United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA-600/8-79-C
December 1979
EPA and the
Academic
Community
Partners in Research
Solicitation For
Letters of Intent
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solicitation for Institutional
Letters of Intent
to Develop Long-Term Exploratory
Research Centers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and
Development has begun to establish a series of Institutional Centers to
focus on long-term environmental problems and provide support for
ongoing EPA programs. Three such Centers have initiated studies in
the areas of Groundwater Research, Effects of Pollution on Human
Health, and Advanced Pollution Control Technology. Three new
centers focusing on Inter-Media Transport of Pollutants, Integrated
Ecosystem Studies and Ultimate Waste Elimination will be funded in
1980.
This brochure describes the existing and proposed centers, the
mechanism of formation and support, and the application procedure.
Deadline for Letters of Intent is January 30. 1980.
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Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was
established in December of 1 970 and was charged with
a single overall mission—the protection and
enhancement of the environment. The Agency was
created by Presidential Reorganization Order involving
the transfer and integration of 1 5 separate units of
previously existing agencies. A single organization
entity was thereby established for the control of
environmental pollution, drinking water quality,
environmental radiation and noise, solid wastes,
pesticides, and other toxic substances. The purpose
was to mount an integrated national attack on
environmental pollution and to allow progression
toward a full understanding of the total environment as
a single system consisting of separate but interrelated
parts.
The Office of Research and Development (ORD)
functions as the principal scientific component of EPA
Its fundamental role is to produce scientific data and
technical tools on which to base sound national policy
in the.development of effective pollution control
strategies and the promulgation of adequate and viable
environmental standards. ORD's research is
supplemented by general scientific and technical
research in other Federal agencies, the academic
community, and elsewhere ORD also supports the
Agency's involvement in many international
organizations with mutual environmental research and
development (R&D) concerns.
Exploratory
Research Centers
Public Law 95-1 55, Section 6(b) of EPA's Research and
Development Act of 1 978 contained a Congressional
request for examination of alternative approaches for
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conducting long-term environmental research within
EPA. In response, in April 1 978 EPA published a report
to the President and the Congress entitled
"Laboratories Needed to Support Long-Term Research
in EPA"(EPA-600/8-78-003). Subsequent
Congressional action on EPA's FY-1 979 and FY-1 980
Appropriations Bills provided funds under ORD's
Anticipatory Research Program for the establishment of
Institutional Centers.
To start this program in FY-1 979 ORD's Anticipatory
Research Program established three new, innovative,
exploratory research centers to focus on long-term
environmental problems. The projected annual budget
for each center is $0.5 million. The Centers have been
established at the University of Pittsburgh, the
University of Illinois, and one under a consortium
arrangement between the University of Oklahoma,
Oklahoma State Univesity, and Rice University. It is
headquartered at the University of Oklahoma. Research
at the University of Pittsburgh will focus on the human
effects of pollution. Advanced pollution control
technology will be the emphasis of research at the
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. There will be
a concentration on groundwater research (e.g., drinking
water, leachate problems) through the Rice-Oklahoma-
Oklahoma State consortium
The center concept is intended to obtain the assistance
of the best available researchers to establish a focal
point of continuing research in specific areas
fundamental to environmental sciences.
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The focus of center programs will generally be on long-
term (3-5 years or longer) exploratory research which
provides the link between basic and applied research as
related to EPA's mission. The intent of EPA in
employing the center mechanism is to integrate and
build upon existing expertise and resources which are
already developed. Center programs will be expected to
provide an added capability and potential for
accomplishments greater than those possible by
support of individual projects alone. ORD plans to
develop additional centers in this Fiscal Year to
concentrate in the areas of Ultimate Waste Elimination,
Intermedia Transport, and Integrated Ecosystems
Studies.
Centers will be supported primarily through institutions
or organizations with well-established expertise in a
specified research area and a demonstrated
commitment to such research. Support will therefore
require moderate staff increases and limited
investments in facilities and equipment.
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Centers and their programs shall have a multimedia
and multidisciplinary orientation, either by virtue of the
expertise available on the center staff or by
arrangements with the parent institution, other
institutions, or individuals. Centers can be based within
a single institution or within a consortium. Centers
must have a firm basis within the institution that has a
common interest in the public need as perceived by EPA
and its advisors. This commonality of interest should be
shared by leaders within the institution and EPA.
Center programs must be responsive to the long-term
needs as perceived by all EPA laboratories whose
activities are related to the center objectives. While
each EPA laboratory has a central research emphasis, it
is not an exclusive one. Thus, care must be exercised in
order that center programs be representative of this
diversity of EPA activities. Centers will therefore
become, as intended, EPA-wide research resources
rather than a resource responsive to a single laboratory.
In order to qualify as a center, the applicant institution
must demonstrate an administrative structure that will
foster successful scientific and administrative
management. A key figure is the center director, who
must be a recognized scientific or technical
leader/manager and who must make a major time
commitment to the scientific programs and
administrator of the center. Because the center funds
will be in addition to the funds of the institution's
ongoing programs, the center director must have the
ability to coordinate center activities in a manner that
will benefit the overall program.
The scope of center activities includes:
• Serving as a resource for EPA laboratories with a
given research area;
• Filling of research gaps and addressing areas
requiring expansion;
• Stimulation of EPA's applied research programs;
• Providing a bridge between EPA and the
academic/scientific community; and
• Serving as a source of new talent.
In general, center resources are not to be used to
provide augmented support for ongoing projects within
the purview of the center staff perse. Likewise, center
resources are not generally to be used to augment
ongoing EPA short-term or applied programs. Exception
to these restrictions may occur, for example, if an
ongoing program is long-term, fills an objective of the
center, and requires a substantially expanded effort.
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The experience of other Agencies with similar center
programs suggests three elements are of critical
importance if the intent of center activities both in
terms of the agency and institutional objectives and
needs are to be accomplished. These are:
1. The active participation of a Policy Board whose
membership includes as a minimum: EPA head-
quarters personnel, the appropriate EPA
laboratory(s), and the center director. This board
has the responsibility of providing overall
guidance to the center and periodically reviewing
progress.
2. A dedicated center director whose responsibility
includes design and conduct of a research
program consistent with the guidelines developed
by the Policy Board.
3. Periodic interaction of the center director with a
scientific advisory committee for purposes of
programmatic review and recommendations.
The scientific advisory committee members should be
external to the Agency and the institution and be
broadly representative of the national perception of the
research area.
Mechanism of Support will take the form of a cooperative agreement
Support as provided for by the Federal Grant and Cooperative
Agreement Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-224).
Cooperative agreements differ from grants and
contracts in that substantial involvement of the
sponsoring agency in the center's direction and investi-
gations takes place on a continuing basis. This
involvement extends to exchange of center and agency
personnel as appropriate to objectives of the center. As
in a joint venture between two private parties, the
whole range of factors affecting the venture and its
outcome are the subject of negotiation. Responsibility
for assuring performance is shared by the agency and
the center.
Cooperative agreements are subject to provisions of
EPA's General Grant Regulations (40 CFR Part 30_and
Part 40, Research and Demonstration Grant
Regulations) and to special conditions to be set in each
agreement executed by the authorized official of the
center and EPA.
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In the long-term, a minimum of $500,000 per year of
support for each center is anticipated. However, budget
considerations may require a more limited support in
the initial years. The support covers both direct and
indirect costs. Execution of a cooperative agreement
requires the recipient institution to contribute not less
than five percent of the allowable project costs.
Application and
Selection Process
Because of the time and resources required for
preparation of detailed proposals, each applicant is
required to submit a letter of intent prior to the
preparation of a proposal. Criteria and guidelines for
preparation of this letter are presented in this notice
under the subheading, Letter of Intent. The EPA
contact is:
MR. EDWARD A. SCHUCK (RD-675)
Director, Center Support Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
The original and nine (9) copies of letters of intent are
due at this contact point by January 30, 1980. Please
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Letter of Intent
provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope so that we
may acknowledge receipt of your letter.
The Assistant Administrator for ORD will appoint a
committee of internal and external scientists for each
proposed center. Each committee will rank all letters
and select the top applicants. These will be notified of
their eligibility to submit a formal proposal and be
supplied with instructions for proposal preparation. All
applicants submitting letters of intent will be notified
of the outcome of the review process not later than
April 15, 1980.
In order to be eligible for consideration the letter of
intent must adhere to the following format and limita-
tions. A description on each center's research activities
follows this section.
I. Staff—Identify the proposed center
director, his/her time commitment, his/her staff and
their working relationships.
II. Strategy—Plan for building upon the
institution's expertise and resources.
III. Program—Description of present scientific
program and proposed center activities.
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IV. Management—Proposed approach for
operating center and coordination with EPA.
V. Background—Experience of staff and
institution in the area of proposed center activities.
VI. Facilities—Resources of the institution
and their availability for use by the Center.
VII. Local Review Statement—A one- to two-
page letter signed by the institution's chief executive
officer which indicates how the proposed center relates
to overall institutional goals, the institution's general
support for the proposed effort, and its willingness to
provide the necessary institutional resources for
successf uly implementation of the center.
VIII. Curriculum Vitae—Curriculumvitaeof the
proposed center director and summarized (two pages
for each one) curriculum vitae of key staff members (no
more than five staff members).
That portion of the letter of intent covered by Section I
through VI should not exceed 15 double-spaced pages
typed on one side only. Sections VII and VIII may be
single spaced. Do not append additional material to the
letter of intent as it will not be forwarded to the review
committee.
Highly detailed descriptions of ongoing or proposed
programs should be avoided in the letter of intent. The
review committee will primarily focus their evaluations
on the institution's stated intent and ability to meet the
need as broadly stated in this Notice. If the review
committee requires further information, all eligible
institutions (those submitting letters of intent by the
stated deadline) will be given opportunity for additional
response.
Center
Descriptions Intermedia Transport Research Center—EPA has
traditionally supported research to investigate the
movement of materials between the land, water, and
atmosphere. Certain of these such as nitrogen
materials (compounds) etc., have received considerable
attention. However, the chemical/physical processes
which govern the movement of toxic chemicals is not
nearly as well understood. Nor are the consequences of
such exchanges and the impact or interaction of these
pollutants with natural ecosystems.
During the past decades, the growth of the power and
chemical industries alone resulted in both an increased
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volume and diversity of emissions. As these products
are dispersed into the biosphere, they interact with
each other and may produce undesirabale reaction
products. This complex relationship can best be
understood by examining the various components in
depth. Thus, an understanding of the sunlight-induced
reactions that air pollutants frequently undergo which
produce physical and chemical changes is necessary to
an understanding of the intermedia transport process,
since directly emitted oxides of sulfur and nitrogen are
transformed in the atmosphere to produce acidic
particles and vapors. These atmospheric reaction
products are primarily responsible for acid rain
Likewise, volatile organic compounds can be
transformed in the atmosphere to more or less toxic
organic gases and aerosols and be deposited on land or
water surfaces. Pollutants removed from the
atmosphere by virtue of gravitational fallout, impaction,
or washout also end up as land and water
contaminants. Someof these, such as lead, are
relatively inert and remain in place on land surfaces
with minimal interaction with soils or plants. Others,
like paniculate mercury compounds from coal-fired
electric power facilities, interact with soil or organisms
and plants to form the volatile and toxic gases metTiyl
and ethyl mercury. Thus, we now recognize that there
exists the need for better understanding of the chemical
and physical processes which govern these and other
intermedia transfers along with their long-term
environmental effects and impact for human health.
Recent awareness of potential adverse effects of acid
rain has focused considerable attention on the
interaction between compounds of sulfur and nitrogen
in the atmosphere and soils, biota, water, and
sediments. As a consequence EPA, under its Anticipa-
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tory Research Program, has mounted an intense
research effort to determine causes and effects of acid
precipitation. Much less effort has gone into
investigation of the interactions and cycling of other
atmospheric constituants, e.g., organics, and most
metals. Thus, the research of this Center would focus
on the interactions of those atmospheric pollutants, i.e.,
organics, metals, and other particulates, which are little
understood. The investigations should be directed to
the interface of these pollutants with land masses and
large water bodies.
Questions which must be considered are:
What organic and inorganic chemicals are deposited as a
result of dry and wet fallout?
How do temperature, humidity, vegetation growth, and
other factors influence the pollutant condensing process?
How are chemicals purposefully placed on the land by
man entrained into the atmosphere?
What are the mechanisms of action which control the
exchange of pollutants between the land, atmosphere, and
large bodies of water?
Are chemicals accumulating in the atmosphere which
have heretofore not been recognized?
Investigations of well research pollutants and
phenomena as well as those pollutants or issues
currently under intense study should be minimized.
Acid rain, lead, and ozone as well as runoff should only
be considered to the extent they influence the
interactions of the pollutants under investigation. The
essential purpose of this center would be to advance
the basic understanding of these phenomena in order
to influence environmental decision making.
In planning and conducting its research activities the
Center will work closely with the EPA's Environmental
Sciences Research Laboratory in Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina and other EPA labs concerned with
the cycling of pollutants.
Ecosystems Research Center—Decisions on protecting
the environment have been based largely upon data
from individual biological species or individual
physical/chemical processes. Usually, little or no
pertinent information has been available from the level
of the biological community or ecosystem. Even when
systems level information has been available, its
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significance has been very difficult to interpret. Indeed,
the assumption is still not generally accepted that there
are systems level processes or phenomena which are
critical for maintaining desirable communities or
ecosystems.
Although there has been considerable interest on the
part of decision-makers in ecosystem level data,
ecologists have not been generally successful in
providing such data in useful form. This may be due to
the complexity of the systems and the expense of
generating data, or it may be due to sparsity of simpli-
fying ecological concepts. During the past several
years, interest in ecological data and assessment has
sharply increased as public and private officials face
increasingly difficult decisions regarding the benefits of
additional levels of pollution control or the significance
of chronic, low-level, or intermittent exposure to
harmful substances.
Among the questions being asked are:
Are there systems level functions which are critical to the
maintenance of desirable ecosystems or communities?
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Are there systems level structural properties, e.g., food
webs, which are critical to ecosystem functioning?
Are these structural properties or functions more
sensitive to stress than individual components of the
system?
How can ecosystems be described in terms of their value
to man? For example, are there characteristics of
ecosystems that can be evaluated to determine if, in
response to stress, they contribute to different conditions,
but of equal value to man?
Are there inherently stable or unstable states for
ecosystems relating to their value for man?
Assuming there are sets of conditions to which
ecosystems return when stressed, are there limits beyond
which they can be stressed and not return? What is their rate
of return to their original state?
How can an ecosystem be most simply and economically
characterized to determine whether or not it is under stress
and, if so, how severe and how persistent a stress?
What is the significance of variations in the severity or
timing, e.g., continuous versus intermittent, of the stress?
Can an ecosystem's "condition" be usefully estimated
by describing only its physical and chemical character-
istics?
What systems level process or phenomena are
significant for the transport and fate of toxic substances?
Are there certain components of ecosystems which are
more useful or accurate in predicting toxics exposure
levels than others?
The purpose of an Ecosystems Research Center
would be to conduct the theoretical and empirical
research necessary to answer these and other
fundamental ecological questions relevant to public
and private decisions on environmental protection.
The Center would aim to advance the capability of
ecological science to develop and apply systems level
concepts in a manner useful to environmental
protection decisions.
In planning and conducting research activities the
Center will work closely with the EPA laboratories in
Corvallis, Oregon; Duluth, Minnesota; Athens,
Georgia; Ada, Oklahoma; Las Vegas, Nevada, and
coordinate its activities with EPA's Science Advisory
Board's Ecology Committee and the ecosystem
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studies conducted by the National Science
Foundation.
Ultimate Waste Elimination Research Center—As
technologies advance, so do the variety, quantity, and
complexity of unwanted by-products. Disposing of
these waste materials which are often toxic has
become a major and rapidly growing problem.
Furthermore, the frequency of opportunity for accident
and human exposure will increase as the population
grows, chemical production increases, and uses
proliferate. Heightened public awareness of these risks
and resistance to their acceptance can be expected to
mount rapidly, perhaps explosively.
Until recent times efforts to dispose of many hazardous
wastes employed methods which dispersed these
wastes into the air and water environments. However,
the ability of these media to accept such impacts
without resulting in significant environmental change
has been shown to be limited. Some factors affecting
these limitations include the magnitude and toxicity of
the wastes, the dilution and dispersion rates and the
biodegradability of the wastes. Recognition that serious
degradation of our air and water was occurring led to
application of control methods to prevent waste
materials from entering these media. The control
efforts which were generally employed included
techniques such as filtration, extraction and
precipitation. However, application of such techniques
changed the character or concentration of the wastes,
but often created yet another problem of waste
disposal. As a consequence, these unwanted liquid and
solid wastes were applied to land surfaces, buried or
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forced into the earth via injection wells. At best, such
practices represent a delaying tactic, since for many
substances these disposal practices represent only
temporary storage with great potential for subsequent
water and air pollution. Recently discovered hazardous
waste disposal sites attest to the problems poised by
improper disposal or storage practices.
Given this situation, it is evident that a reexamination of
the basic approaches aimed at eliminating wastes is
warranted. It is also recognized that treatment
technology will be necessary in any realistic scenario,
given that 100% efficient processes are not likely.
However, the efficiency/energy/resources associated
with production of these by-product pollutants, the
expense of controlling them, the unknown/undefmable
environmental effect of disposal in some media,
predicates the future need to reduce, eliminate, or
reuse the unwanted by-product pollutants. It is to be
noted that alternative production processes as well as
recycle/reuse methodologies may have costs which
appear to be prohibitive until the longer term costs of
the "no change" situation is considered. Thus, "no
change" implies acceptance of waste generation and
the use of temporary storage practices, i.e., burial, well
injection, etc. The future, but nevertheless eventual,
costs of correcting environmental effects resulting from
these practices must be added to the costs of the
production process. It must be recognized that
technology can no longer be dominated by the
economics of the moment.
The purpose of this center would be to develop new
approaches to reduce, eliminate, or reuse hazardous
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by-product pollutants. It is expected that such
approaches would eventually be utilized by environ-
mental control programs. It is also suggested that a
complete range of institutional and technological
approaches might be pursued.
Questions which should be addressed include:
Are there new pollution production avoidance methods,
i.e., clean technologies, which could be developed and
tested?
Are there new approaches in the recycle/reuse arena
which would enable hazardous wastes to be innovatively
utilized as raw materials for other processes?
Are there new destructive technologies which could be
developed to dispose of hazardous wastes?
Can the manufacturing processes or process character-
istics that produce hazardous waste materials be described
and categorized?
Are there manufacturing process controls that will
prevent or reduce the formulation of hazardous wastes?
EPA is interested in understanding the proposer's
qualifications in industrial processes and the
experience in the broad spectrum of hazardous waste
generation. Experience in organic chemical manufac-
turing is of particular interest.
The Center will work closely with EPA's Industrial
Environmental Research Laboratories in Cincinnati,
Ohio and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the
Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory in
Cincinnati, Ohio, the Advanced Control Technology
Research Center at the University of Illinois as well as
with industrial research organizations with similar
interests and programs.
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