United States Environmental Protection Agency Announces the Availability of 1996 Grants for Research on Ecological Assessment, Exposure of Children to Pesticides, Air Quality, Analytical and Monitoring Methods, Drinking Water, Environmental Fate and Treatment of Toxics and Hazardous Wastes Environmental Statistics, High-Performance Computing, Exploratory Research

mrted States -'.'
vironmenta! Protection
igency
Office of Research and
Development
Washington, DC 20460
EPA/600/F-95/017
December 1995
fff- f|;The;United States ";/; f ^S
Environmental Protection Agency
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Announces
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January 16, 1996 • , ' v','

NOTE TO: FY 1996 Research Grant Applicants " - '

respect.veiy. The. revised closing dates^op^ are'usted '
'TOPIC ' '..'•',

Ecological Assessment
Exposure of Children to Pesticides
Air Quality :
Tropospheric Ozone
. .Air Toxics • „. :
Indoor Air
Analytical and Monitoring Methods
Drinking Water •
Micrpbial Pathogens
Disinfection By-Products ' •
Fate and Treatment of Toxics and
Hazardous Wastes
/Environmental. Statistics . - '' ',
High Performance Computing
General Solicitation
REVISED SUBMISSION DATE

March 15^ 1996
March 1, 1996

'March 15, 1996 , -';.•'
March 15, .1996 -
March ,15, 1996
March 1,. 1996

March' 1, 1996 ••.". •'
March 1, 1996 •
March 1, 1996 ' •

March 15, 1996
March 15, 1996 "
March 15, 1996
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The United States
Environmental Protection
.Agency
Office of Research and
Development
Washington, DC 20460
EPA/600/F-95/017
December 1995
^y^li;The-United States7^f!3f
]Env|rqnmerital Protection Agency

1996 Graiits for Research
...--.- ».—^m
&cposure of Children to Pestiades
^ Air Quality
Analytical and Monitoring Methods
J Drinking Water
Environmental Statistics
n
• -a
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January 16, 1996 ,'.-...' -

NOTE TO: FY 1996 Research Grant Applicants " .'- . "*'..

Due to' the Government furlough, the u.s Environmental Protection
Agency has decided to extend the submission closing dates for the
FY. 1996 Grants for Research solicitation announcement from
February 15 and 29, 1996 to March 1 and March 15, 1996
respectively. The-revised closing dates by topic are listed "
below. • •'-..-•
•TOPIC , ' - . .

Ecological Assessment . . .
Exposure of Children to Pesticides
Air Quality : ,
Tropospheric Ozone
: Air Toxics • ., . . ,
Indoor Air '
Analytical and Monitoring Methods
Drinking Water • •
Micrqbial Pathogens.
Disinfection By-Products '
Fate and Treatment of Toxics and
Hazardous Wastes
..Environmental. Statistics
High Performance Computing
General Solicitation
REVISED SUBMISSION DATE

March 15" > 1996
March 1, 1996

March 15, 199.6 ,
March 15, 1996 • ,. •
March .15, 1996
March 1,- 1996

March' 1, 1996 --." •
March 1, 1996
March 1, 1996 '

March 15, '1996
March 15, 1996
March 15, 1996
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Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites research grant applications in
the following areas of special interest to its mission:

1. Ecological assessment

2. Exposure of children to pesticides

3. Air quality

4. Analytical and monitoring methods

5. Drinking water

6. Environmental fate and treatment of toxics and hazardous wastes

7. Environmental statistics

8. High-performance computing

9. Exploratory research, including Early Career Research Awards

This invitation provides relevant background information, summarizes EPA's interest in
the topic areas, and describes the application and review process.

Background

During fiscal year 1995 EPA increased funding for its investigator-initiated
research grants program. For fiscal year 1996, EPA anticipates a second increase,
subject to the 1996 Federal appropriation process. Therefore, EPA is issuing this
Request for Applications (RFAs) which summarizes its programs. Additional programs
will involve cooperation with the National Science Foundation and other agencies and
will be announced separately. In cooperation with the National Science Foundation,
three areas of interest to both agencies are identified - watershed protection and restora-
tion, technology for a sustainable environment, and decision-making for environmental
policy. EPA, NSF, DOE, and ONR intend to collaborate in an RFA on bioremediation.
Separate solicitations on "endocrine disrupters" and "risk-based decisions for contaminat-
ed sediments," possibly jointly with other agencies, will be announced later.

EPA Mission and R & D Strategy

The mission of EPA - and its unique role - is the protection of both environmental
quality and human health through effective regulations and other policy implementation.
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Achievement of this mission requires the application of sound science to the assessment
of environmental problems and evaluation of possible solutions. A significant challenge
is to support both long-term research that anticipates future environmental problems as
well as to fill significant gaps in knowledge relevant to meeting current Agency goals.
This Request for Applications and the joint solicitations with other agencies are impor-
tant steps toward ensuring that EPA can provide a sound scientific foundation as the
country enters a new generation of environmental protection.

EPA recently reorganized its research programs to focus on the reduction of
uncertainty associated with risk assessment and reduction of risks to human health and
ecosystems. Through its laboratories abd through grants to universities and other not-for-
profit institutions, EPA will promote research in both domains, according the highest
priority to those areas where risk assessors are most in need of new concepts, methods,
and data. At the same time, EPA will foster the development and evaluation of new risk
reduction technologies across a spectrum, from pollution prevention, through end-of-pipe
controls, to remediation and monitoring. In all areas, EPA is interested in research that
recognizes issues relating to environmental justice, the Agency's effort to achieve equal
protection from environmental and health hazards for all people without regard to race,
economic status, or culture.

Research Topics of Interest

L Ecological Assessment

1A. Regional Ecosystem Protection and Restoration

Background
i
The Agency's goal for protecting ecosystems is to restore and maintain the
"health," biological diversity, and sustainability of ecosystems while supporting sustainable
economies and communities. The specific purpose of this solicitation is to request
proposals that lead to the development of scientific understanding and techniques
required for effective ecological risk assessment and ecosystem protection at a regional
ecosystem scale. Proposals at the watershed scale are being solicited in the joint EPA-
NSF Water and Watersheds competition.

Description

While a broad consensus exists among scientists and managers on the utility and
need for integrated ecosystem management, most recognize that our ability to implement
ecosystem protection concepts is limited by inadequate understanding of the interaction
of ecosystems. The Agency's primary focus in this solicitation is to fund research that
ultimately will reduce the uncertainty in conducting ecological assessments at multiple
ecological scales - watershed (or an equivalent biogeographical unit) scale, regional
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scale, and national scale assessments. The research is intended to improve the Agency's
ability to conduct ecological assessments using the following paradigm: (1) monitoring the
current and changing conditions of ecological resources from which the success or failure
of ecosystem protection can be judged without bias; (2) understanding more fully the
structure and function of ecosystems to develop improved management options; (3)
modeling to predict the response of ecosystems to changes resulting from human-induced
stress from which possible ecosystem management strategies can be assessed; and (4)
assessing the ecological consequences of management actions so that decision makers can
best understand the outcome of choosing a particular management strategy.

This assessment paradigm must be applied at multiple scales to address the full
spectrum of ecological assessment and management needs. Watershed-scale assessments
tend to rely on relatively complete characterization of stressors and endpoints within
watersheds, and deterministic linkages among stressors and endpoints are often driven by
atmospheric and hydrologic transport, research on which will be solicited in a separate
RFA in cooperation with the National Science Foundation.

On a broader basis, some ecological assessments and management issues require
analyses at a regional scale. Relevant issues may include assuring that sufficient habitat
or breeding populations exist over a region to insure sustainability of populations and
ecosystems. Considerations such as habitat, biodiversity, and the introduction of exotic
species may be important. Resource availability and quality should be considered.
Regional-scale assessments tend to focus on how and if the sum total of watershed-scale
management efforts protect or restore the sustainability of an ecological resource.
Models and data collection at this scale tend to rely more on statistical sampling, remote
sensing, and spatial analyses. Management may be complicated by the existence of
multiple political and environmental jurisdictions within a region. Management at the
regional scale will challenge the institutional and intellectual infrastructure.

An even broader scale is the national scale. This category of ecological assess-
ment and management recognizes that some ecological issues require long-term manage-
ment actions. Examples include global change, establishment of national air, water, or
sediment quality criteria, or even the further development of the generic process for
assessing risks. Within each scale, the focus of the research should be on reducing the
uncertainty in ecological risk assessment.

While the distinction between scales is somewhat arbitrary, public interest is
focused on managing and sustaining many important regional-scale systems across the
country. Although the Agency has identified a number of areas throughout the country
that represent important places that would benefit from the results of research contem-
plated in this solicitation, the following systems are noted for their current emphasis, in
Agency priority order: (1) the Gulf of Mexico (including the South Florida area); (2) the
Pacific Northwest; (3) the Mid-Atlantic Highlands; (4) the Great Lakes; (5) the Chesa-
peake Bay; (6) the Great Plains; and (7) the Arid Southwest. In addition to these places,
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each of the Agency's regional offices has an active list of needs for place-based studies
that applicants may want to consider in developing their proposals.

To achieve the research goal set forth in this solicitation the Agency believes a
number of key scientific questions should be addressed. The Agency is interested in how
each applicant would design a research: program to address these or related issues in the
systems identified above.

» What are the appropriate ecological units for analysis at various scales?

» What are the appropriate indicators that can be used for monitoring and assessing
ecosystem condition and how does scale affect the choice of indicators?

» How does one characterize and measure sustainability of ecological systems?

o How are systems likely to respond to changes in stressors, and what level and type
of change can be attributed to anthropogenic stress?

o What types of ecological issues and functions must be addressed at each spatial
scale?

» What mix of management actions will most efficiently achieve desirable ecosystem
conditions?

» How explicitly can the problem of limited data be dealt with (e.g., use of struc-
tured expert judgements)?

o How can knowledge (e.g., ecological indicators) be extrapolated from one place to
another and from one timeframe to another?

» What are appropriate techniques for diagnosing ecosystem condition?

This solicitation is based on the concept that the fundamental unit in assessing
ecosystems is an "area," e.g., the habitat, an ecoregion, a landscape, a biome. Further-
more, given EPA's holistic environmental perspective, we will probably never assess and
manage whole ecosystems (e.g., forests) separately, but instead will manage ecosystems as
parts of the landscape mosaic in which they fit.

Instrument: Applicants may apply for grants on their own behalf or establish interdisci-
plinary teams. Proposals involving multiple institutions are encouraged but are not
necessary. Proposals representing research consortia should clearly identify the lead
institution and the basis for allocating research funds.
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I.B. Global Climate Change

Background

Making informed decisions on the risks of global change is critically dependent on
understanding how climate change impacts resource systems and their related economic
and sociopolitical sectors. Quantifying the vulnerabilities, the potential beneficial and
adverse effects, of natural systems and regional economies to climate change, including
climate variability, is a major responsibility of EPA's Global Change Research Program.
The interdependency of these disciplines can be captured using an integrated assessment
approach.

Description

This solicitation seeks research proposals that address regional scale vulnerabilities
in the United States to Global Climate Change (e.g., Southeast, Great Plains, and U.S.
Caribbean or Pacific Islands) with an integrative emphasis. Proposals should be based on
and use existing data and assessments when appropriate. Consortia of broadly-based
inter-disciplinary researchers are encouraged to address areas of concern, such as (but
not limited to) the following:

• Development and demonstration of an integrated assessment methodology that
can provide a framework and a process for organizing and interpreting diverse
sets of technical, social, and economic information to support policy decision-
making;

• Ecological and hydrological responses in the coastal zones, lakes, and rivers due to
changes in sea level and precipitation, and associated impacts on habitats, water
supply, natural resources (forest/agricultural products, commercial/recreational
fisheries, tourism), and public health (increased incidence and areal spread of
vector-and water-borne diseases) caused by climate change.

• Economic assessment of impacts, and relative risk of climate change versus other
anthropogenic stressors.

Funding: Up to $12 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for awards in
this program (1.A and 1.B) with approximately $8 million for area 1.A and $4 million for
area I.B. While there are no limitations on the amount of funds requested in each
proposal, research that involves complex multiple-scale issues may be in the $1-2 mil-
lion/year range ($3-6 million for a three-year proposal). Proposals in the $100,000-
$500,000/year range are also encouraged where appropriate. Proposals that focus on
specific regions are encouraged. Duration of awards may be up to 3 years.
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2. The Exposure of Children to Pesticides

In its report, "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children," the National
Research Council (NRC) recommended that estimates of total pesticide closure should
account for all sources and pathways of pesticide intakes and should reflect the unique
characteristics of the diets of infants and children. The NRC concluded that children
may be exposed to multiple pesticides exhibiting a common toxic effect. Therefore,
estimates of risk would be improved by accounting for these simultaneous exposures.
They also concluded that differences in exposure between adults and children were more
likely to account for differences in risk than were age-related differences in toxicity.
Based on these findings, the EPA is interested in stimulating research on children's
exposure to pesticides. Results of this focused research will likely have broad applica-
tions in improving the Agency's ability to assess pesticide exposures and their associated
health risks. Future solicitations will focus on other areas of research related to the
effects of pesticides on children.

Specifically, there is a need for information on children's cumulative exposure to
pesticide classes such as, but not limited to, pyrethroids, cholinesterase inhibitors, and
triazine herbicides. It is also important that this information be collected using a method
that treats children as a unique sub-population and not simply as "small adults." There-
fore, the EPA is seeking investigator-initiated grant proposals that address one or more
of the following topics related to children's exposure:

• Development of approaches for assessing children's exposure to the pesticides of
interest via multiple pathways and routes (e.g., inhalation, dietary and non-dietary
ingestion, and dermal contact). This research should emphasize age-related
differences and characteristics of child behavior in dietary habits, hand-to-mouth
activities, and contact with contaminated surfaces and objects.

• Research that evaluates and compares children's exposures to pesticides resulting
from various sources (e.g., agricultural food application, residential lawn treat-
ment, indoor residential uses, pet uses) and apportions the exposure and potential
dose.

• The development of methods for assessing cumulative exposures to specific classes
of pesticides. This should include methods to determine the temporal nature of
various sources and the resulting impact on exposure.

Funding: Up to $3 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for awards in
this program area. The projected award range is $100,000-$200,000/year for up to 3
years.
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3. Air Quality

3A. Ambient Air Qualify

Certain widespread air pollutants, such as ozone and air toxics, continue to pose
serious public health risks for susceptible members of the U.S. population or risks to
sensitive ecosystems. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires that EPA establish and
periodically review and revise, as appropriate, criteria and National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) for pollutants such as ozone. The Act also requires State Imple-
mentation Plans (SIPs) to be prepared, which describe control strategies that State and
local authorities will employ to bring nonattainment areas into compliance with the
NAAQS.

In addition, the CAA requires control of toxic air pollutant emissions from
sources. The Act prescribes a phased approach to regulate both major and area sources
of air toxics. The control program for major sources is a technology-based control
program that mandates the use of Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
for major sources emitting one or more of 189 listed hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). A
strategy for controlling the 30 most hazardous toxic pollutants in urban areas is also
mandated.

The EPA is seeking investigator-initiated grant proposals aimed at generating new
knowledge in these two major topic areas - tropospheric ozone and air toxics.

Description

3.A.I. Tropospheric Ozone

Tropospheric ozone research is being coordinated through the North American
Research Strategy for Tropospheric Ozone (NARSTO), an emerging public/private sector
cooperative ten-year research effort to both improve the technical understanding of the
tropospheric ozone issue and support future evaluations and adjustments to attainment
strategies. The EPA/ORD contribution to the NARSTO program emphasizes the areas
of atmospheric chemistry and modeling, ambient measurement methods and emissions
research.

The EPA has also been a principal participant in the university-based Southern
Oxidants Study (SOS) since 1991. Thirty-five Federal, State, and industry organizations
and 24 universities cooperate in this regional research program. EPA sees a continuing
research need in several critical areas related to the SOS effort. Published reports on
SOS and its data sources are available from the National Exposure Research Laboratory,
MD-80, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (contact: Dr. Basil Dimitriades, phone 919-
541-2706).
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This RFA is targeted to research needed in the following areas:

Atmospheric Chemistry

Laboratory studies to elucidate the products formed during the oxidation of
biogenic VOCs and aromatic VOCs under atmospheric conditions, the reactions of
olefins with O3 and NO3, and the reactions of OH radicals with higher molecular
weight alkanes and alkenes.

Laboratory studies of the kinetics and stoichiometry of reactions of high molecular
weight organic peroxy radicals, and the reaction of peroxy radicals -with NOX-
forming organic nitrogen reservoirs.

Smog chamber and modeling studies to develop advanced mechanistic models for
atmospheric oxidant formation.

Laboratory investigations of the role of heterogeneous and aqueous-phase process-
es on gas-phase oxidant production and nitrogen oxides/nitrate chemistry.

Modeling Research

Studies to explore boundary layer turbulence, vertical mixing, and cloud processes,
and their interactions with atmospheric chemistry.
i

Research to develop and test quantitative techniques for assessing errors or
uncertainties in physical and chemical processes (e.g., meteorology, deposition,
photochemistry, and emissions) that affect concentration estimates from ozone air
quality modeling systems.

Studies to develop and test innovative techniques to evaluate the functioning of
physical and chemical processes in ozone air quality modeling systems.

Monitoring and observations-based approaches to investigate the photochemical
ozone problem and evaluating/developing emissions control strategies; use of
existing SOS databases to develop/test approaches.

Developing and diagnostically evaluating emissions-based modeling; which focuses
on interactions of urban area and point source plumes with the surrounding
regional atmosphere; use of existing SOS databases for model development and
evaluation.

Developing air pollution prediction systems to provide real-time forecasting of
ozone air quality.
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Ambient Measurement and Analysis Methods

• Studies that may lead to new, more sensitive techniques for ambient measurement,
on short time scales, of chemically-significant trace gases (e.g., ozone, hydrocar-
bons, oxides of nitrogen, carbonyls and key radical species) participating in the
photochemistry of ozone

• Development of innovative in-situ and remote-sensing measurement methods for
using ambient concentration and meteorological measurements in assessing the
potential ozone response to local changes in precursor emissions/concentrations

• Instrument methods development studies or development of innovative data
analysis techniques applicable to PAMS (Photochemical Assessment Monitoring
Stations) objectives for cost-effective and accurate monitoring

Emissions

• Studies of biochemical and physiological fundamental mechanisms linking seasonal
and other significant variations in biogenic VOC emissions from important genera;
field studies to assess the validity of the newly proposed mechanisms.

• Developing improved algorithms for biogenic ozone-precursor emissions estima-
tion.

• Research, development and field assessments of tunable laser or other fast
response techniques for remotely measuring ozone precursor emissions from
fugitive emission concentration fields and from on-road, in-operation mobile
source emissions.

• Studies that explore the sub-grid scale uncertainties of representing urban and
point source emissions within air quality modeling systems.

3.A.2. Air Toxics

The Clean Air Act (as amended in 1990) prescribes a phased approach to
regulate air toxics emissions from pollutant sources. The first phase is a broad, technolo-
gy-based control program based on Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
for major sources emitting one or more of 189 listed hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
The second phase, a risk-based control program, will address significant residual risks
from major sources and risks posed by small, area sources.

In addition to the regulations for major sources, section 112(k) of the CAA
mandates EPA to develop a national strategy which identifies the 30 hazardous air
pollutants emitted from area sources which pose the greatest public health threat in the
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most urban areas. The strategy must assure that the sources accounting for 90 percent of
the emissions of the 30 pollutants are subject to standards and that the estimated cancer
incidence attributable to exposure to thjese pollutants is reduced by 75 percent. The
proposals submitted in response to this RFA will provide data valuable for both residual
risk determinations and the urban area source strategy.

Urban Air Toxics

There is almost no direct observational evidence (i.e., epidemiologic data) linking
health effects and ambient HAPs exposures. In part, this is due to limited exposure
methods and data and the expense of adequate epidemiologic studies. It is hoped that
recently developed epidemiologic approaches may be useful in overcoming some of the
traditional difficulties in this area, e.g., biomarkers, new statistical methods,, It is the
intent of this program to solicit research focusing on the urban toxic air problem.

A need exists to address the risks that may be posed by toxic contributions to the
effects of urban mixtures ("urban soup") and/or risks that may be posed by individual and
mixtures of toxic chemicals from large sources of pollution. EPA is seeking answers to
the following key questions:

» Are there public health risks that result from a) exposures to recurrent acute
exposures from both point and area sources, b) chronic exposures from individual
facilities or the combined exposures from multiple facilities, and c) mixtures which
impact the same or different organ systems?

o Can susceptible subpopulations be identified that are at increased risk due to
higher exposures or biological sensitivities?

o What are the emissions of air toxic pollutants from sources of concern in urban
areas?

To answer these questions EPA seeks research that uses a multi-disciplinary ap-
proach to investigate source identification and characterization, exposure characterization
(modeling/monitoring), and characterization of health outcomes as related to exposure.
Research that addresses all three topics in an integrated study is preferred; however,
source characterization for air toxics arid epidemiology (health and exposure) can be
considered separately. No consideration will be given to proposals that address only
health or exposure.

Great Waters Air Toxics Loadings

Research is needed to reduce the uncertainty in estimating the contribution of
atmospheric transport and deposition to overall loadings of toxic substances in the Great
Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay. Work to date has focused principally on the transport
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and fate of mercury compounds in their different phases. Additional work has addressed
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesti-
cides. Much of the work has centered on the Chicago and Baltimore urban areas in the
Lake Michigan and Chesapeake Bay regions, respectively.

The Agency is interested in proposals to reduce uncertainties in estimating the
atmospheric transport and deposition of hazardous air pollutants into Great Waters
regions. Specifically proposals are requested for research devoted to different Great
Waters regions or other hazardous air pollutants in the Lake Michigan and Chesapeake
Bay regions.

Ecological Effects

Natural ecosystems are comprised of a mix of interacting species that compete for
resources as they complete their life cycles. Ecosystems are exposed to a range of
atmospheric pollutants that occur both singly and in combination. Individual plant
response to pollutant stress varies by species, stage of development, and the presence of
other stresses (e.g., insect and fungal pathogens, nutrient stress, water stress). However,
individual species response to air pollution is not always reflective of overall ecosystem
response since individual species respond differently depending on their competitive
environment. Therefore, ecosystem sensitivity to pollutant stress is complex and needs to
be studied across broad spatial and temporal scales.

Research to evaluate ecosystem response to pollutant stress is needed to address a
number of questions in several areas:

• how does vegetation respond to co-occurring natural and/or anthropogenic
stresses?

• how does intra- and interspecific competition affect individual plant response to
air pollutant stress?

• how does stage of plant development and timing of pollutant exposure affect
species response to air pollutants?

• how do long-lived species, exposed to pollutants year after year, integrate pollut-
ant damage over time?

• what is the response of plant communities exposed to air pollutant stress?

• what are appropriate indicators of ecosystem response to air pollution?

Research should not be limited to single species; rather, the approach should address
ecosystem response from an overall ecosystem perspective, as measured by factors such
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as a loss in overall ecosystem productivity, shifts in species composition or loss of species,
overall growth reductions of pollutant sensitive individuals, or increased incidence of
damaging agents (e.g., pests or pathogens). The research should include both controlled
exposures of species mixtures and field plots.

3.B. Indoor Air Quality

The 1986 Superfund Amendment^ and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title IV
directs EPA to conduct and support research on indoor air quality. An important aspect
of this effort is research to develop and evaluate risk management methods to reduce
risks associated with indoor exposures to air pollutants, including biocontamiinants, which
are of particular concern because they are common cause of building-related illnesses.

EPA is seeking proposals targeted at techniques to reduce indoor exposures to
biocontaminants. EPA is particularly interested in studies to determine the effects of
environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, dust level, air velocity, and
substrate materials on the deposition, amplification, and dissemination of biological
contaminants including fungi and dust mites. High priority research areas include 1)
factors controlling the dust mite population in the indoor environment, 2) the influence
of substrate and relative humidity on colonization of toxic fungi, and 3) factors controlling
dissemination of fungal contaminants.

Funding: Up to $8.5 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for awards in
this program area with approximately $7 million in area 3.A and $1.5 million in area 3.B.
The projected award range is $50,000-$200,000/year for up to 3 years.

4. Analytical and Monitoring Methods

Background

The purpose of the program is to advance measurement science by stimulating
research on radically new approaches to solving environmental monitoring problems.. In
evaluating proposals, EPA will favor research that is likely to solve real world monitoring
problems. To that end, EPA has identified several areas where current environmental
monitoring technology is known to be inadequate The critical need is for measurement
techniques that are inexpensive to purchase and inexpensive to operate and maintain and
that also use little or no toxic chemicals and generate little or no hazardous waste. Also,
any new technology should include whatever mechanisms are needed for the data to yield
well defined levels of confidence. The focus of the proposals should be on new approach-
es rather than stepwise improvements to existing methodology. Such approaches might
include the adaption of existing techniques from other, non-environmental fields that
have yet to receive any attention in the Environmental analytical community.
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Description

4A. Field Analytical Methods

Development of measurement technologies that can be used in the field to permit
more rapid decision making, to eliminate packaging and shipping samples to distant
laboratories, and to yield more information for less money are urgently needed. Such
technologies need to be portable, yield real time (i.e., within 4 hours) data, rugged,
sensitive, and suitable for the wide variety of samples that are commonly analyzed (e.g.,
industrial wastes, industrial waste waters, incinerator stack emissions) and, if possible, be
able to measure multiple pollutants simultaneously. In addition to the aforementioned
applications, rapid field tests are also needed by personnel confronted with responding to
crisis situations (e.g., spills and accidents). Examples of what is meant by field-portable,
rapid results monitoring methodology include the recently developed and commercialized
immunochemistry-based assays and hand held X-ray fluorescence spectrometers.

4.B. Continuous Measurement Methods

Major improvements in waste process/treatment control and environmental
decision making could be made if more accurate, less costly, more rugged techniques
were available which would yield continuous, or at least intermittent, data on pollutant
concentrations in environmental media. Some monitoring situations where current
methodology is known to be inadequate include the following: (Prospective applicants
should consider this list to be suggestions to stimulate thinking rather than as criteria for
evaluating proposals.)

• Toxic metal (particularly mercury) and/or organic compound emissions from high
temperature, complex matrix sources such as incinerators.

• Release of volatile compounds from complex point sources or area sources (e.g.,
tanks, pipes, valves, landfills, contaminated soils) under ambient conditions.

• Toxic chemical concentrations in the air over a defined area such as a hazardous
waste site, an industrial facility, etc.

• Organic and inorganic toxicants in municipal and industrial waste water on a
continuous basis to eliminate the need to overengineer waste treatment facilities
to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

• Deposition or emission flux of toxic air pollutants, especially semi-volatile pollut-
ants that exist both in the gas phase and on particulate matter.
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Continuous measurement of the mass of inhalable particulate matter (PM2.5 and
PM10), semi-volatile organic toxicants, and NH4NO3 in the air while not also
including the particle-bound water in the weight of material measured.

Continuous mass measurements of particle-bound water in airborne particulate
matter (PM^ and PM10).
4.C. Leachabilify Prediction

Still another critical area in need of innovative approaches is leachability predic-
tion. Current methods for determining the leaching potential of waste materials are
designed for determining whether a waste poses a hazard to ground water under specific
improper disposal situations. They are not appropriate for assessing risk under other
management situations. In order to better assess the potential risk posed by wastes
under real world land management conditions and, therefore, permit the design of more
cost-effective land management facilities, new methods are needed for characterizing the
potential for toxic materials to migrate from waste materials that are destined for land
management. One group of materials that pose a particular problem are those wastes
that contain either a highly viscous or a non-newtonian liquid phase.

Funding: Up to $1 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for,awards in
this program area. The projected award range is $75,000 to $125,000/year 'with a dura-
tion of 2 or 3 years.

5. Drinking Water

Background

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that public water supplies be
disinfected and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set standards and
establish processes for treatment and distribution of disinfected water to ensure that no
significant risks to human health occur. Scientific evidence suggests that exposure to
chemical by-products formed during the disinfection process may be associated with
adverse health effects. Reducing the amount of disinfectant or altering the disinfection
process may decrease by-product formation; however these practices may increase the
potential for microbial contamination. EPA's current challenge is to find the point of
optimal disinfection, defined as the amount of disinfectant that will destroy the greatest
number of the most pathogenic microbiological organisms while creating a residual level
of chemical that is unlikely to cause other disease in humans.

This solicitation invites research grant applications in two areas of special interest
to its mission:
15
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• Microbial Pathogens in Drinking Water Systems

• Drinking Water Disinfection By-products (DBFs)

5.A. Microbial Pathogens in Drinking Water Systems

The incidence of waterborne disease in the U.S. is highly uncertain. While the
health effects caused by drinking water pathogens are generally known, limited informa-
tion is available on the doses and conditions that produce effects. Also, little is known
about the extent to which bacterial growth in the distribution system is a cause of
waterborne illness. Research is needed in the following areas:

• Current methods for measuring Cryptosporidiwn and Giardia frequently produce
inaccurate and highly variable recovery data, in part due to the small volume of
water that can be practically analyzed. This has contributed to considerable
uncertainty about the health risks associated with exposure to drinking water
containing Cryptosporidiwn and Giardia, as has the lack of information about the
viability of cysts and oocysts found in drinking water systems. Research is needed
to develop practical, low cost, accurate, and specific methods to identify and
quantify viable pathogenic cysts and oocysts in raw and finished drinking water
systems.

• Dose-response models have been developed for Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia,
and several waterborne viruses; however, the validity of these models at low doses
is unknown. Research is needed to evaluate the reliability of existing models at
low dose exposures and whether dose-response models developed with animals
can be translated to the existing human models.

• Research is needed to develop an understanding of the risks associated with
exposure to primary waterborne pathogens (e.g., Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and
enteric viruses) as a function of such susceptibility factors as age, nutrition,
protective immunity, and behavioral patterns.

Application of Research Results

The information developed by research on the above elements of dose-response
and exposure will be useful for human health risk assessments. Applicants should
explicitly address the use of results in risk assessment. Applications that integrate
research on the above elements within a risk assessment framework are invited in
addition to applications on separate elements.
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5.B. Drinking Water Disinfection By-products

Public water systems disinfect drinking water with chlorine or alternate disinfec-
tants. While chlorine reduces microbial risk, the use of chlorine creates new potential
risks from disinfection by-products formed during the water treatment process. Research
is needed in the following areas:

« Research is needed to improve methods for estimating human exposures to the
by-products of different disinfection treatments. Proposals should address re-
search on biochemical markers of human exposure and/or the development and
validation of models of human exposure to DBFs. Please do not submit proposals
for epidemiology studies.

• There is uncertainty regarding the appropriate markers of effects and susceptibility
in both cancer and reproductive outcome epidemiology studies. Laboratory
and/or field evaluations are needed of morphological, biochemical, amd/or molecu-
lar alterations that may be useful as markers of effect and susceptibility. Please
do not submit proposals for epidemiology studies.

f> Research is needed to examine the feasibility of assessing the relative toxicity of
DBP mixtures in drinking water (e.g., ozone/chloramines, chlorine/cliloramines,
and chlorine dioxide). Proposals may include such elements as: the feasibility of
sample preparation; chemical analysis and assessment; and toxicological testing of
mixtures.

« Research is needed to develop improved extraction procedures and advanced
instrumentation to characterize the non-volatile and difficult to extract organic and
inorganic DBPs. These procedures would be used in the development of methods
to assess the frequency and magnitude of occurrence of by-products,

Application of Research Results

The information developed by research on the above elements of toxicity, dose-
response, and exposure will be useful in human health risk assessments. Applicants
should explicitly address the use of results in risk assessment. Applications that integrate
research on the above elements within a risk assessment framework are nr/ited in
addition to applications on separate elements.

Funding: Up to $2.5 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for awards in
this program area. The projected award range is $50,000 to $200,000/fyear with a
duration of 2 or 3 years.
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6. Environmental Fate and Treatment of Toxics and Hazardous Wastes

Background

EPA is required to develop regulations and guidelines that will insure proper
waste management and proper remediation of contaminated waste sites. While numer-
ous improvements have been made to insure reduced risks to human health and the
environment, and to reduce the cost of these activities, a number of technical problems
remain. The EPA has an interest in advancing research to help develop more realistic
risk assessments and more efficient and cost-effective cleanups through the development
of new risk knowledge and site characterization and remediation technologies. This
competition is intended to support research projects in two areas: (1) the fate and
mobility of contaminants in soils and groundwater, and (2) assessment of risks of
contaminated soils and treatment residuals.

6.A. Fate and Mobility of Contaminants in Soils and Groundwater

The interactions between subsurface geochemical and biological processes can
have a profound influence on the mobility, fate, and bioavailability of organic and
inorganic contaminants in soil and ground water. A thorough understanding of the
processes (chemical, physical, and biological) is needed to accurately predict the influenc-
es of these processes on contaminants. This same understanding is also required to
predict the impact of the contaminants on the subsurface (vadose zone and the saturated
zone) and its ability to serve as a filter for protecting ground water and surface water. In
addition, better measurement methods, including the ability to identify individual
contaminants, are needed to determine more reliably the risks associated with the
original contamination and the risk remaining when a cleanup effort has been completed.
This component seeks to strengthen the scientific basis for estimating risk through
improved scientific knowledge about the fate and transport processes that affect contami-
nants and our ability to detect and measure them. Results of this research should also
improve our ability to develop new approaches to remediation. Examples of topics of
interest are:

• Research to develop the ability to better predict the formation, degradation, and
bioaccumulation constants of metal/organic complexes and organometallics and to
develop equilibrium and Idnetic sorption models for inorganic/organic metal
species on environmental surfaces, both biotic and abiotic. A major focus of the
research should be on contaminants and environmental settings typical of large,
complex waste sites, e.g., mining sites, multiple industrial waste sites, and disposal
in a single watershed, etc.

• Research to develop models for predicting the fate and sorption properties of
dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in a wide range of environmental
settings.
18
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• Research on the interactions between subsurface geochemical and biological
processes to determine their influence on the mobility, fate, and bioavailability of
contaminants, particularly DNAPLs, in soils and ground water to quantify the
transformations taking place in the subsurface and the fluxes of materials to other
ecosystem components (receptors) and to develop indicators of subsurface
ecosystem status. A major focus of the research should be on indicators that can
serve as markers for naturally occurring biodegradation at DNAPL sites or for
identifying novel processes and mechanisms for the development of innovative
subsurface remediation technologies.

• Research on geochemical and geophysical processes that have the potential to
lead to the development of more effective technologies for the removal of
DNAPLs from the subsurface.

• Research to develop methods and data to determine the properties and processes
associated with subsurface contaminants that could be used to develop real-time
measurement methods for determining the nature and extent of subsurface
contamination problems and the progress of remedial actions to correct them and
to develop prototype sensors based on these processes.

6.B. Assessment of Risks of Contaminated Soils and Treatment Residuals

The level of cleanup greatly affects the cost of remediation. Remediation levels
must insure that human health and the environment are adequately protected. To
accomplish these objectives in a cost-effective manner, data are needed about the risks of
contaminated soils, treated soils and other solid matrices in the vadose zone. Techniques
for cost-effectively measuring these possible impacts are also needed. Therefore, the
EPA is soliciting proposals on one or more of the following topics:

• Research on methods for assessing the potential human health and ecological
impacts of residual contaminants (e.g., incinerator ash or untreated mine waste
tailings that remain in place). Of particular importance are techniques applicable
to assessing mixtures of residuals from thermal and chemical treatment of com-
plex, toxic organics such as PAHs and PCBs which go through multiple steps of
degradation.

• Research on the factors influencing the availability of toxic metal or inorganic
contaminants common at contaminated sites (e.g., CN, Cd, Hg, Cr(VI)). Example
sources are mining operations, metal finishing sites, and other industrial opera-
tions. This research requires developing an understanding of the chemical,
physical, and biological processes which influence the chemical form of the met-
al/inorganic, its mobility in the environment, and its assimilation by, and impacts
on, human and ecological receptors.
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Funding Level: Up to $2.5 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for
awards in this program area. The projected award range is $50,000 to $150,000/year with
a duration of up to 3 years.

7. Environmental Statistics

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals to establish
a National Research Center on Statistics and the Environment (the Center) by means of
a five-year cooperative agreement. EPA's purpose in establishing the Center is to
provide a national capability to identify and perform cutting-edge research in environ-
mental statistics that will further application of statistics to the environmental sciences
and facilitate the professional development of future environmental statisticians.

The Office of Research and Development (ORD) has ongoing research in
environmental statistics, including the following examples: statistical methods for combin-
ing environmental information and for the design and evaluation of environmental moni-
toring networks, accounting for meteorological and co-pollutant effects on estimation of
status and trends in air toxics; spatial sampling designs for hazardous waste site charac-
terization; statistical environmental epidemiology and toxicology; development and
evaluation of ecological indicators and indexes, including issues of aggregation and scale;
data quality assurance; and statistical modeling, validation of biokinetic models, and
methods for combining epidemiological and toxicological studies for environmental
criteria assessment. ORE) statisticians can serve as research collaborators, sources of
problem issues, data, and experience with important environmental problems, and for the
transport of research findings into applied environments. The Center is expected to
interact actively with ORD research programs and scientists and to identify and explore
other promising areas of research in collaboration with other partners. As EPA/ORD
scientists are located at multiple sites nationally, a Center encompassing research activity
at multiple, geographically diverse sites is envisioned.

Statistical science is crucial to environmental research at all stages of its development
and analysis. Sound environmental decisions must be based on sound science which in
turn must be based on appropriate, high quality data, data models, and data analysis.
Statistical design and analysis techniques, including data quality objectives (DQO's), are
central to environmental data collection programs. Statistical techniques often can
identify and adjust for biases in data. When sufficient data are not available from one
source, data and other quantitative information from multiple, disparate sources must be
combined statistically. Environmental data are inherently spatial, and spatial statistical
methods are needed to model and analyze environmental data; spatio-temporal methods
are also needed. Computer models of environmental and other phenomena and environ-
mental monitoring networks must be evaluated to identify embedded biases, sensitivities,
or limitations, which then may be addressed. Environmental risks must be based and
evaluated on sound notions of likelihood, duration, and intensity of exposure and the
relationship of exposure to potential effects. Environmental regulation and criteria
20
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assessment will benefit from further developments in statistical meta-analysis and data
synthesis. Environmental sampling methods, such as for hazardous waste site character-
ization, must be efficient and able to account for both false-positive and false-negative
errors. Many of these needs require entirely new statistical methods or approaches.
These and other examples motivate modern environmental statistics research and
illustrate the need for a cutting edge, cohesive national research capability fin environ-
mental statistics.

Proposals should address the following issues: organization, location, leadership, and
governance of the Center; scientific objectives over the five-year period; research to be
undertaken during the first two years; areas and extent of proposed collaboration with
ORD programs and scientists; anticipated interactions with other scientific fields and
scientists, including evidence of past collaborations; computing and other scientific
resources available or required; and, cost and cost sharing information, including
identification of other potential sources of funds. Proposals will be rated on a scale of
100 points as follows: planned organization and leadership (10); scientific personnel (15);
scientific objectives (15); research plan (20); interaction with ORD programs and
scientists (15); interdisciplinary and other collaborations (10); computing and scientific
resources available (5); and, cost, cost sharing, and other potential funding (10).

Funding; Approximately $1.0 million/year is expected to be available for a single award in
this program area. The project period will be 5 years with a progress review by EPA
during project year 3.

& High Performance Computing

Background

The Environmental Protection Agency, through its High Performance Computing
and Communications (HPCC) program, is attempting to accelerate the evolution of high
performance technologies and their applications to environmental management. As part
of this effort, research has been implemented to develop a flexible framework to
facilitate cross-media environmental modeling, risk assessments, and community decision
making. In order to develop such a framework, a technology infrastructure is needed for
rapid intelligent data access and synthesis, integrated visualization and geographical
information systems capabilities closely tied to environmental modeling, and parallel
computing and communications to support multi-disciplinary ecosystem risk assessments.

In the past, computational limitations and a single discipline approach to environ-
mental assessment ignored the importance of cross-media effects. Numerous indepen-
dent models and other software tools are available that deal with segregated aspects of
the environment. This includes air and water quality, air-water surface exchange,
hydrology, hydrodynamics, sedimentation, groundwater, bioaccumulation, ecology, and
risk assessment. An integrated, expandable approach is needed to facilitate the evolution
21
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toward more comprehensive assessment tools made up of a large number of interoper-
able components.

Therefore, EPA is seeking proposals aimed at developing high performance
computing technologies for use in environmental assessment and management. Of
particular interest are proposals that target research on problem solving environments,
parallel algorithms, and data access and analysis techniques. All technology advances
should be demonstrated in a results-oriented testbed that specifically addresses cross-
media ecosystem management capabilities to support community-based environmental
assessments.

8.A. Problem Solving Environments

Problem solving environments (PSE) provide a broad range of computational
capabilities to address a specific class of problems. This enables inexperienced people to
accomplish tasks they could not have done otherwise and assists experienced people to
accomplish more difficult tasks more rapidly. This research is targeted to explore
fundamental technology components required to facilitate software reuse, data sharing,
and geospatial modeling and decision support within the context of environmental
management. Without software reuse it is not practical for one group to build the
complex software needed for cross-media environmental applications. Proposals should
address one or more of the following objectives:

• Explore conceptual data models that encompass all data types required for cross-
media environmental assessment and decision making. To test the robustness of
the data models by developing reusable scalable input/output (I/O) class libraries
to support development of interoperable cross-media environmental modeling and
decision support frameworks including geospatial data for integrated visualization
and geospatial analysis.

• Explore and evaluate alternative techniques for full integration (close coupling) of
geospatial analysis, environmental modeling, and object oriented databases
involving very large three dimensional, time and space varying data.

• Develop scalable parallel I/O techniques for object oriented data bases, I/O
mechanisms to support data reordering, fast queries over distributed databases
and archives, and I/O for binary large objects.

• Develop reusable object-model-based class libraries for parallel numerical solvers
and science processes related to cross-media modeling, uncertainty, and risk
assessment.
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8.B. Parallel Algorithms

As environmental science and computational capabilities advance, research is
targeting the linkage of several process models to achieve cross-media management
objectives. For example, a manager may wish to evaluate the simultaneous impacts
pollution on air quality, surface and groundwater hydrology, sediments, biota, and other
processes in an ecosystem. Currently, issues of spatial and temporal scale and computa-
tional feasibility have limited advances in this area. EPA is requesting proposals to
explore scalable parallel approaches for effective coupling among water, air, soil,
terrestrial, and ecological models and research on issues of scale and resolution that
affect the computational feasibility. Proof of concept and research-prototype develop-
ment of coupled models in a scalable parallel computing environment are important
components of the research. Proposals should address one or more of the following
objectives:

• Evaluate performance characteristics of alternative domain decomposition
approaches and scalable parallel algorithms for multi-media (air, water, soil,
terrestrial systems, etc.) environmental modeling, coupled air-water exchange
processes, and/or associated uncertainty and risk computations.

« Develop scalable parallel algorithms for adaptive grid approaches and evaluate
the preservation of accuracy with the interaction of regular and irregular grid
systems in the context of cross-media environmental assessments.

• Devise methods for optimization problems involving non-linear processes, develop
scalable parallel algorithms for efficient implementation, and explore the accuracy
of sampling strategies for non-linear response space.

8.C. Data Access and Analysis Techniques

A wealth of environmental data from diverse sources at multiple scales exists and
continues to accumulate each day. Scientists, policy makers, industry, and the general
public have diverse needs for data access, manipulation, summarization, and interpre-
tation. Intelligent and effective methods are needed to satisfy the extensive need for
environmental data to support environmental management activities. Proposals should
address one or more of the following objectives:

« Develop techniques for exploring multiple-scales and cross-media environmental
data. Research could include:

• Agent facilitated data queries of distributed data sources, methods for
organizing standard metadata for fast queries, capabilities to handle legacy
data, dynamic analysis of very large distributed archives of diverse multi-
scale data useful for environmental decision making.

23
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• High performance data assimilation techniques supported by scalable
parallel I/O systems to enable the integration of remote sensing data into
predictive models to enhance the quality of model predictions.

• Multivariate analysis and visualization techniques over three dimensional
space and time, and techniques for desktop virtual environments for
analysis of time sequences of three dimensional environmental data.

Instrument: Proposers may apply for grants on their own behalf or establish interdisci-
plinary teams. Proposals that support collaborative disciplinary or multidisciplinary
research or comprehensive system studies needing multidisciplinary teams from a single
or a number of institutions are all encouraged but are not necessary. Proposals repre-
senting research consortia should clearly identify the lead institution and the basis for
allocating research funds. Investigators who wish to take advantage of the current
ecosystem research capabilities at EPA's research laboratories are encouraged to contact
and collaborate with the appropriate laboratory. Successful proposals that collaborate
with EPA will be awarded as cooperative agreements.

Funding; Up to $3 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for awards in
this program area. The projected award range is $100,000-$200,000/year for up to 3
years.

9. The General Solicitation

9A. Exploratory Research Grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its National Center for
Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (NCERQA) is seeking grant applications
to conduct exploratory environmental research in areas of Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Human Health, Socioeconomics, and Engineering which are not covered in the specific
RFAs described above. Investigator-initiated research projects which focus on aspects of
pollution identification, characterization, abatement, or control or the effects of pollutants
on human and biological systems are sought.

The mission of EPA is to provide environmental policies, risk assessments,
pollution prevention programs, and effective regulations based on sound science.
NCERQA is committed to providing the best possible products in areas of research and
engineering technology through significant support for long-term research that anticipates
future environmental problems and strives to fill significant gaps in knowledge relevant to
meeting regulatory goals and protecting the environment. In part, these goals may be
accomplished through this competitive, peer-reviewed extramural program in which
investigator-initiated projects in basic or fundamental research can forge solutions to
environmental problems and EPA can benefit from close cooperation with the scientific
community.
24
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Funding; Up to $6 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 for new
exploratory research grants. The projected award range is $75,000-$ 125,000/year for up
to 3 years.

9.B. Early Career Research Award Program

Background

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the initiation of the
Early Career Award Program to support outstanding scientists and engineers at the onset
of their careers in America's colleges, universities, and not-for-profit institutions. This
competition is a component of the Exploratory Research Grants Program and applicants
should prepare their proposals accordingly. The Early Career Award Program embodies
the high priority placed by EPA on maintaining the leadership position of the United
States in environmental science by producing outstanding researchers and nurturing their
continued development.

Eligibility

The Early Career Research Award Program is open to U.S. citizens and perma-
nent residents in academic or not-for-profit institutions who received their graduate
degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent), completed post-doctoral programs, or entered a tenure-
track position at an academic institution on or after May 1, 1991.
Research topics are open to all areas of environmental science and engineering
related to human health risk assessment, ecological risk assessment, and pollution
prevention and reduction. As with the Exploratory Research Grants Program, research
in biology, chemistry, physics, human health, socioeconomics, and engineering is inclusive.
The grant awards are subject to the same regulations and guidelines as the Exploratory
program.

Funding: Up to $1.0 million is expected to be available in fiscal year 1996 in this
program area. The projected award range is $75,000-$ 100,000/year with a duration of 5
years.
25
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The Application

The following instructions apply to all areas described above.

Proposed research projects must be designed to advance the state of knowledge in the
indicated areas. The Application Kit for Assistance contains detailed instructions on how
to prepare your application. The application kit is available at most institutional offices
of sponsored research or may be obtained from EPA at:

U,S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (8703)
401 M Street SW
Washington DC 20460
Phone: (202)260-3837
Fax: (202) 260-2039 Email: ord.grants@epamail.epa.gov

Each application must contain the following:

A. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Forms 424 and 424A). These forms
must have original signature.

B. A detailed, itemized budget for each year of the proposed project.

C. A budget justification describing the basis for calculating the personnel, fringe
benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and other costs identi-
fied in the itemized budget.

D. An abstract containing the following information: The project title, the names and
affiliations of all investigators, and a summary of the objectives, expected results,
and approach described in the proposal. The abstract must not exceed one (1)
8.5 x 11 inch page of single-spaced standard 12 point type with 1 inch margins.

E. A Description of the Project. For proposals submitted to all areas other than
topic 7, Environmental Statistics, this description must not exceed fifteen (15)
pages; for proposals submitted to topic 7, Environmental Statistics, the description
must not exceed twenty (20) pages. All pages must be consecutively numbered,
8.5 x 11 inch, single-spaced standard 12 point type with 1 inch margins. The de-
scription must provide the following information (1-5):

1. Objectives: List objectives of the proposed research and/or the hypotheses
being tested during the project.

2. Expected Results or Benefits: Describe the results you expect to achieve
during the project and the benefits of success.
26
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3. Approach: Outline the methods, approaches, and techniques that you in-
tend to employ in meeting the objective stated above.

4. General Project Information: Discuss other information relevant to the
potential success of the project. This might include facilities, project sched-
ules, proposed management, interactions with other institutions, etc.

5. Quality Assurance: A brief narrative statement (not to exceed two consecu-
tively numbered, 8.5 x 11 inch pages of single-spaced standard 12 point type
with 1 inch margins) describing the quality assurance procedures proposed
for the project (see section of this RFA on quality assurance).

F. Any important attachments, appendices, references, or other information may be
included but must not exceed five (5) pages.

G. The resumes of the principal investigator, and co-workers. Resumes must not ex-
ceed two consecutively-numbered, 8.5 x 11 inch pages of single spaced standard 12
point type with 1 inch margins.

H. Standard Form (SF) 5700-48 Procurement System Certification (provided in
Application Kit).

I. Standard Form (SF) 5700-49 Debarment and Suspension Certification (provided
in Application Kit).

J. A list of key contacts (provided in Application Kit) including authorizing repre-
sentative, payee, administrative contact, and project manager.

K. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (provided in Application Kit).

L. Copy of State Clearing House Approval Notification (see Application Kit to deter-
mine if applicable).
i
M. In lieu of the Application Receipt Letter provided in the Application Kit, the ap-
plicant must include a blank self-addressed, stamped post card with the applica-
tion.

The application must contain all of the above, in the order listed.
27
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Sorting Codes

In order to facilitate proper assignment and review of applications, applicants are asked
to identify the topic area in which their application is to be considered. Applications
must be identified by printing the appropriate Sorting Code (see below) in block 10 of
the SF-424.
Ecological Assessment
Protection and Restoration
Global Climate Change
Exposure of Children to Pesticides
Air Quality
Tropospheric Ozone
Air Toxics
Indoor Air Quality
Analytical & Monitoring Methods
Field Analytical Methods
Continuous Measurement Methods
Leachability Prediction
Drinking Water
Microbial Pathogens
Disinfection By-Products
Fate and Treatment of Toxics and Hazardous Wastes
Fate and Mobility
Assessment of Risks
Environmental Statistics
High Performance Computing
Problem Solving Environments
Parallel Algorithms
Data Access and Analysis Tech
General Solicitation
Exploratory Research Grants
Early Career Research Awards
96-NCERQA-1A
96-NCERQA-1B
96-NCERQA-2

96-NCERQA-3A1
96-NCERQA-3A2
96-NCERQA-3B

96-NCERQA-4A
96-NCERQA-4B
96-NCERQA-4C

96-NCERQA-5A
96-NCERQA-5B

96-NCERQA-6A
96-NCERQA-6B
96-NCERQA-7

96-NCERQA-8A
96-NCERQA-8B
96-NCERQA-8C

96-NCERQA-9A
96-NCERQA-9B
The Sorting Code must be placed in Block 10 of SF 424 as shown below:
10. CATALOG OF FEDERAL
DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE
NUMBER:
0

•

TTILE: 96-NCERQA-X
The Sorting Code must also be included in the address on the package that is submitted
to EPA (see next section on how to apply).
28
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How to Apply

To be considered, the original and ten (10) copies of the fully developed research grant
application and five (5) additional copies of the abstract (fifteen in all), musit be received
(post-marked if sent by U.S. Mail) by the National Center for Environmental Research
and Quality Assurance no later than 4:00 P.M. EST on the closing date assigned to the
topic area appropriate to the application (see sorting codes). The closing dates for the
topic areas are:
Ecological Assessment
Exposure of Children to Pesticides
Air Quality
Tropospheric Ozone
Air Toxics
Indoor Air
Analytical & Monitoring Methods
Drinking Water
Microbial Pathogens
Disinfection By-Products
Fate and Treatment of Toxics and Hazardous Wastes
Environmental Statistics
High Performance Computing
General Solicitation
Feb 29, 1996
Feb 15, 1996

Feb 29, 1996
Feb 29, 1996
Feb 29, 1996
Feb 15, 1996

Feb 15, 1996
Feb 15, 1996
Feb 15, 1996
Feb 29, 1996
Feb 29, 1996
Feb 29, 1996
The application and abstracts must be prepared in accordance with instructions in the
Application Kit for Federal Assistance and this RFA. Informal, incomplete,, or unsigned
proposals will not be considered. Completed applications should be sent via regular or
express mail to:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (8703)
Sorting Code: 96-NCERQA-X
Room M2426
401 M Street SW
Washington DC 20460

Applications sent via express mail should have the following telephone number listed on
the express mail label: (202) 260-3837

Quality Assurance

Data sets resulting from EPA-funded environmental research often are used by govern-
ment officials when establishing standards or when making other policy decisions.
29
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Explicit indicators of data quality are essential for determining whether a particular data
set is appropriate for use in a specific context. To that end, EPA regulations require that
grant-funded projects address quality assurance.

The application must include a quality assurance narrative statement, not to exceed two
pages, which for each item listed below, either presents the required information or
provides justification as to why the item does not apply to the proposed research.

• The intended use of the data and the associated acceptance criteria for data
quality (i.e., precision, accuracy, representativeness, completeness, and comparabil-
ity).

• Project requirements for precision, accuracy, representativeness, completeness,
and comparability, and how these will be determined.

• Procedures for selection of samples or sampling sites, and collection or prepara-
tion of samples.

• Procedures for sample handling, identification, preservation, transportation, and
storage.

• Description of measurement methods or test procedures, with a statement of per-
formance characteristics if methods are non-standard.

• Standard quality assurance/quality control procedures (e.g., American Society for
Testing Materials, American Public Health Association, etc.) to be followed. Non-
standard procedures must be documented.

• Data reduction and reporting procedures, including description of statistical
analyses to be used.

Guidelines and Limitations

Subcontracts for research to be conducted under the grant that exceed 40% of the total
direct cost of the grant for each year in which the subcontract is awarded will be subject
to special review.

Additional Requirements

Researchers will be expected to participate in an annual All-Investigator Meeting with
EPA researchers and other grantees and cooperators to report on research activities and
to discuss issues of mutual interest.
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Eligibility

Academic and not-for-profit institutions located in the U.S., and state or local govern-
ments are eligible under all existing authorizations. Profit-making firms are eligible only
under certain laws, and then under restrictive conditions, including the absence of any
profit from the project. Federal agencies and federal employees are not eligible to
participate in this program. Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility
should contact EPA's Grants Operations Branch at (202) 260-9266.

Review and Selection

All grant applications are initially reviewed by EPA to determine their legal and admin-
istrative acceptability and responsiveness to this solicitation. Acceptable applications are
then reviewed by an appropriate technical peer review group. This review is designed to
evaluate and rank each proposal according to its scientific merit. Each review group is
composed primarily of non-EPA scientists, engineers, social scientists, and/or economists
who are experts in their respective disciplines. All reviewers are proficient in the
technical areas that they are reviewing. The reviewers use the following criteria in their
reviews:

• quality of the research plan (including theoretical and/or experimental design,
originality, and creativity);

• qualifications of the principal investigator
and staff, including knowledge of relevant subject areas;

• potential contribution of the research to advancing scientific knowledge in the
environmental area;

• availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment; and

• budget justification ~ justification for equipment will receive special attention;

• responsiveness to solicitation objectives.

Funding decisions are the sole responsibility of EPA. Grants are selected on the basis of
technical merit, relevancy to the research priorities outlined, program balance, and
budget.

EPA anticipates making awards from this RFA by September 1996.
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Proprietary Information

By submitting an application in response to this solicitation, the applicant grants EPA
permission to share the application with technical reviewers both within and outside of
the Agency. Applications containing proprietary or other types of confidential infor-
mation will be immediately returned to the applicant without review.

Funding Mechanism

The funding mechanism for all awards issued under this solicitation will consist of either
a grant or cooperative agreement between EPA and the recipient.

In accordance with Public Law 95-224, a grant or cooperative agreement is used to
accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute
rather than acquisition for the direct benefit of the Agency. In using a grant instrument,
EPA anticipates that there will be no substantial involvement during the course of the
grant between the recipient and the Agency. When substantial involvement is anticipat-
ed, a cooperative agreement will be awarded.

Contacts

Additional general information on the grants program may be obtained by contacting:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (8703)
401 M Street SW
Washington DC 20"460
Phone: (202)260-3837
Fax: (202) 260-2039 Email: ord.grants@epamail.epa.gov

Applicants with technical questions may contact the appropriate individual identified
below.

Contacts for Research Topics of Interest

Ecological Assessment

• Robert Menzer 202-260-5779
menzer.robert@epamail.epa.gov
• Barbara Levinson 202-260-5983
levinson.barbara@epamail.epa.gov
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Exposure of Children to Pesticides

• Chris Saint 202-260-1093
saint.chris@epamail.epa.gov

Air Quality

• Deran Pashayan 202-260-2606
pashayan.deran@epamail.epa.gov

Analytical and Monitoring Methods

• David Friedman 202-260-3535
fiiedman.david@epamail.epa.gov

Drinking Water

• Sheila Rosenthal 202-260-7334
rosenthal.sheila@epamail.epa.gov

Environmental Fate and Treatment of Toxics and Hazardous Wastes

• William Stelz 202-260-5798
stelz.william@epamail.epa.gov

Environmental Statistics

• Chris Saint 202-260-1093
saint.chris@epamail.epa.gov

High Performance Computing

• Chris Saint 202-260-1093
saint.chris@epamail.epa.gov

Exploratory Research

• Clyde Bishop 202-260-5727
bishop.clyde@epamail.epa.gov
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