August 2, 2012

Strategic Directions for EPA Research

Path Forward on Achieving Sustainable Outcomes

Robert J. Kavlock, Ph.D.

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science

EPA Office of Research and Development
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Provide the scientific foundation to support the EPA’s mission by:

 Conducting research and development to identify, 

understand, and solve current and future environmental 

problems

 Providing responsive technical support to EPA’s Programs 

and Regions

 Collaborating with our scientific partners in academia and 

other agencies, private-sector organizations, state and tribal 

governments, and other nations

 Exercising leadership in addressing emerging 

environmental issues and advancing the science and 

technology of risk assessment and risk management

Mission of EPA’s Office of Research 

and Development (ORD)

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Office of Research and Development

ORD’s Evolving Role 

 Support scientific basis for the 

development of regulations 

 Identify risks to health and environment

 Develop tools and approaches to help 

decision-makers 

 Advance sustainability science in EPA 

programs

 Promote innovative and sustainable 

solutions to environmental problems 

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My vision for the future of ORD includes a recognition that 

the goal of sustainability is our “true north,” that scientific 

and technological innovation is essential to the success of 

our mission, that we need to couple our excellence in 

problem assessment with an equal excellence in solving 

problems, and that we must act with a sense of urgency. 

(ORD/AA Paul Anastas, March 4, 2010)

The Path Forward:

The Redesign of ORD’s Research Programs
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ORD’s Organization

Immediate Office

of the Assistant Administrator

Lek Kadeli, Acting Assistant Administrator

Ramona Trovato, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management

Robert Kavlock, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science

Office of Science 

Policy

Fred Hauchman 

National

Risk Management

Research Laboratory

Cynthia Sonich-Mullin

National Center for

Environmental

Research

James Johnson

National Center for

Computational

Toxicology

David Dix

National Center for

Environmental

Assessment

Kenneth Olden

National Health and

Environmental Effects

Research Laboratory

Hal Zenick

National Exposure

Research Laboratory

Jennifer Orme-Zavaletta

Office of the 

Science

Advisor

Glenn Paulson

Office of Scientific 

Information and 

Management

Jerry Blancato

Office of Administrative 

and Research Support

Alice Sabatini

Office of Resources 

Management and 

Administration 

Amy Battaglia

National Program Directors 

• Air, Climate & Energy – Dan Costa

• Safe and Sustainable Water Resources – Suzanne Van Drunick

• Sustainable and Healthy Communities – Michael Slimak

• Chemical Safety for Sustainability – Tina Bahadori

• Human Health Risk Assessment – Kenneth Olden

• Homeland Security – Jon Herrmann

National Homeland

Security Research

Center

Jon Herrmann

Chief

Innovation

Officer

Peter Preuss
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ORD’s Realignment: Matrix

= Matrix Interface Manager * Teams made up of NPD lead and staff, responsible for 

research planning, program delivery.

OSA AAA

(Matrix Guardian)

DAA 

OSIM

OPARM

OSP DAA

CSS Team*

SSWR Team*

SHC Team*

ACE Team*

AA

HS 

HHRA 

NRMRL NHEERL NERL NCER NCCT NHSRC NCEA

OARS 

Innovation 

Officer
Office of Research and Development

SAFE & 

SUSTAINABLE 

WATER 

RESOURCES

HOMELAND 

SECURITY

HUMAN

HEALTH RISK 

ASSESSMENT

AIR, CLIMATE, & 

ENERGY

CHEMICAL SAFETY FOR 

SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABLE & 

HEALTHY 

COMMUNITIES

Integrated ORD Research Programs

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Strategic Action Research Plans:

www.epa.gov/research/research-programs.htm
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 Research results, analytical tools and models all 

contribute to informing sustainable decisions

 Emphasizes a systems approach to environmental issues

 Research helps decision makers quantify and value all 

three dimensions of sustainability: environment; society 

and economy. 

 Awareness that EPA decisions must comply with statutory 

criteria for decision-making, (e.g., whether or not to take 

costs into account)

Focus on Sustainability

Our six research programs support EPA and others in 

making environmentally sustainable decisions
Office of Research and Development

Recycle

A Systems Approach to Sustainability

Products, Services

Society 

(communities, governments)

Industry 

(products, energy)

Adapted from: J. Fiksel, A Framework for Sustainable Materials Management, Journal of Materials, August 2006. 

Minimize impact of waste and 

emissions on the environment and 

protect our ability to produce 

ecological goods 

Ecological goods

and services

Ecological goods

and services

Labor

Environment (air, water, land, humans & ecosystems)

Reuse

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Office of Research and Development

ORD’s Research Programs

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Vision:

... to inform and empower decision makers in 

communities, as well as in federal, state and tribal 

community-driven programs, to effectively and 

equitably weigh and integrate human health, socioeconomic, environmental, and ecological factors into 

their decisions in a way that fosters community 

sustainability.

i.e., actionable science for communities

SHC: Building a Scientific Foundation for Sound 

Environmental Decisions
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Tools:

• National Atlas for Sustainability (Atlas)

• Regional Vulnerability Assessment Environmental Decision Toolkit (ReVA)

• Community/Tribal Focused Exposure Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST/ T-FERST)

• Community Cumulative Assessment Tool (CCAT)

Performance Measures:

• Human Well-being Index (HWBI)

• Environmental Quality Index (EQI)

• Database of Sustainability Indicators

Approaches:

• Health Impact Assessments (HIA)

• Social Media, Collaborative Research

• Improving Current and Future Tools: Who Uses , Inventory and Evaluation, Gap Analysis, Access

Buildings and Infrastructure Land Use Transportation Waste and Materials Management

Examples of what we have underway
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National Atlas for Sustainability

Hi-resolution classification and analysis for 250 

urban areas across the country

• Links ecosystem services to human health and 

well-being

•Allows queries on populations of concern

•Identifies actions to mitigate pollution and reduce 

energy costs

• Part of multi-organization effort, with USGS, 

USDA, and others 

• First public release scheduled for 2013

Provides communities with a suite of 

interactive maps showing indicators of 

ecosystem services production, demand, 

and drivers of change

• clean water for drinking, recreation, 

aquatic habitat; adequate water supply; 

food; fuel and fiber; recreation; cultural 

and aesthetic amenities; contributions 

to climate stability; protection from 

hazardous weather; maintenance of 

biodiversity; and clean air
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Framework for Sustainability Indicators at EPA

• Sustainability Indicators

– Joint NCEA/NRMRL study of sustainability indicators

– Report on the Environment (ROE) 2012 utilizes the Triple Value 

framework, including intensity indicators

– Indicator database extension and integration with decision tools is 

proceeding under SHC

– Worldwide inventory of ~5,000 sustainability indicators with 

searchable classifications under SHC

– Recommendations on indicators are included in EPA response to 

Green Book (draft sustainability strategy)

Office of Research and Development

Key Issues for ACE

• The multipollutant nature of air pollution

–Assessing exposures and effects of chemical mixtures

–Developing options for air quality management

–Interaction of air quality and climate change pollutants

• The impacts of climate change and the development and 

evaluation of sustainable adaptation and mitigation options

• The human health and environmental impacts of current and future 

energy alternatives

• The expanding and contracting scales of environmental problems 

that range from global to local

• The social, behavioral, and economic factors that influence the 

effectiveness of air quality and climate policies

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Theme 1: Assess Impacts:

Assess human and ecosystem exposures and effects associated with air 

pollutants and climate change at individual, community, regional, and global 

scales

Near Road

Theme 3: Respond to Changes in Climate & Air Quality:

Provide human exposure and environmental modeling, monitoring, metrics and 

information needed by individuals, communities, and governmental agencies to 

adapt to the impacts of climate change and make informed public health decisions 

regarding air quality

Theme 2: Prevent and Reduce Emissions:

Provide data & tools to develop and evaluate approaches to prevent and reduce 

emissions of pollutants to the atmosphere, particularly environmentally 

sustainable, cost effective, and innovative multipollutant and sector-based 

approaches

ACE Research Themes

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Water Problem Areas EPA/ORD Research*

*Climate is a stressor considered

across the research program

Watershed Protection & 

Restoration

Sustainable Solutions for 

Waterborne Chemical & 

Microbial Contaminants

Green Infrastructure to Manage 

Stormwater Runoff

Next Generation Water 

Treatment Technologies

Integrated Systems Approach

Nutrient Reduction Strategies

Legacy & Emerging Contaminants

Sustainable Water Infrastructure

Systems Approach to Watershed 

Protection

Climate Impacts
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recreational 

and cultural uses Environmental Resources

• Surface water

• Ground water

• Coastal areas

• Fish & shellfish

• Regional ecosystems

• Atmosphere & climate

Community Stakeholders

• Consumers & residents

• State & local agencies

• Water & energy utilities

• Regional businesses

• Septic tank users

• Private well users

industrial & 

commercial uses

products & services

runoff and 

wastewater

water supply

Economic Activities

• Agriculture

• Commercial Fisheries

• Energy & Transportation

• Land Development

• Recreation & Tourism

• Water Treatment

Modeling the Nutrient Cycle
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• Apply “systems thinking” to the problem of 

nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in New 

England waters

• Collaborate with stakeholders to address 

sustainability goals

• Explore integrated strategies for nutrient 

mitigation

– Regulatory influence

– Voluntary innovation

• Provide a replicable approach for other 

EPA regions

• Coordinate with other projects in 

Narragansett Bay watershed

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Narragansett, RI Pilot Project 

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CSS Research Program

• Problem Statement

Although chemicals are essential to modern life, we lack 

innovative, systematic, effective, and efficient approaches 

and tools to inform decisions that reduce negative 

environmental and societal impacts of chemicals.

• Vision

EPA science will lead the sustainable development, use, and 

assessment of chemicals by developing and applying 

integrated chemical evaluation strategies and decision 

support tools. 
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•Improve protection of human health and 

environment by evaluating chemicals for 

potential risks 

•Assess potential risks of nanomaterials and 

endocrine disrupting chemicals

•Use advances in computational toxicology 

research to assess toxicity of chemicals 

•Provide tools and guidance for “greener” 

chemical production to improve environmental 

sustainability 

8 Research Themes:

•Chemical Inherency

•Systems Models

•Biomarkers

•Cumulative Risk

•Life Cycle Considerations

•Extrapolation

•Dashboards

•Evaluation

CSS Research Program


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“Although risk-based methods have led to many 

successes...they are not adequate to address... 

complex problems...such as depletion of natural 

resources, climate change, and loss of biodiversity.... 

Sophisticated tools are...available to address crosscutting...challenging issues that go beyond risk 

management.” 

National Research Council

Sustainability and the U.S. EPA

September 2011

Need for a Systems Approach
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• Applying integrated systems thinking

• Anticipating and responding to stressors

• Adopting a trans-disciplinary approach to problem-solving

• Promoting scientific innovation 

(e.g., green chemistry)

• Seeking realistic solutions

• Advancing the resilience of society 

(i.e., adaptive capacity)

Advancing Sustainability Science 
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• EPA Internal Implementation Plan 

• NAS Report on Future Scientific Challenges

• NAS Report on Resilience and ORD Workshop in January 

2013

Next Steps