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Research Grant Opportunities
When chemists put pencil to paper to design the synthetic sequence that will be used
to manufacture a chemical product, they also decide whether that sequence will use
or generate hazardous substances that will require special handling, treatment, trans-
portation, or disposal. Chemists can choose from literally hundreds of different chemical
reactions to construct chemicals, some of which are more hazardous and generate more pollu-
tion than others. With proper forethought and analysis, chemists can choose reactions that are
less hazardous and prevent pollution, thereby avoiding many of the environmental problems
and liabilities that chemical manufacturers face.
OBJECTIVE:
The Presidential Green Chemistry
Challenge seeks to support fundamental
research in green chemistry to provide
industry with the practical tools and
methods necessary to design products
and processes that are more environ-
mentally benign.
BACKGROUND:
In 1992, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) awarded six
grants to fund basic research projects
that considered impacts to human
health and the environment in the
design of chemical syntheses. Also in
that year, EPA's Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with
the National Science Foundation (NSF)
to jointly fund green chemistry research.
In 1994, EPA's Office of Research and
Development entered into a partnership
with NSF to fund environmental
research as part of its new Science to
Achieve Results (STAR) research pro-
gram. This partnership includes research
in green chemistry through an annual
solicitation titled "Technology for a
Sustainable Environment."
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DESCRIPTION:
The Presidential Green Chemistry
Challenge was established to recognize
and support innovative green chemistry
technologies that are scientifically sound
and economically beneficial. Although
the program does not provide an inde-
pendent vehicle for green chemistry
research grants, it does support the
EPA/NSF partnerships.
The Technology for a Sustainable
Environment solicitation focuses on the
technological and environmental aspects
of the design, synthesis, processing, pro-
duction, and use of products in
continuous and discrete manufacturing
operations. Research proposals are invit-
ed that advance the development and
use of innovative manufacturing and
processing technologies and approaches
directed at avoiding or minimizing the
use or generation of hazardous sub-
stances at the source.
The total number of grants awarded for
this activity depends upon the technical
merit of the proposals (determined by
external peer review), their relation to
the agencies' missions, and the financial
support available to both EPA and NSF
> Printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent postconsumer fiber.
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for this program. Individual projects select-
ed for support may be funded by EPA,
NSF, or jointly by both agencies. This is at
the option of the agencies, not the grantee.
GRANT RESEARCH AREA:
CHEMISTRY FOR POLLUTION
PREVENTION:
The long-range goal of this grant program
is to develop safer commercial substances
and environmentally-friendly chemical syn-
theses that reduce the risks posed by
chemical technologies. Green chemistry, a
fundamental approach to preventing pollu-
tion at the source, involves the design of
chemicals and chemical syntheses that do
not utilize toxic feedstocks, reagents, or sol-
vents, or do not produce toxic byproducts
or coproducts. Appropriate areas of investi-
gation include chemical synthesis and
catalysis, analysis and detection, separation
processes, and reaction mechanisms. The
types of projects eligible for grants directly
parallel the focus areas of the Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
Program.
GRANT AMOUNTS:
In fiscal years 1995 through 2002, EPA
and NSF awarded $47.8 million for 164
research projects under the Technology for
a Sustainable Environment solicitation,
most of which addressed green chemistry
and processing. Typically, a grantee receives
an average of $120,000 per year for three
years.
ELIGIBILITY:
Eligible applicants include academic and
nonprofit institutions located in the United
States, and state or local governments.
The following individuals or groups may
collaborate with eligible applicants:
• Personnel in profit-making firms func-
tioning as non-funded co-investigators.
• Personnel in profit-making firms sub-
contracting with an awardee
institution.
• Personnel participating as co-investiga-
tors with eligible institutions and who
are associated with entities such as
national laboratories and federally-
funded research development
consortia.
• Non-EPA federal employees (certain
limits apply).
Ineligible applicants include:
• Profit-making firms and federal agen-
cies.
• Federal employees seeking to increase
their agency's appropriations.
Additional information about the
Technology for a Sustainable Environment
solicitation, including forms, is available at
http://www.epa.gov/ncerqa or
http://www.nsf.gov, or from Steve Lingle at
202 564-6821 and Barbara Karn at 202
564-6824. Other sources of information
regarding EPA's Green Chemistry Program
include EPA's Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse at 202 566-
0799 (e-mail ppic@epa.gov), Richard
Engler of EPA at 202 564-8740 or
engler.richard@epa.gov, and the Green
Chemistry Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
U.S.EPA
EPA744-F-03-003
May 2003
www.epa.gov/greenchemistry
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