Regional Healthy Indoor Air Projects for Community Outreach and Education, Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations, and Special Purpose Activities Relating to the Clean Air Act

 

To support Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations and Special Purpose assistance for community based environmental health efforts relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, and control of air pollution to include such topics as indoor air quality, indoor environments, indoor air pollution and indoor air pollutants. Projects should also focus on addressing environmental justice (EJ) and/or disproportionately impacted community concerns. EJ is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2014: Activities will support surveys, studies, research, training, outreach, education, investigations or demonstrations performed by organizations that lead to effective outreach strategies to educate key audiences about indoor air pollutants, their associated health risks and encourage effective mitigation and control strategies. The Program focuses on several critical aspects of indoor air quality that pose significant risks to public health, and in particular, to children and other disproportionately impacted populations. Program focus areas include, but are not limited to reducing the exposure of children and others with asthma to indoor triggers that worsen their health condition; promoting the adoption of operation and maintenance practices in schools, homes, and other buildings throughout the nation to reduce the harmful effects of poor indoor air quality on the health of the occupants; promoting voluntary radon testing by homeowners and building operators to identify elevated levels and fix them when they are found as well as working with homebuilders to incorporate radon resistant and improved indoor air quality construction features into new and remodeled homes; and encouraging policy makers and individuals to protect their children from the adverse health effects of environmental exposure to secondhand smoke by promoting smokefree environments in homes, schools, cars and other venues.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Deleted 04/02/2020 (Archived.)
Program Number
66.043
Federal Agency/Office
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Office: Office of Air and Radiation
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2013: Examples of regional indoor environments radon grants accomplishments (under CFDA 66.034) include homes tested for radon, homes mitigated for radon, and new homes built with radon-reducing features. Regional asthma grants accomplishments include healthcare providers and caregivers of individuals with asthma trained about asthma triggers. School-based grant work resulted in trainings, assessments and other actions fostering healthy IAQ in schools. Fiscal Year 2014: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2015: No Current Data Available
Authorization
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Section 102(2)(F), Public Law 91-190, 42 U.S.C 4332; Clean Air Act of 1963, Section 103, Public Law 95-95, 42 U.S.C 7401.
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Assistance under this program is generally available to States, local governments, territories, Indian Tribes, and possessions of the U.S., including the District of Columbia, 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. Eligibility for projects awarded or competed exclusively with State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) funds is limited to air pollution control agencies, as defined in section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act that are also eligible to receive grants under section 105 of the Clean Air Act, and/or federally recognized tribes and inter-tribal consortia, consisting of federally recognized tribe members. 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, Indian Tribes, universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and other public and private nonprofit institutions.
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 nonprofit institutions. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. EPA may ask applicants or principle investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
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. Environmental impact information is not required 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
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. 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.
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
Approximately 180 days.
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. Generally, EPA incrementally funds grants and cooperative agreements for Surveys, Studies, Research, and Investigations. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, availability of funds, and Agency policy on the competitive grant process.
How are proposals selected?
EPA selects proposed Surveys, Studies, Research, and Investigations projects for funding based on factors such as relevancy to EPA's mission, technical merit, and the likelihood of success. If EPA issues a solicitation for applications for a particular project or group of projects, the solicitation will identify specific criteria. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement.
How may assistance be used?
Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations and Special Purpose plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: http://geodata.epa.gov.

Grant recipients and sub-recipients are encouraged to adopt and enforce policies that ban text messaging while driving company-owned or -rented vehicles or government-owned vehicles, or while driving privately-owned vehicles when on official government business or when performing any work for or on behalf of the government. Grant recipients and sub-recipients are encouraged to conduct initiatives of the type described in section 3(a) of the Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving Executive Order that was signed on October 1, 2009.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
EPA includes reporting requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in the terms and conditions of the agreements. Agreements may require quarterly, interim, and final progress reports, and financial, equipment, and invention reports. Reporting requirements are also identified in the Grant Regulations Part 30 and Part 31.

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.
Auditing
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.
Records
Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports. If questions, such as those raised as a result of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements. While there is no statutory or regulatory cost sharing requirement for this program, as a matter of policy the Agency may impose a cost sharing requirement in specific competitions. If the Agency decides to do this, the cost sharing terms will be stated in Section III of the competitive announcement.
This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
EPA normally funds grants and cooperative agreements on a 12 to 24 month basis. However, EPA can negotiate the project period with each applicant based on project requirements. EPA limits project periods to 5 years. Grants are generally fully funded or on an incremental funding basis. Successful applicants will be notified either via U.S. mail or electronically. Such notification is contingent upon information contained in the resulting solicitation. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Assistance agreements may be incrementally or fully (lump sum) funded.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
See Regional Agency Offices.
Headquarters Office
Annette Johnson Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Mail Code 6609J, Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: johnson.annette@epa.gov Phone: (202)-343-9489
Website Address
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0108-0-1-304.
Obligations
(Project Grants) FY 13 $800,000; FY 14 est $0; and FY 15 est $0 - This CFDA program was new in FY13. FY 2013: $800,000; FY 2014: $0; FY 2015: $0 (projected).
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Range and Average of Financial Assistance EPA generally award grants ranging in value from $5,000 to $750,000 per fiscal year. The average value of each grant is $50,000 per fiscal year. Regional Indoor Environments Program grant range was $20,000 to $80,000 in FY13.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Surveys, Studies, Research, and Investigations grants and cooperative agreements are subject to EPA's General Grant Regulations (40 CFR Part 30 and 40 CFR Part 31).
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2013: Examples of projects funded during FY13: support to community-based asthma programs to reduce the exposure of children and others with asthma to indoor triggers in homes and schools; support to schools-based stakeholder organizations to promote the adoption of IAQ operation and maintenance practices in schools; support to radon stakeholder organizations to promote voluntary radon testing and mitigations and radon resistant construction features in new and remodeled homes; and support to community organizations to foster policies and activities to promoting smokefree homes, schools and cars. Fiscal Year 2014: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2015: No Current Data Available

 


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