Source: http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2012/2012_star_water_research.html
Timestamp: 2013-05-21 08:02:13
Document Index: 484060299

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 26', 'art 26', 'art 26', 'art 29', 'art 26', 'art 26', 'art 26', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 170']

Centers for Water Research on National Priorities Related to a Systems View of Nutrient Management | 2012 Grant Archives | Archives | Funding Opportunities | Extramural Research | Research | US EPA
Solicitation Closing Date: January 15, 2013, 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time Eligibility Contact: Bronda Harrison (harrison.bronda@epa.gov); phone: 703-347-8080
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Synopsis of Program: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program is seeking applications to establish Centers to conduct water research and demonstration projects that are innovative and sustainable using a systems approach for nutrient management in the Nation’s waters. This Request for Applications (RFA) is soliciting proposals that take a systems view of nutrient management. A systems view of nutrient management considers every potential link in the breadth of possibilities that may influence water quality. These involve societal and technological considerations and may include, but are not limited to: local resources, prevailing land uses, watershed health, manure management, energy costs, municipal wastewater treatment, in-building water reuse, or nutrient resource recovery. A systems view would also consider valuation of monetized and non-monitized possible co-benefits and consequences (e.g., decreased sediment runoff, improved recreational value) which may be part of a nutrient management program. Proposed research areas should include: Science to achieve sustainable and cost effective health and environmental outcomes as part of water management.
Community involvement in the design, acceptance and implementation of nutrient management systems. Successful applicants will develop a multi component framework for research and development activities with a systems view of nutrient management. This framework will support restoration of watersheds; promote attainment of designated uses; encourage water reuse and recovery; provide environmental, economic and social benefits; and identify associated costs across community cohorts including those of limited means. Eligible applicants include public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and nonprofit hospitals) located in the U.S. State, local, and tribal governments are not eligible to apply under this solicitation. However, cooperative partnerships among the eligible lead grant recipient with academic, state, local, tribal and non-profit organizations to conduct research, development and field application of innovative water management are strongly recommended as they are important for successful applications. All applications should demonstrate community engagement as part of their project design.
Projects that collect data from or about humans which meet the regulatory definition of research with human subjects and are thereby subject to the requirements of EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 and EPA Order 1000.17 Change A1. This includes projects conducted under programs that are not considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration programs and some public health practice programs may include research activities. Projects that utilize surveys about people or contain identifiable private information also constitutes human subjects research and are not allowable under this solicitation. All applications must include a Non-Human Subjects Research Determination (as described in Section IV.B.6.c) verifying that the proposed research will not involve human subjects. Award Information:
Estimated Number of Awards: 2 Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $5,000,000 in federal funds total for all awards. Minimum 10% non-federal cost share is also required for each award.
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION A. Introduction One of the high-priority research areas identified by the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) is the consequence of water use and pollution on human health, ecosystems, and social well being in the United States (US). Through its Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR) Strategic Research program (PDF) (153 pp, 10 MB), the Agency is conducting complementary research on sustainable nutrient management solutions and strategies. EPA recognizes the need for sustainable nutrient management programs across the Nation. Such programs will guide the development and implementation of protection and restoration approaches by States, Tribes and other entities (e.g., local governments) to ensure long-term attainment of designated uses and reuses while optimizing environmental, economic and social benefits.
This RFA complements safe and sustainable water research programs (SSWR) in EPA laboratories and centers as well as the objectives of the EPA's Office of Water relating to nutrient pollution in the Nation’s water systems. EPA's SSWR Research Program (PDF) (153 pp, 10 MB) supports research to assess potential consequences of water pollution for human health, ecosystems, and social well being in the United States.
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the: Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1 and Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254. For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(F).
Research to provide a more sustainable, transdisciplinary, and systems-based approach to the Nation’s nutrient management is needed. This RFA is soliciting research that examines the relationship between watershed management and community level activities involving water which contribute to the nutrient problem. The development of this work into practical decision-support tools, modeled and supported with demonstrations, and a focus on resource recovery and reuse will help achieve societal, economic, and ecological benefits of the Nation’s water resources, now and for future generations. This solicitation is designed to support Centers, which support multidisciplinary interactions under a wide range of scientific areas, informing research and demonstration programs for a specific purpose. Centers involve collaboration amongst research teams from several institutions who cooperate to develop research projects to support a coordinated program of research around an overarching theme. This structure is highly preferred in that applicants can more easily develop a multi component framework for research and demonstration activities with a systems view of nutrient management to support restoration of watersheds, promote attainment of designated uses, encourage water reuse and recovery, provide environmental, economic and social benefits and identify associated costs across community cohorts including those of limited means. Although EPA is not requiring a minimum number of individual research projects, applicants are expected to propose a sufficient number of projects within the Center to adequately address the research needs described in this RFA.
Component 1: Develop science to support beneficial health and environmental outcomes. Describe the technical approach that you propose to develop and water managers can use to achieve nutrient reduction in their water systems. What systematic and sustainable water management approaches will you use to achieve nutrient reduction? Component 2: Demonstrate performance results and data to support the implementation of new systems. Describe how the demonstration component of your project to be developed in the lab or field will evaluate the sustainability, replicability, scalability, costs, and performance of nutrient management systems. Component 3: Evaluate social, economic and environmental costs, benefits, acceptance and implementation. Describe how the social, economic, and environmental costs and benefits associated with your proposed solution(s) to nutrient management will be assessed and develop supporting information. Describe how this knowledge will be included in the design of a dissemination and adoption program for nutrient management.
Key to innovative nutrient reduction are practices that include human and environmental health costs and benefits. Nutrient management that addresses tradeoffs among the environment, economy and society and how these change over time can yield profound changes in how we address nutrient pollution. It will be important to determine both monetized and non-monetized costs and benefit of those choices. Incorporating these trade-offs into decision support systems and tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Lifecycle Cost (LCC) and Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) supports integrated and adaptive watershed and urban management at a scale responsive to communities, states, regions, and the Nation. Some of the outstanding questions related to this research area include but are not limited to:
Component 3: Evaluate social, economic and environmental costs, benefits, acceptance and implementation. The desired impact of research in this area is acceptance of nutrient management strategies to benefit all sectors of the sustainability triad of environment, economy and society. A sustainable framework for nutrient management may incorporate a range of management tools including nutrient criteria, and may also include restoration, reuse and recycling, innovative technologies and best management practices (BMPs), nutrient trading, or other components demonstrating the efficacy of tools that consider environmental, economic and community trade-offs in water and land management in making decisions which incorporate trade-offs among them (e.g. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Lifecycle Cost (LCC) and Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)). Proof of utility is key to integrated and adaptive watershed and urban management at a scale responsive to communities, states, regions, and the Nation.
Additional questions arising from these considerations include, but are not limited to: Socioeconomics: What are the social and economic costs and benefits for successful nutrient management? How do these vary across economic cohorts within communities and watersheds? What can be done to broaden the public engagement in the water management process and how can this enhance likelihood of success?
The research, development and demonstration efforts for any of the three broad question areas discussed above should support sustainable nutrient management across the Nation. This will guide development and implementation of protection and restoration approaches by states, tribes and other entities (i.e., local governments) to ensure long-term attainment of designated uses and reuses while optimizing environmental, economic and social benefits. Further, an important component for any proposal is a comprehensive environmental assessment that provides multivariate baseline data, a systems view, and innovative technologies with demonstrated and documented gains for nutrient reduction as part of a sustained management strategy. This management strategy should be reinforced with a decision support system that can operate at multiple scales over time by resource and data limited communities and support comparison of costs and benefits of alternative choices against environmental consequences. Conversion of this approach into adopted practice is desired beyond the project period of a successful award.
Novel and sustainable nutrient management technologies and/or approaches which can have national application. Demonstrated effectiveness and replicability of nutrient management options at watershed, community, small system, decentralized system, and/or building scales. Assessments of the social, economic, and environmental costs and benefits associated with novel nutrient management approaches. Appropriate decision support systems and incorporation of assessment data into sustainable decision systems.
Demonstrated agricultural and urban best management practices for nutrient management including water demand reduction. The expected outcome of the research is improved information, understanding, and implementation of innovative nutrient management leading to better analysis and decisions resulting in improvements to the environment and public health.
Resilient urban stormwater nutrient management options that integrate both natural and built water infrastructure and reduce municipalities’ future non-compliance. Improved health and environmental conditions.
Widespread acceptance of holistic approaches to nutrient management strategies by decision-makers including municipalities and communities. Consideration of benefits and trade-offs at scales responsive to the needs of communities, states, regions and the Nation resulting in improved human and ecosystem health and resources. E. References
15 Beaty Creek Paired Watershed Study 16 Paired Watershed Study Design
Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, October 5, 2009 Safe and Sustainable Water Research Program
The Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is available at Web Sites 6 EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys
This solicitation does not provide the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that involve human subjects research. Human subjects research supported by the EPA is governed by EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 (Protection of Human Subjects). Applications proposing human subjects research will not be considered for funding and will be deemed ineligible. Human subjects research precluded from this RFA includes projects that collect data from or about humans which meet the regulatory definition of research with human subjects and are thereby subject to the requirements of EPA Regulation 40 CFR Part 26 and EPA Order 1000.17 Change A1. This includes projects conducted under programs that are not considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration programs and some public health practice programs may include research activities. Projects that utilize surveys about people or contain identifiable private information also constitutes human subjects research and are not allowable under this solicitation. All applications must include a Non-Human Subjects Research Determination (as described in Section IV.B.6.c), verifying that the proposed research will not involve human subjects. Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a consortium and submit a single application for this assistance agreement. The application must identify which organization will be the recipient of the assistance agreement and which organizations(s) will be subawardees of the recipient.
These awards may involve the collection of “Geospatial Information,” which includes information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the Earth or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, a Geographic Positioning System (GPS), remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. As described more fully in Section IV, each application should address the following items (for content and form of application submission and page limitations, see Section IV.B): Center Description (5-page limit): Applications should describe the applicant’s plan for establishing a Center to perform the proposed research and highlight the Center’s overall goals, objectives, and approach. The description should also explain how the Center will conduct its research to accomplish the purposes of this RFA. This includes how the Center will pursue a multidisciplinary and thematic approach to the problems to be investigated. The Center description should explain how the Center’s research is innovative and will seek sustainable solutions that protect the environment and strengthen our communities. The application should also describe the Center’s commitment to educating the next generation of scientists and engineers on the development of holistic approaches and predictive tools for advancing the principles of sustainability. The applicant should explain how they will engage local communities in their projects.
II. AWARD INFORMATION It is anticipated that a total of approximately $5 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 2 awards under this RFA. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $2,500,000 in federal funds, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. In addition, a minimum 10% non-federal match (which may include in-kind contributions) equal to a minimum of $250,000 (assuming the applicant requests $2,500,000 in EPA funds) must be included. Applications which do not include a minumum 10% non-federal match will not be considered. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this RFA may not exceed four years.
Under a grant, EPA scientists and engineers are not permitted to be substantially involved in the execution of the research. However, EPA encourages interaction between its own laboratory scientists and grant Principal Investigators after the award of an EPA grant for the sole purpose of exchanging information in research areas of common interest that may add value to their respective research activities. This interaction must be incidental to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments. Where appropriate, based on consideration of the nature of the proposed project relative to the EPA’s intramural research program and available resources, the EPA may award cooperative agreementsunder this announcement. When addressing a research question/problem of common interest, collaborations between EPA scientists and the institution’s principal investigators are permitted under a cooperative agreement. These collaborations may include data and information exchange, providing technical input to experimental design and theoretical development, coordinating extramural research with in-house activities, the refinement of valuation endpoints, and joint authorship of journal articles on these activities. Proposals may not identify EPA cooperators or interactions; specific interactions between EPA’s investigators and those of the prospective recipient for cooperative agreements will be negotiated at the time of award. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (examples of funding restrictions are described in Section IV.D of this announcement) also apply to the use of cost share/matching funds. C. Other
The application is made by submitting the materials described below. Applications must contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described. Summary of Page Limitations for Application Content:
Abstracts: 1-page abstract for the Center as a whole; 1-page abstracts for each proposed research project Center Description: 5 pages
Research Plan(s): 15 pages for each research project description Quality Management Plan: 5 pages
Administrative Unit: 15 pages Budget Justification: 2 pages per research project; 2 pages for the Administrative Unit Standard Form 424
The applicant must complete Standard Form 424. Instructions for completion of the SF424 are included with the form. (However, note that EPA requires that the entire requested dollar amount appear on the 424, not simply the proposed first year expenses.) Note that a minimum 10% non-federal cost share/match must be included. The form must contain the signature of an authorized representative of the applying organization. Applicants are required to provide a “Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System” (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. Organizations may receive a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or by visiting the web site at the D&B website .
Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” does not apply to the Office of Research and Development's research and training programs unless EPA has determined that the activities that will be carried out under the applicants' proposal (a) require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or (b) do not require an EIS but will be newly initiated at a particular site and require unusual measures to limit the possibility of adverse exposure or hazard to the general public, or (c) have a unique geographic focus and are directly relevant to the governmental responsibilities of a State or local government within that geographic area. If EPA determines that Executive Order 12372 applies to an applicant's proposal, the applicant must follow the procedures in 40 CFR Part 29. The applicant must notify their state's single point of contact (SPOC). To determine whether their state participates in this process, and how to comply, applicants should consult Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List). If an applicant is in a State that does not have a SPOC, or the State has not selected research and development grants for intergovernmental review, the applicant must notify directly affected State, area wide, regional and local entities of its proposal. EPA will notify the successful applicant(s) if Executive Order 12372 applies to its proposal prior to award. Key Contacts The applicant must complete the “Key Contacts” form found in the Grants.gov application package. An “Additional Key Contacts” form is also available at Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page. The Key Contacts form should also be completed for major sub-agreements (i.e., primary investigators). Do not include information for consultants or other contractors. Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.
For Multiple PI applications: The Additional Key Contacts form must be completed (see Section I.F. for further information). Note: The Contact PI must be affiliated with the institution submitting the application. EPA will direct all communications related to scientific, technical, and budgetary aspects of the project to the Contact PI; however, any information regarding an application will be shared with any PI upon request. The Contact PI is to be listed on the Key Contact Form as the Project Manager/Principal Investigator (the term Project Manager is used on the Grants.gov form, the term Principal Investigator is used on the form located on NCER’s web site). For additional PIs, complete the Major Co-Investigator fields and identify PI status next to the name (e.g., “Name: John Smith, Principal Investigator”). Table of Contents
Provide a list of the major subdivisions of the application indicating the page number on which each section begins. Abstract (1 page abstract for the Center as a whole; 1 page abstracts for each proposed research project)
The Center description should also demonstrate how the various projects contained within the Center are integrated; describe participation of investigators with the needed expertise and qualifications; and discuss the use of cutting-edge approaches. The applicant should explain how they will engage local communities throughout their projects, including outreach. The application should also describe the Center's commitment to educating the next generation of scientists, engineers, architects, and planners on the development of holistic approaches and predictive tools for advancing the principles of sustainability. The Center must also clearly describe the complementary support provided by each member and partner. Research Plan, Quality Management Plan, Non-Human Subjects Research Determination, Data Plan and References
Projects should focus on a limited number of research objectives that adequately and clearly demonstrate that they meet the RFA requirements. Explicitly state the main hypotheses that you will investigate, the data you will create or use, the analytical tools you will use to investigate these hypotheses and/or analyze these data, and the results you expect to achieve based on the current state of the science. Clearly define the systems view, demonstration elements, and community engagement practices associated with your proposed research. Research methods must be clearly stated in sufficient detail so that reviewers can evaluate the appropriateness of your approach and the tools you intend to use. A statement such as: “we will evaluate the data using the usual statistical methods” is not specific enough for peer reviewers. The description must provide the following information:
General QMP guidance can be found at NCER’s Guidance for Quality Management Plans (QMPs) General Guidance for Writing and Reviewing QMPs For EPA/NCER and the STAR Grant Program (PDF) (2pp, 25 K)
This solicitation does not provide the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that involve human subjects research. All human research studies conducted or supported by EPA are governed by EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 26 (Protection of Human Subjects). This includes the Basic Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Research Subjects, also known as the Common Rule, at subpart A and additional prohibitions and special protections for pregnant women, nursing women, and children in research conducted or supported by EPA at subparts B, C, and D. Depending upon the type of research being conducted, additional subparts of 40 CFR Part 26 may be relevant. Procedures for the review and oversight of human research subject to 40 CFR Part 26 are also provided in EPA Order 1000.17 Change A1 (PDF) (41, 334 K).
The Center should demonstrate a willingness to use, as appropriate, existing or future databases as they become available. In addition, the Center is encouraged to seek out and participate collaboratively with data sharing or monitoring efforts. It is strongly desired that information regarding concepts, methods, approaches, techniques, and technological advances developed by the Center be compiled, organized, and maintained in a “Data Warehouse” for eventual distribution to the greater scientific community. This will ensure that advances in critical areas of benign design, material life cycle, sustainability, and holistic environmental design etc., will be communicated and disseminated broadly to scientists in these areas. Such interaction with the greater scientific community will ensure the translation of progress and advances. References: References cited are in addition to other page limits (e.g. research plan, quality management plan, data plan)
Also provide separate SF-424As for each individual research project proposed as well as for the administrative unit. Additional SF-424As may be downloaded at Forms and Standard Instructions Download Page. Attach the additional SF-424As to the Project Narrative (see Section IV.E. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements”). If a subaward is included in the application, provide a separate SF-424A and budget justification for the subaward. Include the total amount for the subaward under “Other” in the master SF-424A. Applicants may not use subagreements to transfer or delegate their responsibility for successful completion of their EPA assistance agreement. Therefore, EPA expects that subawards or subcontracts should not constitute more than 40% of the total direct cost of the total project budget. If a subaward/subcontract constitutes more than 40% of the total direct cost, additional justification may be required before award, discussing the need for the subaward/subcontract to accomplish the objectives of the research project. Please see Section IV.D below if your organization intends to identify specific contractors, including consultants, and subawardees in your proposal. Please note that when formulating budgets for proposals/applications, applicants must not include management fees or similar charges in excess of the direct costs and indirect costs at the rate approved by the applicant’s cognizant audit agency, or at the rate provided for by the terms of the agreement negotiated with EPA. The term "management fees or similar charges" refers to expenses added to the direct costs in order to accumulate and reserve funds for ongoing business expenses, unforeseen liabilities, or for other similar costs that are not allowable under EPA assistance agreements. Management fees or similar charges may not be used to improve or expand the project funded under this agreement, except to the extent authorized as a direct cost of carrying out the scope of work.
Other: List each item in sufficient detail for the EPA to determine the reasonableness of its cost relative to the research to be undertaken. “Other” items may include publication costs, long distance telephone charges, and photocopying costs. Note that subawards, such as those with other universities for members of the research team, are included in this category. Subawards must have a separate itemized budget and budget justification, not to exceed one additional page each. Subawards may not be used to acquire services from consultants or commercial firms. Please see Section IV.D below for more details. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are those incurred by the applicant for a common or joint purpose that benefit more than one cost objective or project, and are not readily assignable to specific cost objectives or projects as a direct cost. In order for indirect costs to be allowable, the applicant must have a negotiated indirect cost rate (e.g., fixed, predetermined, final or provisional), or must have submitted a proposal to their cognizant agency. If indirect costs are included in the budget, identify the cognizant agency and the approved indirect rate. If your organization does not have a cognizant agency, please note that in the budget justification and provide a brief explanation for how you calculated your indirect cost rate. Resumes Provide resumes for each investigator and important co-worker. You may include resumes from staff of subawardees such as universities. Do not include resumes of consultants or other contractors. The resume for each individual must not exceed two consecutively numbered (bottom center), 8.5x11-inch pages of single-spaced, standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins.
Note: Letters of intent or support must be part of the application; letters submitted separately will not be accepted. Any letter of intent or support that exceeds one brief paragraph (excluding letterhead and salutations), is considered part of the individual Research Project Description it is associated with and is included in the 15-page Research Project Description limit. Any transactions between the successful applicant and parties providing letters of intent or support financed with EPA grant funds are subject to the funding restrictions described in Section IV.D as well. Funding Opportunity Number(s) (FON) At various places in the application, applicants are asked to identify the FON. The Funding Opportunity Number for this RFA is:
C. Submission Dates and Times Applications must be transferred to Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date. Applications transferred after the closing date and time will be returned to the sender without further consideration. EPA will not accept any changes to applications after the closing date.
Successful applicants cannot use subgrants or subawards to avoid requirements in EPA grant regulations for competitive procurement by using these instruments to acquire commercial services or products from for-profit organizations to carry out its assistance agreement. The nature of the transaction between the recipient and the subawardee or subgrantee must be consistent with the standards for distinguishing between vendor transactions and subrecipient assistance under Subpart B Section .210 of OMB Circular A-133, and the definitions of subaward at 40 CFR 30.2(ff). EPA will not be a party to these transactions. Applicants acquiring commercial goods or services must comply with the competitive procurement standards in 40 CFR Part 30 and cannot use a subaward/subgrant as the funding mechanism. Section V of the announcement describes the evaluation criteria and evaluation process that will be used by EPA to make selections under this announcement. During this evaluation, except for those criteria that relate to the applicant's own qualifications, past performance, and reporting history, the review panel will consider, if appropriate and relevant, the qualifications, expertise, and experience of: an applicant's named subawardees/subgrantees identified in the proposal/application if the applicant demonstrates in the proposal/application that if it receives an award that the subaward/subgrant will be properly awarded consistent with the applicable regulations in 40 CFR Part 30. For example, applicants must not use subawards/subgrants to obtain commercial services or products from for profit firms or individual consultants. an applicant's named contractor(s), including consultants, identified in the proposal/application if the applicant demonstrates in its proposal/application that the contractor(s) was selected in compliance with the competitive procurement standards in 40 CFR Part 30. For example, an applicant must demonstrate that it selected the contractor(s) competitively or that a proper non-competitive sole-source award consistent with the regulations will be made to the contractor(s), that efforts were made to provide small and disadvantaged businesses with opportunities to compete, and that some form of cost or price analysis was conducted. EPA may not accept sole source justifications for contracts for services or products that are otherwise readily available in the commercial marketplace.
Please read this entire section before attempting an electronic submission through Grants.gov. If you do not have the technical capability to utilize the Grants.gov application submission process for this solicitation, send a webmail message at least 15 calendar days before the submission deadline to assure timely receipt of alternate submission instructions. In your message provide the funding opportunity number and title of the program, specify that you are requesting alternate submission instructions, and provide a telephone number, fax number, and an email address, if available. Alternate instructions will be emailed whenever possible. Any applications submitted through alternate submission methods must comply with all the provisions of this RFA, including Section IV, and be received by the solicitation closing date identified above.
Preparing for Submission. The appropriate electronic application package available through the Grants.gov site must be used for electronic submissions. To begin the application process, go to Grants.gov and click on the “Apply for Grants” tab on the left side of the page. Then click on “Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package” to download the compatible Adobe viewer and obtain the application package. For more information on Adobe Reader please go to Grants.gov Help Page. Note: Grants.gov is aware of a corruption issue when Adobe Reader application packages are saved in different versions of Adobe Reader. It is recommended that applicants uninstall earlier versions of Adobe Reader and then install the version available and compatible through Grants.gov.
The electronic submission of your application package must be made by an official representative of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and authorized to sign for Federal assistance. Most submission problems can be avoided by communicating with the AOR well before the solicitation closing date and allowing sufficient time for following the guidance provided below. Note for organizations not currently registered: the registration process may take a week or longer to complete. We recommend you designate an AOR and begin the registration process as soon as possible. For more information, go to Grants.gov and click on “Get Registered”.
Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties that result in a late transmission, no transmission, or rejection of the transmitted application are experienced, and following the above instructions do not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to Grants.Gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below. The Agency will make a decision concerning each late submission on a case-by-case basis as to whether it should be forwarded for peer review. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to peterson.todd@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line. Please note that if the application you are submitting is greater than 70 MB in size, please call or send an email message to the Electronic Submissions Contact listed for this RFA. The Agency may experience technical difficulty downloading files of this size from Grants.gov. Therefore, it is important that the Agency verify that the file can be downloaded. The Agency will provide alternate submission instructions if the file cannot be downloaded.
The final ratings of the primary reviewers and the ratings of the other panelists will then be translated by EPA into the final peer review score (excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor) for the application. This is reflected in a peer review results document developed by the Rapporteur, which combines the individual initial and final evaluations of the three primary reviewers, the non-primary reviewer panelists’ evaluation documentation, and may also capture any substantive comments from the panel discussion. This score will be used to determine which applications undergo the internal programmatic review discussed below. A peer review results document is also developed for applications that are not discussed. However this document is a consolidation of the three individual primary reviewer initial evaluations, with an average of the three scores assigned by the primary reviewers. Criteria 1-6 are listed in descending order of importance:
Reviewers will evaluate each proposed research project included in the center based on the criteria below (criteria 1.a – 1.j are of equal importance). The originality and creativity of the proposed research, and the appropriateness and adequacy of the proposed research methods including quality assurance/quality control protocols.
Practical and technically defensible approach which embodies a systems view that can be performed within the proposed time period. Research contributes to scientific knowledge in the topic area and supports transdiciplinarity. The proposed research challenges and seeks to shift current research, design, or engineering paradigms by using innovative theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions applicable to one or more fields of research.
Projected benefits of the proposed activity to the environment, economy and society including human health. The proposed research embodies the principles of sustainability and seeks sustainable solutions that protect the environment and strengthen our communities. The Sustainability Primer (PDF) (2 pp, 195 K) provides examples of research activities that promote and incorporate sustainability principles.
Duties and percent efforts of administrative staff of the Center in terms of their qualifications and contributions to the specialized needs and conduct of the Center’s research activities. Effectiveness of the consortia's internal planning, technology transfer, and quality management plan. Plan for tracking and monitoring progress toward achieving expected results (outputs and outcomes) and ensuring project objectives are successfully achieved in a timely manner. Who is involved and what mechanisms are used? Are these activities documented?
This information is required only for the proposed Lead/Contact PI's performance under Federal assistance agreements initiated within the last three years that were similar in size and scope to the proposed project. The specific information required for each agreement is shown below, and must be provided within one week of EPA's request. A maximum of three pages will be permitted for the response; excess pages will not be reviewed. Note: If no prior past performance information and/or reporting history exists, you will be asked to so state.
Acknowledgement of EPA Support: EPA’s full or partial support must be acknowledged in journal articles, oral or poster presentations, news releases, interviews with reporters and other communications. Any documents developed under this agreement that are intended for distribution to the public or inclusion in a scientific, technical, or other journal shall include the following statement or another as specified by NCER’s project officer: This publication [article] was made possible by EPA grant number _______. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official views of the EPA. Further, the EPA does not endorse the purchase of any commercial products or services mentioned in the publication.
Research Communication and Coordination - The PI and appropriate members of each Center will travel to a minimum of four meetings over the life of the award at EPA or other appropriate facilities, including annual research progress reviews and a plenary research conference planned jointly with the EPA Project Officer, to present on activities of their Center. Travel costs associated with these events should be enumerated in the budget justification. Subaward and Executive Compensation Reporting: Applicants must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the sub-award and executive total compensation reporting requirements established under OMB guidance at 2 CFR Part 170, unless they qualify for an exception from the requirements, should they be selected for funding.
Provide its DUNS number in each application or proposal it submits to the agency. Applicants can receive a DUNS number, at no cost, by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711, or visiting the D&B website at: the D&B website .
Exchange Network: EPA, states, territories, and tribes are working together to develop the National Environmental Information Exchange Network, a secure, Internet- and standards-based way to support electronic data reporting, sharing, and integration of both regulatory and non-regulatory environmental data. States, tribes and territories exchanging data with each other or with EPA, should make the Exchange Network and the Agency's connection to it, the Central Data Exchange (CDX), the standard way they exchange data and should phase out any legacy methods they have been using. More information on the Exchange Network is available at Exchange Network website. .