vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics
(7406)
EPA744-F-97-007
September 1997
http://www.epa.gov
The Presidential Green
Chemistry Challenge
Research Grant Opportunities
The moment a chemist puts pencil to paper to design the synthetic sequence
that will be used, to manufacture a chemical product, he/she also decides
intrinsically whether that sequence will use or generate hazardous substances
-that will require special handling, treatment, transportation, or disposal. There can
be literally hundreds of ^different chemical reactions to choose from when construct-
ing chemicals, some of which are more hazardous and generate more pollution than
others. With proper forethought and.analysis, chemists can choose reactions that are
less hazardous and prevent pollution, thereby avoiding many of the environmental
problems and chemical liabilities that chemical manufacturers face.
OBJECTIVE:
BACKGROUND:
DESCRIPTION:
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge supports fun-
damental research in green chemistry in order to provide
industry with the chemically-viable tools and methods nec-
essary to develop products and processes that are more
environmentally benign.
In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
awarded six grants to fund basic research projects that con-
sider impacts to human health and the environment in the
design of chemical syntheses. In 1992, EPA's Office of
Pollution Prevention and Toxics signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the National Science Foundation
(NSF) to fund green chemistry research jointly. In 1994,
EPA's Office of Research and Development entered into a
partnership with NSF to fund environmental research
jointly as part of its new Science to Achieve Results (STAR)
research program. This partnership includes research on
green chemistry through an annual solicitation tided
"Technology for a Sustainable Environment."
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge was established
to recognize and promote fundamental and innovative chem-
ical methodologies that accomplish pollution prevention and
that have broad application in industry.
Although the program does not provide an
independent mechanism for green chem-
istry grants, it does support the EPA/NSF
partnerships for environmental research.
> Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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The Technology for a Sustainable Environment solicitation addresses the technological and environmental issues of
design, synthesis, processing, production, and use of products in continuous and discrete manufacturing industries.
Research proposals are invited that advance the development and utilization of innovative technologies and
approaches directed at avoiding or minimizing die use or generation of hazardous substances.
The total number of'grants awarded for this activity depends upon the technical merit of the proposals (determined
by external peer review), dieir relation to the agencies' missions, and the financial support available to bodi EPA and
NSF for this program. Projects selected for support may be funded individually either by EPA or NSF, or joindy by
both agencies. This is at the option of the agencies, not the grantee.
GRANT RESEARCH AREA: CHEMISTRY FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION:
The long-range goal of this program activity is to develop safer commercial substances and environmentally-
friendly chemical syntheses to reduce the risks posed by existing practices. Green chemistry, a fundamental
approach to preventing pollution at the source, involves the design of chemicals and alternative chemical synthe-
ses that do not utilize toxic feedstocks, reagents, or solvents, or do not produce toxic byproducts or coproducts.
Appropriate areas of investigation include chemical synthesis and catalysis, analysis and detection, separation
processes, and reaction mechanisms. The types of projects eligible for grants directly parallel the scope focus
areas of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Program.
I . •~!"
GRANT AMOUNTS:
In fiscal years 1995 and 1996, EPA and NSF awarded over $12 million for 44 research projects under the
Technologies for a Sustainable Environment solicitation, most of which addressed green chemistry and process-
ing. Award amounts typically range from $50,000 to $150,000 per award per year, and award durations are
approximately 2. to 3 years. These figures may vary annually.
ELIGIBILITY:
Eligible applicants include academic and nonprofit institutions located in the United States, and state or local
governments. . ; .;.
The following individuals or groups may collaborate with eligible applicants:
» Personnel in profit-making firms functioning as nonfunded coinvestigators.
« Personnel in profit-making firms sub-contracting with an awardee institution.
» Personnel participating as coinvestigators with eligible institutions and who are associated with entities such
as national laboratories and federally-funded research development consortia.
• Non-EPA federal employees (certain limits apply).
Ineligible applicants include: -
« Profit-making firms and federal agencies.
• Federal employees seeking to increase their agency's appropriations.
Additional information about the Technology for a Sustainable Environment solicitation,
including forms, is available via the Internet at or
, or from Steve Lingle at 202 564-6821 and Barbara Kern at
202 564-6824. Other sources of information regarding EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry
Challenge Program include EPA's Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at 202
266-1023, Paul Anastas and Tracy Williamson of EPA at 202 260-2659, and the Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge Web site
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