&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Enforcement
and Compliance
Assurance (2201A)
EPA-300-F-03-005
May 30, 2003
Office of Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Collaborative Problem-
Solving Grant Program
Fact Sheet
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/?/ Collaborative Problem-
Solving (CPS) Grant Program
In Fall 2003, the Office of Environmental Justice
(OEJ) will review applications for the first Environmental
Justice Collaborative Problem- Solving (CPS) Grant
Program. The purpose of the Environmental Justice CPS
Grant Program is for EPA to provide financial assistance
to community-based organizations who wish to engage
in constructive and collaborative problem-solving by
utilizing tools developed by EPA and others to find viable
solutions for their community's environmental and/or
public health concerns. There will be 15 grants awarded
by January 2004. All awards will be in the amount of
$100,000.00 to be used over a three-year period.
The Environmental Justice CPS Grant Program is
managed by Linda K. Smith (Project Officer) and Marva
E. King (Program Manager) of the Office of
Environmental Justice. For more information, call the
toll-free number 1-800-962-6215.
Background
EPA's Office of Environmental Justice, in
coordination with the Federal Interagency Working Group
on Environmental Justice (IWG), has developed an
Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving
Model. A detailed description of each along with a
sample can be found in the Request For Applications.
These seven elements, which are the key factors to the
success of this Model, must be included in your project
application. They are:
• Issue Identification, Community Vision and Strategic
Goal Setting;
• Community Capacity Building;
• Consensus Building and Dispute Resolution;
• Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and Resource
Mobilization;
• Supportive and Facilitative Role of Government;
• Management and Implementation; and
• Evaluation, Lessons Learned, and Replication of Best
Practices.
To Be Eligible For This Grant
you must be a non-government,
nonprofit community-based organization currently
exempt from taxation under 501 (c) (3) of the Internal
Revenue Code or exempt under applicable state law and
include proof of your status in your application. In
addition, you must be working on or plan to carry out
projects to address local environmental and/or public
health issues. Universities are not eligible to apply for
this grant program but they may be a member of the
partnership.
How Will Your Application
Be Evaluated? In the grant application, you
must address each of the seven elements described in the
Background section above. The following items must be
included in your application:
1. A Clear and concise description of the project.
The project workplan narrative is one of the most
important components of your application and
(assuming that all other required materials are
submitted) will be used as the primary basis for
selection. Include whether or not your
organization has received any grant/cooperative
agreement from EPA in the last 3 years (35
points).
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2. Adherence to the Environmental Justice
Collaborative Problem-Solving Model. (25 points).
3. All standard forms as listed in the RFA. In
addition to the forms, a detailed budget is required
which shows how the funds will be specifically used in
terms of personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment,
supplies, contractor costs, and other costs. Funds
cannot be used for construction, lobbying, or litigation
against the government. The budget must list
proposed milestones with deadlines, and estimated
costs and completion dates. (10 points)
4. Statement of Qualifications of Principal
Investigator/Project Manager as an appendix which
describes why he/she is qualified to undertake this
project. (10 points)
5. A Memorandum of Agreement signed by each
representative of the collaborative partnership which
identifies the roles and responsibilities of each partner.
Each partner is valued at 2 points with a maximum
possible total of 10. (10 points)
PLEASE NOTE: A letter of support from an
individual or entity does not qualify as a reflection of
an agreement to participate in a collaborative
partnership. Refer to the Grant Program Evaluation
Criteria in Part IV of the RFA.
6. A set of evaluation criteria which reflect how you
will determine the success of the project. These
should include qualitative and quantitative measures.
(10)
Selection Process
An EPA panel will review, evaluate, and rank the
application of potential grant recipients. After the review
process is completed, OEJ will compare the best
applications and make final selections.
Reporting Requirements
Grant activities must be completed and funds spent
within the timeframe specified in the three-year award.
All grantees must participate in monthly conference calls
with their OEJ technical advisor and provide quarterly
reports to OEJ on the grant project's process. The OEJ
technical advisor for each grant will be named at award.
Other Information
To download a request for application and additional
information about this Environmental Justice CPS Grant
Program, please visit the EPA's website at:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/recent/ei.html
Examples of community-based organizations
involved in successful environmental justice collaborative
problem-solving partnerships can be found at this EPA
website:
http ://www. epa. gov/compliance/environmentalj ustice/inte
ragencv/index.html
For questions concerning examples of opportunities
to develop collaborative projects, please contact your
EPA Regional Environmental Justice Coordinator listed
in Appendix F of the RFA.
For issues concerning administrative and process
questions, please contact the Project Officer, Linda K.
Smith. Since this is a competitive program, in order to
ensure that all potential applicants receive the same
information, answers will be posted on the Web site.
Therefore, all questions about interpretation or
completion of the requirements, must be sent via e-mail
to smith.linda@epa.gov or by fax to 202-501-1162. The
questions with answers will be posted on the web site.
Application Submission
Instructions
Applications must be date stamped by courier service
or postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service by 12 p.m.
Eastern Time, September 30, 2003. Use the appropriate
address below, depending on your method of delivery.
Via U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Environmental Justice (MC 2201 A)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Attention: Linda K. Smith
Project Officer
Phone: 202-564-2602
Via Federal Express, Airborne, United Parcel Service
or other courier service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Environmental Justice
Ariel Rios Building South, Room 2232
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004
Attention: Linda K. Smith
Project Officer
Phone: 202-564-2602
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