Internships, Training, Workshops and Fellowships for the Office of Air and Radiation (66.037)
Program
66.037 Internships, Training, Workshops and Fellowships for the Office of Air and Radiation
Federal Agency
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Office: Office of Air and Radiation
Authorization
Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3), Public Law 42-7403; National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Section 102(2)(F), Public Law 91-190, 42 U.S.C 4332.
Program Number
66.037
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To provide, Internships, Training, Workshops, and Technical Monitoring in support of the Clean Air Act. These activities aim to: (1) support the development of career-oriented personnel qualified to work in occupations involving environmental protection and air pollution abatement and control; (2) provide technical training for State, local, territorial, and Indian Tribal environmental control agencies; (3) enhance the capability of state and local agencies responsible for environmental pollution control or other agencies with similar pollution control responsibilities; (4) provide educational renewal for career oriented personnel to achieve additional knowledge through academic professional training; (5) provide both undergraduate and graduate students in science, engineering, and other relevant fields with education and training opportunities to enhance their understanding of air quality-related topics; and, 6) to increase the quality and number of people into the environmental control field. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2009: This program will continue to provide training in all aspects of air quality, develop workshops in air quality based on identified needs, and provide technical support to ensure quality information is available to support programs and use knowledge developed in training workshops.
Types of Assistance
PROJECT GRANTS
Uses and Use Restrictions
Assistance agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved projects for internships, training and workshops related to environmental issues plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. This requirement does not involve geospatial information.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Assistance under this program is generally available to States, local governments, territories, Indian Tribes, and possessions of the U.S., including the Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government, District of Columbia and possessions of the U.S., international organizations, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, other public or private nonprofit institutions, which submit applications proposing projects with significant technical merit and relevance to EPA's Office of Air and Radiation's mission. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State and local governments, U.S. territories and possessions, universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, other public and private nonprofit institutions, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes, OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions, and OMB Circular No. A-122 for non-profit institutions. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts" or see Appendix IV of the Catalog. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. EPA requires final applications to be made on Standard Form 424, Requests for application kits must be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency, Grants and Interagency Agreements Management Division, 3903R, Washington, DC 20460 or through the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog or downloaded from http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm. Applicants must submit their requests for training assistance on EPA Standard Form 424 and the fellowship assistance on EPA Standard Form 5770-2. Applicants may be able to use http://www.grants.gov to electronically apply for certain grant opportunities under this CFDA.
Award Procedure
For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or 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.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Approximately 180 days after the deadline for the Request for Applications.
Appeals
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 requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts." Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 or 40 CFR 31.70, as applicable.
Renewals
None. All projects will be fully funded.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements.
This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
If the grant is not fully funded at time of award, EPA normally funds grants on a 12-month incremental basis. Each grant is limited to a three (3) year duration. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Grantees are required to submit program reports in accordance with Agency policy and the Monitoring and Reporting Program Performance requirements stated in Federal Grant Regulations 40 CFR Part 31 or 40 CFR Part 30 and OMB Circular No.A-102 or OMB Circular No.A-110. Grantees are required to submit financial reports in accordance with Agency policy and the Financial Reporting and Financial Management Systems requirements stated in Federal Grant Regulations 40 CFR Part 31 or 40 CFR Part 30 and OMB Circular No.A-102 or OMB Circular No.A-110. Grantees are required to submit progress reports in accordance with Agency policy and the Monitoring and Reporting Program Performance requirements stated in Federal Grant Regulations 40 CFR Part 31 or 40 CFR Part 30 and OMB Circular No.A-102 or OMB Circular No.A-110. No expenditure reports are required. Grantees are required to perform performance monitoring in accordance with Agency policy and requirements stated in Federal Grant Regulations 40 CFR Part 31 or 40 CFR Part 30 and OMB Circular No.A-102 or OMB Circular No.A-110.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," non-federal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-federal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular No. A-133.
Records
Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries in accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipient grants and cooperative agreement records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of the final expenditure reports. If questions, such as those raised as a result of an audit remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2008: The US-Mexico Border Environmental Education Program successfully recruited 10 undergraduate students to participate in the educational component during the regular semesters. All students come from different disciplines in science and engineering. The students come from South Texas and the Border region. There is also a training component during the Summer term. Support is also provided to graduate environmental engineering students to serve as mentors for the undergraduate students. This comprehensive project will support students who are in the field of studies in engineering and science who will work on air pollution problems. Undergraduate students receive individual semester fellowship and graduate students are awarded yearly fellowships to support their laboratory efforts and activities related to the program. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0108-0-1-304.
Obligations
(Project Grants) FY 08 $8,611; FY 09 est $100,298; FY 10 est $125,874
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
EPA generally awards grants ranging in value from $50,000 to $500,000 per fiscal year. The average amount is $250,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Training grants are subject to EPA's General Grant Regulations 40 CFR Part 30 and Part 31; 40 CFR Part 45; and EPA Annual Program Guidance provided to State and Local agencies.
Related Programs
Not Applicable.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
See Regional Agency Offices. EPA encourages potential applicants to communicate with the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog, and the Headquarters program contacts listed below.
Headquarters Office
Linda Zarow Office of Air and Radiation
Ariel Rios North Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Mail Code 6101A, Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: zarow.linda@epa.gov Phone: (202) 564-7431
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2008: Texas A&M University has awarded 10 student internships. Examples of projects include; monitoring and modeling of aerosol technology, exposure and health effects of air-pollution including human exposure to ultrafine particles, and environmental pollutants relating environmental cardiology. Undergraduate students will participate in a two-week field trip during the summer. These field trips will serve as a learning experience to enhance student's knowledge on three key areas in the stewardship of air-quality. Those areas include; environmental laws and regulation, scientific research and technical regional processes. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement.
