annual solicitations focused in areas of the Agency's interest. SBIR
solicitations, awards, and research summaries are posted on the
NCER Internet site. These SBIR solicitations, like the STAR grants,
are targeted towards areas of particular importance to EPA's mission.
Other NCER programs include: the Experimental Program to
Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the Minority Academic
Institution Program for Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowships, and
the AAAS Science and Engineering Fellowship Program.
NCER Leadership
Director, Dr. Peter W. Preuss
Deputy Director, John C. Puzak
Additional Information
ORD believes that communicating the results of its research is
extremely important for the Agency, the scientific community, and the
general public. STAR information is available through its Internet site
at www.epa.gov/ncerqa where research progress and results, grant
and fellowship solicitations, events, published summaries, reviews
and journal articles, and other program information are readily
available.
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processed chlorine free.
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
National
Center for
Environmental
Research
Building a scientific
foundation for sound
environmental decisions
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.competitive STAR research grants and cooperative agreements...graduate and undergraduate fellowships...small business innovation research contracts...in areas of national environmental concern.
National Center for Environmental Research
Who Are We?
The National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) is one
of five research organizations that comprise EPA's Office of Research
and Development (ORD). NCER's mission is to support high-quality
research by the nation's leading scientists that will improve the
scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and
help EPA achieve its goals. NCER is one of three national
laboratories and two national centers that mirror the National
Academy of Sciences' risk assessment paradigm by focusing on
exposure (National Exposure Research Lab), effects (National Health
and Environmental Effects Research Lab), risk assessment (National
Center for Environmental Assessment) and risk management
(National Risk Management Research Lab). NCER supports leading-
edge, extramural research in each of these areas of national
environmental concern.
The technical staff who work for NCER have backgrounds in
engineering, ecological and health sciences, communication and
information management. NCER is headquartered in Washington,
D.C.
Science to Achieve Results
NCER's Science to Achieve Results or STAR program funds
research grants and graduate fellowships in numerous environmental
science and engineering disciplines through a competitive solicitation
process and independent peer review. The program engages the
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nation's best scientists and engineers in targeted research that
complements EPA's own outstanding intramural research program
and those of our partners in other federal agencies. In addition,
through this same competitive process, NCER periodically
establishes research centers in specific areas of national concern. At
present, these centers focus on children's health, hazardous
substances, particulate matter, and estuarine and coastal ecosystems.
STAR research is funded through Requests for Applications
(RFAs) that are derived from both the ORD Strategic Plan and ORD
research plans for specific topics. RFAs are prepared in cooperation
with other parts of the Agency and concentrate on areas of special
significance to the EPA mission. At present, STAR is focusing on the
health effects of particulate matter, drinking water, water quality,
global change, ecosystem assessment and restoration, human health
risk assessment, endocrine disrupting chemicals, pollution prevention
and new technologies, children's health, and socio-economic
research.
NCER receives approximately 3000-3500 proposals every year
for its STAR research and graduate fellowship programs. Each year,
STAR awards about 180 research grants, 40 research grants jointly
with other federal and private-sector partners, and 125 graduate
fellowships, in approximately 280 universities and non-profit
research institutions in all states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District
of Columbia. On an annual basis, NCER manages 650-750 active
research grants and 300 fellowships. About 10 percent of the
applications submitted to STAR are funded after peer review.
STAR partnerships have greatly increased since the program was
initiated in 1995. STAR leverages its resources through joint
solicitations with 12 federal and private-sector research partners
enhancing the NCER research portfolio by about 30-50 additional
grants.
Project abstracts as well as annual progress reports and final
summary reports for each STAR grant and fellowship are posted on
the NCER internet site. Other types of summary reports (topical
research summary reports and research "capsules") and workshop
proceedings are also available on the Internet site. Internet site users
can signup on line to receive e-mail describing updates of research
results and new grant announcements as they are posted. More
detailed results are available in journal articles that are identified in
the summary reports.
Applying for a STAR Research Grant or Fellowship
RFAs for STAR grants or fellowships are found on the
announcements page of the NCER Internet site (www.epa.gov/
ncerqa). STAR has four formal solicitation periods each year during
January, April, August, and October and awards approximately
$100 million per year. Instructions and eligibility requirements for
applying for any of the STAR announcements are detailed in each
solicitation. In general, solicitations are open for at least 90 days. A
list of current and projected solicitations is available on the Internet
site.
Other NCER Activities
NCER supports the development of innovative environmental
technologies and products through its Small Business Innovation
Research program (SBIR). Small firms are eligible to apply for
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