Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program (66.509)
Program
66.509 Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program
Federal Agency
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Authorization
Clean Air Act, Sections 103 and 104, as amended; Public Law 95-95; 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.; Clean Water Act, Section 104, as amended; Public Law 95-217; 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001, as amended; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended; Public Law 94-580, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.; Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, as amended; Public Law 93- 523; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, as amended; Public Law 92-516; Public Laws 94-140 and 95-396, 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, as amended; Public Law 94-469; 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Section 311, as amended; Public Law 95-510; Public Law 99-499; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203.
Program Number
66.509
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To (1) Support research to determine the environmental and human health effects of air quality, drinking water, water quality, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides; (2) identify, develop, and demonstrate effective pollution control techniques; and (3) support research to explore and develop strategies and mechanisms for those in the economic, social, governmental, and environmental systems to use in environmental management decisions. Competitive RFAs (requests for applications) for grants in these areas are announced widely through the Federal Register, Internet, university and scientific organizations, among other mechanisms. Applicants must propose EPA mission relevant research based on excellent science as determined through peer review by experts drawn from the national and international scientific community. Funding Priority: The STAR (Science To Achieve Results) Program will fund the highest quality academic research in the following nine priority areas: (1) safe drinking water: research proposing innovative approaches for estimating microbial risk in drinking water; (2) high priority air pollutants: research that can elucidate an improved understanding of the sources and the accumulation of airborne, carbonaceous and fine particulate matter; epidemiologic research on health effects of long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter and other air pollutants; and research on the consequences of climate and land use on air pollutant emissions; (3) research to improve human health (including children's) risk assessment: new approaches that can lead to the development of high-throughput screening systems to assist in prioritization of chemicals for further screening and testing of their potential as endocrine disruptors; research centers addressing environmental children's health issues; research exploring pathways of toxicity across species; longitudinal case studies quantifying the chemical, physical, and behavioral factors that lead to non-occupational human exposures to pesticides in the United States; and endocrine disrupting chemical exposure research; (4) research to improve ecological risk assessment: research developing new indicators of water quality and ecosystem health, including genomic-based indicators; (5) emerging research issues: innovative, and possibly high risk, research that may help define and understand significant emerging environmental problems; (6) water and watersheds: development of regionalized watershed classification schemes that can be used within the context of a national framework for determining ecosystem vulnerability, designing monitoring systems and identifying watershed restoration opportunities; research which supports setting biocriteria for aquatic life; and research addressing fundamental ecological and oceanographic questions related to harmful algal blooms; (7) environmental statistics: conducting unique statistical analyses of existing environmental and human health related data; (8) pollution prevention and new technologies: research in Green Chemistry topics in addition to other pollution prevention engineering technologies. Includes research in solvent substitution, bioengineering, environmental decision tools development, more efficient catalysis, process modification/improvement, environmentally benign manufacturing, reaction modifications, life-cycle analysis, simulations, modeling and industrial ecology; and (9) Economic and Social Science Research: research focusing on factors that influence polluter decisions related to the environment, including various types of government interactions; research to develop a portfolio of feasible incentive program designs based on theoretical, experimental and empirical research and building a relatively complete bibliography of empirical results demonstrating the performance of incentive programs with different types of entities and circumstances; and research focusing on ecological valuation, health valuation (both addressing specific topics raised in the research strategy), and the valuation of reduced risks to children. Other more specialized scientific areas may be solicited via joint RFAs with other Federal agencies and private entities. The STAR program may fund research centers supporting competitively selected universities, or consortia of universities, that focus on long-term, multi-disciplinary research. STAR's Graduate Fellowship Program provides funding for master's and doctoral degree students in environmental sciences and engineering. When funding is available, this competitive program is announced nationally. Applicants' proposals are judged for scientific merit by external peer reviewers, and are subsequently awarded by order of ranking. The STAR Program also funds research centers, such as the Hazardous Substances Research Centers.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).
Uses and Use Restrictions
The National Center for Environmental Research does not accept unsolicited proposals for the STAR program. All STAR awards are made in response to competitive RFAs. Funds awarded via grants/cooperative agreements are available for allowable direct cost expenditures incident to performance of research plus allocable portions of allowable indirect costs of the institutions, in accordance with the established policies of EPA.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
These programs are available to each State, territory and possession, and Tribal nation of the U.S., including the District of Columbia, for public and private State universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, State and local government departments, other public or private nonprofit institutions, and in some cases, individuals who have demonstrated unusually high scientific ability.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State and local governments, U.S. territories and possessions, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, nonprofit institutions and individuals.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments, OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions, and OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Discussion with the Office of Research and Development National Laboratories/Centers is advisable for research cooperative agreement applications. Contact points are shown in the RFAs. Generally, no preapplication assistance is available for research related applications. An environmental impact assessment is made by the Office of Research and Development as required by the National Environmental Protection Act. The standard application forms as furnished by the EPA and required by OMB Circulars No. A-102 and No. A-110 must be used for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedure
Completed applications must be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency, Grants Administration Division, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Mailcode 3903R, Washington, DC 20460, or as shown in the specific RFAs, which are accessible through the EPA/NCER website at http://www.epa.gov/ncer. These programs are subject to the provisions of OMB Circulars No. A-102 and No. A-110.
Award Procedure
Each application shall be subjected to administrative evaluation to determine the adequacy of the application in relation to grant regulations and to program evaluation; technical and extramural review determines the merit and relevance of the project to Agency programs.
Deadlines
As stated in the RFA.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
As described in 40 CFR Part 30.63, and Part 31, Subpart F.
Renewals
None. A standard grant application should be prepared and submitted as a new grant, which will be reviewed in the same manner as the original application and will compete for available funds.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
None.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are normally funded on a 12-month basis (annual). Total approved project period may not exceed 5 years.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Annual interim progress, and final results, expenditure, equipment and invention reports.
Audits
Grants are subject to inspections and audit by representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States and EPA or any authorized representative. Federal audits will be made in accordance with the policies of OMB Circular No. A-73 to ensure that funds have been applied efficiently, economically, and effectively without waste fraud or abuse. Periodic audits by the recipient institution should be made as part of the recipient's systems of financial management and internal controls to meet terms and conditions of grants and other agreements. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non- Profit Organizations," was published in the Federal Register on June 30, 1997. The Circular implements the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996. The Circular requires nonfederal entities that expend more than $300,000 in Federal award dollars, to have an audit conducted in accordance with the Circular's provisions. Recipients that are State or local governments, institutions of higher education, or non-profit organizations shall be subject to the audit requirements contained in OMB Circular No. A-133 "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non- Profit Institutions."
Records
Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate charges to each grant, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained until three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
Program Accomplishments
Estimated awards for the STAR program during each annual RFA cycle is 25 fellowships and 125 competitive grants. Abstracts of current grant awards, and annual interim and final summary results of the research are available on the homepage: http://www.epa.gov/ncer.
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0107-0-1-304.
Obligations
(Grants and Fellowships) FY 02 $102,145,300; FY 03 est $103,115,300; and FY 04 est $99,451,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Awards range from $6,000 to $34,000 annually per fellowship and average $25,000. New grants range from $150,000 to $950,000 and average $350,000 with new Centers up to $1,500,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
General Grant Regulations and Procedures, Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 30 and 40 CFR Part 31); Interim Regulations, Research and Demonstration Grants, Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 40). "EPA Assistance Administration Manual," available from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161 on a subscription basis and "EPA and the Academic Community, Solicitation for Grant Proposals."
Related Programs
66.511, Office of Research and Development Consolidated Research.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Individuals are encouraged to communicate with the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog or the contact listed on the RFA.
Headquarters Office
For information on grant applications and procedures, contact Environmental Protection Agency, Grants Administration Division, 3903R, Washington, DC 20460. To obtain further information via the Internet for the STAR program, click on "Research Opportunities" at http://www.epa.gov/ncer. RFAs will be posted as available.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
See Web Page for previously funded grants under the STAR program: http://www.epa.gov/ncer.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
A proposal is judged for (A) scientific merit in terms of: (1) quality and originality of the proposed work; (2) the qualifications of the Principal Investigator(s) and other key personnel assigned to the project; (3) the adequacy of the quality assurance plan; (4) the responsiveness of the proposed research to needs identified in the RFA; (5) the appropriateness of the proposed project period and budget; and (6) the probability that the project will accomplish stated objectives; and (B) program interest in terms of: (1) the need for the proposed research; and (2) a balanced ORD research portfolio. See the Web page for specific criteria for this year's RFAs.
