives the signed “Fellowship Activation Notice” (EPA Form 5770-7) as required by § 46.185. Unless the fellowship provides another payment process, EPA makes payments as follows:
(a) EPA pays tuition and fees directly to the educational institution.
(b) EPA pays any stipend directly to you on a monthly or other basis approved by the project officer and included in the fellowship agreement.
(c) EPA pays any book or other expense allowance to you or to the educational institution, as specified in the fellowship agreement. If EPA pays your expense allowance to the educational institution, the institution may deduct not more than two percent of the expense allowance as a handling fee.
§ 46.205   Intangible property.
In general, if you develop intangible property under a fellowship agreement (e.g., copyrighted software), EPA reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so. EPA's requirements for dealing with such intangible property are found at 2 CFR 200.315.
§ 46.210   Termination.
(a) EPA may terminate your fellowship agreement in whole or in part in accordance with the following:
(1) If you fail to submit the “Fellowship Activation Notice” as required by § 46.185.
(2) If you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of the fellowship agreement.
(b) You may voluntarily terminate your fellowship by sending the award official written notification setting forth the reasons for termination and the effective date. In that case, the EPA project officer may discuss the terms of the termination with you, and EPA may send you a letter or other document which states any termination conditions.
(c) Costs resulting from obligations you incur after termination of an award are not allowable unless EPA expressly authorizes them in the notice of termination or subsequently approves them. Costs after termination which are necessary and not reasonably avoidable are allowable if:
(1) The cost results from obligations which you properly incurred before the effective date of termination, were not in anticipation of the termination, and are noncancellable; and
(2) The cost would be allowable if the award expired normally.
§ 46.215   Enforcement.
(a) You must use fellowship funds for the purposes stated in the fellowship agreement. If you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of an award, EPA may take one or more of the following actions, as appropriate:
(1) Temporarily withhold or suspend payments pending your correction of the deficiency or pending other enforcement by EPA;
(2) Disallow all or part of the cost of the activity or action not in compliance;
(3) Wholly or partly terminate the fellowship agreement in accordance with § 46.210(a);
(4) Withhold the award of additional funds under the fellowship; or
(5) Take other remedies that may be legally available.
(b) In taking an enforcement action, EPA will provide you an opportunity for hearing, appeal, or other administrative proceeding to which you are entitled under any statute or regulation applicable to the action involved, including § 46.220.
(c) The enforcement remedies identified in this section, including withholding of payment and termination, do not preclude debarment and suspension action under Executive Orders 12549 and 12689 and EPA's implementing regulations (2 CFR part 1532).
§ 46.220   Disputes.
(a) If you and the EPA award official or project officer have a disagreement, you should make reasonable efforts to resolve it at that level.
(b) If you cannot reach agreement, an EPA disputes decision official will provide a written final decision. The EPA disputes decision official is the individual designated by the award official to resolve disputes concerning assistance agreements. The dispute procedures outlined at 2 CFR part 1500 subpart E, will apply.
§ 46.225   Equipment.
(a) If EPA authorizes you to purchase equipment (see § 46.140(b)) and the equipment retains a fair market value of more than $5,000, you must request disposition instructions from the EPA project officer when you no longer need it for the work under the fellowship.
(b) If you purchase an item with an acquisition cost of $5,000 or less, the item belongs to you.
§ 46.230   Closeout procedures.
(a) You must submit the “EPA Fellowship Completion of Studies Notice” (EPA Form 5770-9) signed by your sponsor or department head of the educational institution when the project period ends. In certain instances, e.g., your program of study is at an EPA facility, the EPA project officer may sign as sponsor on the Completion of Studies Notice. You may request an extension to submit the form if you need it.
(b) You must retain all records related to your fellowship agreement for three years after the completion date you insert on the “Completion of Studies Notice” (EPA Form 5770-9).
(c) EPA, the Inspector General, Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, has the right of timely and unrestricted access to your documents, papers, or other records related to your fellowship, in order to make audits, examinations, excerpts, transcripts and copies of such documents. The rights of access in this paragraph are not limited to the required retention period, but shall last as long as records are retained.