United States
Environmental Protection
*m Agency
EPA-420-F-20-011
February 2020
NOTICE OF WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
OF OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
Opportunity to Participate: Researchers within OTAQ may be willing and available to participate
with an eligible institution to prepare a joint assistance application in response to a Request for
Application (RFA) issued by another federal agency. Depending upon the circumstances, EPA may
request some of the assistance funding or may be willing to participate as an unfunded collaborator.
Under this opportunity, OTAQ will not approve any collaborative participation with for-profit
institutions.
Eligibility Requirements:
Institutions eligible to participate are other federal agencies, U.S. non-profit public and private
institutions of higher education, and their directly associated non-profit research entities, or other
entities such as state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and
U.S. territories or possessions. Profit-making organizations are ineligible.
Criteria for Participation:
The participating institution must be able to demonstrate the availability of research staff with
appropriate scientific credentials, a history of successfully conducting research in the subject area of
the RFA, the availability of facilities and related resources necessary to complete the research. For
federal employees to participate, they must be participating in their official capacity and be free of
any actual or apparent conflict of interest, as well as any loss of impartiality, as defined by the
Standards of Ethical Conduct.
Limitations:
a.	If the partner is a non-federal institution, and the EPA is seeking some of the assistance
funding, the EPA prefers that the awarding agency make separate awards to the EPA and its
partner.
b.	If the awarding agency does not agree to multiple awards, and the partner is another federal
agency, then either the EPA or its federal partner may assume the role of the lead applicant. If
the EPA is the lead applicant, the funding agency must be willing to transfer the awarded
funding to the EPA by means of an IA (EPA would then distribute funds as appropriate to its
federal partner). The EPA is unable to accept funding by means of a grant or cooperative
agreement.
c.	The funding opportunity must relate to OTAQ's strategic goals and complement OTAQ's in-
house research. More information on OTAQ's research focus can be found on this website; in
particular in the Section "About OTAQ" More specific information about OTAQ's research can
be obtained by clicking on the links at the end of this section.
d.	OTAQ employees may not participate in preparation of an application to be submitted in
response to an RFA issued by the EPA.

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Contact Us: If you are interested in participating with OTAQ Researchers in preparing a funding
application in response to another federal agency's RFA, submit a written request to: Matt Brusstar,
U. S. EPA National Vehicle & Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI
48105, brusstar. matt@epa. gov.
The request should identify the sponsoring federal agency, the RFA identifier, indicate in general
terms the research project that is anticipated and how OTAQ Researchers would be expected to
collaborate, and date by which the EPA should reply. Provide the scientific qualifications required of
the OTAQ Researcher(s); specific individuals may be identified.
Decision to Participate: If the proposed project appears to be complementary of OTAQ's in-house
research, you may be contacted for more information related to the planned project, the
qualifications of your team, and the availability of facilities and other resources. All requests from
eligible institutions will be given fair and equal consideration. The EPA's OTAQ reserves the right
to choose to participate with more than one eligible partner in preparing an application in response to
a particular RFA. The decision to allow an EPA researcher to participate with a particular eligible
institution in the preparation of an application will be made by OTAQ management and is not
subject to dispute.
Further Information: For further information about this policy, contact Matt Brusstar, U. S. EPA
National Vehicle & Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105,
brusstar.matt@epa. gov.

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