US Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs
Funding Opportunity Announcement
National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
November 11, 2009

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Funding Opportunity Announcement
National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
Overview Information
The following list provides key information concerning this funding opportunity.
A.	Federal Agency and Office Name:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Prevention, Pesticide and
Toxics Substances (OPPTS), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)
B.	Funding Opportunity Title:
National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
C.	Announcement Type: Request for Proposals (RFP) - Initial Announcement
D.	Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OPP-09-006
E.	Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.716
Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Training, Demonstration & Education Outreach
F.	Statutory Authority:
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Section 20
G.	Dates: Hard copy proposals submitted via express delivery (e.g., FedEx, UPS,
etc.) must be received by Frank Davido on or before 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight
Time on December 11,2009. Proposals submitted by e-mail must be received
by 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on December 11, 2009), at
davido.frank@epa.gov. All proposals received after the listed due date and time
will NOT be considered for funding. If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation
of your proposal from EPA within 10 business days of submission, or if you have
questions regarding submission of your proposal by e-mail, please call Frank
Davido (703) 305-7576. See Section IV for further information.
Brief Description
EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is soliciting proposals for assistance to
support a project that promotes and enhances a toll-free telephone service and
internet web site that provide science-based information about a wide variety of
pesticide-related subjects to anyone within the United States, Puerto Rico, or the
Virgin Islands. Medical emergency cases involving humans and domestic animals
are provided diagnostic and crisis management assistance. Persons suspected of
being adversely affected by pesticide exposures are offered a rapid response in the
form of skilled technical assistance. Also, pesticide incidents involving effects on
humans, animals or ecology should be reported directly to NPIC. NPIC is also
responsible for providing data and analysis of any and all pesticide related
information collected to EPA. The estimated amount of funding for the

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Cooperative Agreement for the three year period is $5,500,000. Approximately,
$1,650,000 is expected to be available in FY 2010. At the conclusion of the first
year period of performance, incremental funding of approximately $1,732,000
may be made available, depending on the Agency's budget, allowing the project
to continue for a total of three years.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A.	Authority
EPA expects to award assistance agreements under the authority provided in Section
20 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 136r)
which authorizes the Agency to issue assistance agreements for research, public
education, training, monitoring, demonstration and studies. Regulations governing
these assistance agreements are found at 40 CFR part 31 for States. In addition, the
provisions in 40 CFR part 32 governing government-wide debarment and suspension;
and the provisions in 40 CFR part 34 regarding restrictions on lobbying apply. All
costs incurred under this program must be allowable under the applicable OMB Cost
Circulars: A-87 (states); A-122 (non-profits); and A-21 (educational institutions) as
appropriate. Copies of these circulars can be found at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars and 2 CFR 225, 2 CFR 230, and 2 CFR
220 respectively. In accordance with EPA policy and the OMB circulars, as
appropriate, any recipient of funding must agree not to use assistance funds for
lobbying, fund-raising, or political activities (e.g., lobbying members of Congress or
lobbying for other Federal grants, assistance agreements or contracts). See 40 CFR
part 34.
FIFRA authorizes EPA to monitor incidental exposure to man, animals and the
environment, and to identify pesticide pollution, trends and sources of contamination
and their relationship to human and environmental effects. FIFRA also calls for a
National Monitoring Plan; a national plan for monitoring pesticides in cooperation
with other Federal, state or local agencies. In preceding years, NPIC has received
many thousands of inquiries from Federal and state government agencies, health care
providers, as well as from the general public.
B.	Program Description
1. Purpose and Scope.
It is important for the Agency and the public to have access to accurate, timely,
unbiased pesticide information about pesticides. On-line pesticide specialists
should be very capable of providing information in a user-friendly way and be
adept at communicating scientific information to a lay person which in turn
promotes informed decision-making on the part of the caller. Health care
providers in the United States are not always properly prepared to identify,
diagnose, treat, or provide advice to individuals suspected of pesticide exposure.
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In addition, the general public often finds it difficult to locate a physician that
fully understands pesticide exposure scenarios and who is capable of discussing
the many issues that may be involved and relating this is a manner understandable
to the lay person.
The purpose of this project is two fold: provide a "one-stop shop" to individuals
seeking factual and impartial information on a diverse range of pesticide topics.
Whether the inquiries originate from representatives of the public, government
agencies, private interest groups, medical community, chemical manufacturers,
etc., responses and assistance will be provided in real time. Secondly, the project
must be able to share data collected and analyses with EPA by providing post
registration use information, improving risk assessments, and defining the
public's awareness and concerns about pesticides. The ultimate goal of the project
is to promote a better understanding into the world of pesticides which will foster
a reduction in pesticide exposures and poisonings and also add to an over all
healthier environment.
The cooperative agreement awarded under this program is intended to
successfully address many of these pesticide issues, those that are current and
those that might be emerging. NPIC will be provided information through a
variety of delivery methods, currently the telephone being the quickest and most
accessible source but possibly replaced in time by newer technology. Information
will be made available to EPA on a wide variety of pesticide-related subjects.
These subjects include: pesticide products, toxicology, environmental chemistry,
safety practices, health and environmental effects, clean-up and disposal, and
integrated pesticide management (IPM). Delivery of information can be
provided by a toll-free telephone system, internet web site, fax, mail, and e-mail.
NPIC also provides health care providers, physicians, and regulatory officials
information on the recognition, management, and prevention of health effects
from pesticide exposures. This program will also provide a rapid response in the
form of skilled technical assistance to persons suspected of being adversely
affected by pesticide exposures. The project will have the capabilities to conduct
field investigations, medical toxicological consultations, and laboratory analyses
of both biological and environmental samples. Pesticide incidents can be reported
directly to NPIC. In emergency situations where additional expertise is needed,
human and animal poisoning cases are referred via a telephone switching system
to either a human or animal poison control center. Both organizations being under
retainer to NPIC, provide extensive experience in handling pesticide poisonings.
In addition, the NPIC will need to provide information directly and expediently to
OPP's Pesticide Incident Response Officer involving situations where an
immediate response to a pesticide incident is required or where unanticipated
pesticide issues develop and may require further evaluation and action by OPP.
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The recipient must employ the latest IT technology available, be extremely
knowledgeable in the world of pesticides, promote an aggressive marketing and
outreach program with emphasis on reaching the under-served populations,
stimulate and acquire the reporting of pesticide incidents, and sustain excellent
customer service. NPIC must strive to integrate the values of professionalism,
teamwork, integrity, accountability, and a strong commitment to the public, as
well as to the professional and medical communities, in order to help fulfill their
mission and provide exceptional customer service. Part of this is best
accomplished by funding in the form of a cooperative agreement. This allows the
university/college the flexibility to quickly react to new needs for pesticide-
related information as initiated by pesticide incidents; new regulations; public
interests; IT/IM advances in technology; and specific needs by NPIC. Further,
this flexibility encourages involvement of and makes available to NPIC and thus
to its customers, the full capabilities of the university community with respect to
access to pesticide specialists from a wide range of disciplines. In addition, the
specialists have opportunities to advance their education through on the job-
training; advanced classroom work; exposure at national meetings and
symposiums; and numerous interactions with many governmental individuals. A
cooperative agreement at a university/college setting allows creative thinking and
scholarship.
2. Goal and Objectives.
The objectives of the NPIC are to develop or continue to:
•	Operate a toll-free telephone service providing a variety of accurate,
impartial pesticide information to callers in the United States, Puerto
Rico, and the Virgin Islands, in real time. This project must be able to
adequately operate in English and also in Spanish and other popular
foreign languages for populations located in the Untied States, Puerto
Rico, and Virgin Islands. The project will operate Monday through
Sunday, 10 hours daily and cover off-hour calls via a recording device.
•	Provide access to the public and EPA to a variety of pesticide-related
information through a web site and e-mail. Make available information
pertaining to both clinical and basic toxicology of pesticides available
to all inquiries. And provide written information on pesticide
toxicology, when available and requested, to respond to inquiries.
•	Serve as a source of factual, unbiased information on pesticide
chemistry, toxicology, environmental fate, and pesticide regulations to
all inquiries, including industry, government, medical, agricultural
sector, news media, chemical industry, as well as the general public.
The EPA/NPIC Oversight and Monitoring Committee helps to assure
these sources used by NPIC remain accurate, current, and impartial.
•	Provide the medical community including health care providers with
diagnostic and crisis management assistance involving pesticide
exposures/incidents in situations pertaining to both human and animal
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•	Acquire accurate and complete information on all inquiries considered
to be pesticide incidents. And define inquiries and incidents relating to
human and animal pesticide exposures.
•	Apply credited indexes of certainty and severity to all cases considered
to be pesticide incidents.
•	Computerize all inquiry information as well as pesticide incident
reports for easy retrieval. Analyze all collected information for
statistical or scientific use which might reveal possible trends, misuse
of products, label issues, and unexpected dangers to the health of
humans, animals, and the environment.
•	Support current IT tools such as web portals for the direct reporting of
pesticide incidents.
•	Develop and maintain electronic access to all needed human and
animal databases such as, Toxline, Poisindex,, etc.in order to stay
abreast of the most current scientific information.
3. Activities to be Funded.
•	Prepare reports for EPA as required by the cooperative agreement.
•	Respond to telephone inquiries pertaining to a wide variety of
pesticide questions as well as web and email inquiries.
•	Provide access to a laboratory capable of analyzing environmental and
biological samples.
•	Provide sources for emergency diagnostic and crisis management
involving pesticide exposure situations for human and animal patients.
•	Computerize all data from incoming inquiries in a manner that access
and reports can be easily generated.
•	Seeks to ensure that all populations regardless of spoken language and
economic level have adequate access to pesticide information and
services.
•	Share with EPA all call data collected via a mutually accepted
electronic data format.
•	Provide resources and capabilities to respond to unforeseen events
involving a wide range of pesticide issues.
C. History
As stated previously, FIFRA authorizes EPA to monitor incidental exposure to
man, animals and the environment, and to identify pesticide pollution, trends and
sources of contamination and their relationship to human and environmental
effects. Since the inception of EPA, the Agency has attempted innumerous ways
to fulfill this mandate.
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The idea of a toll free telephone service was initiated in 1978 for exclusive use by
health professionals in the recognition and management of pesticide poisonings.
The telephone service was later extended to include the general public and
expanded to provide information on a variety of other pesticide topics. NPIC's
annual telephone call load generally ranges from 22,000 to 25,000. And since its
web site conception, NPIC surpassed 2,500,000 hits per year. Over all, inquiries
have been received from all states and numerous foreign nations. Inquiries are
received from the general public as well as many organizations, e.g., Federal
agencies, public health departments, health care providers, academia, etc. NPIC
is an invaluable resource for many organizations that need to refer inquiries of a
complex medical nature to an expert in the field. NPIC is well recognized as an
unbiased source of accurate scientific information dealing with pesticides. NPIC
is also recognized by many state agencies and health care providers as a national
"one of a kind" reliable source for medical consultation for individuals exposed to
pesticides.
In order to validate NPIC data as impartial, accurate, science-based, and current,
NPIC will need to obtain information that is from peer-reviewed literature, and
university extension and government sources. NPIC needs to keep current by
continually updating pesticide active ingredient files, conducting literature
searches, and spider all relevant databases and informational resources. Also,
NPIC will need to monitor professional listservs, federal register notices and
updates received from relevant journals. Any NPIC's English and Spanish
websites needs to conform to W3C's web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0",
level double-A standards to accommodate individuals with various disabilities
and browsers. NPIC provides links to relevant EPA/OPP websites as well as other
parts of EPA and other government links. The site is original and not duplicative.
D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Outcomes/Outputs.
1.	Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan/GPRA Architecture. The award to be made
under this announcement is expected to support EPA Strategic Plan Goal 4,
Healthy Communities & Ecosystems: Objective 4.1, Chemical, Organism and
Pesticide Risk; Program/Project J1-Protect Human Health from Pesticide Risk;
J2- Protect the Environment from Pesticide Risk; and J3 - Realize the Value of
Pesticide Availability. Specially, the NPIC serves as a source of factual,
unbiased information on a wide range of pesticide topics, e.g., pesticide
chemistry, toxicology, environmental fate issues to all callers. To see EPA's
2006-2011 Strategic Plan visit: http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/plan.htm.
2.	Outcomes. The term "outcome" means the result, effect or consequence that
will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related
to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be
environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, but must be
quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance
agreement funding period.
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Through this cooperative agreement, the EPA expects to inform and better
educate the general public in a host of areas pertaining to pesticides. Examples of
these are: safe-use practices; possible alternatives; understanding the
technical/chemical information on the product labels; pesticide regulations; signs
of pesticide poisoning; where to obtain emergency treatment for humans and
animals, etc. EPA also expects to provide pesticide information of equal value to
other Federal agencies, state and local agencies, health care providers, and the
medical and veterinary communities.
3. Outputs. The term "output" means an environmental activity, effort, and /or
associated work products related to an environmental goal and objective, that will
be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs
may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance
agreement funding period.
The anticipated outputs of this cooperative agreement are to provide
reports and analyses of information garnered from telephone inquiries as well as
the response to other services offered by this project.
II. Award Information
A.	Amount of Funding Available
The estimated amount of funding for the Cooperative Agreement for the
three year period is $5,500,000. Approximately, $1,650,000 is expected to
be available in FY 2010. At the conclusion of the first year period of
performance, incremental funding of approximately $1,732,000 may be
made available, depending on the Agency's budget, allowing the project to
continue for a total of three years.
B.	Funding Restrictions
Indirect costs must be included in the funding amount. In accordance with
40 CFR 30.25 (f), "Recipients are authorized without prior approval or a
waiver to: (1) Incur preaward costs 90 calendar days prior to award, (i)
Preaward costs incurred more than 90 calendar days prior to award require
the prior approval of the EPA Award Official, (ii) The applicant must
include all preaward costs in its application, (iii) The applicant incurs such
costs at its own risk (i.e., EPA is under no obligation to reimburse such costs
if for any reason the recipient does not receive an award or if the award is
less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs), (iv) EPA will only
allow preaward costs without approval if there are sufficient programmatic
reasons for incurring the expenditures prior to the award (e.g., time
constraints, weather factors, etc.), they are in conformance with the
appropriate cost principles, and any procurement complies with the
requirements of this rule."
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C.	Funding Type
EPA will award funding in the form of an assistance agreement according
to FIFRA Section 20. The award will be in the form of cooperative
agreement with substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer
and the selected applicant in the performance of the work supported. While
EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial
involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial Federal
involvement would be:
1.	Close monitoring of the successful applicant's performance to
Verify the results proposed by the applicant;
2.	Collaboration during performance of the scope of work; and
3.	Review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative
agreement (the final decision on the content of the reports rests
with the recipient).
D.	Total Number of Awards
EPA will make one award. Funding will be in the form of a cooperative
agreement according to FIFRA Section 20. Selection will be based on
the criteria established in Section V of this announcement. The recipient
should expect substantial involvement of the Federal Project Officer in
activities such as: review of project, measurements and quality assurance
plans; coordination with EPA personnel; project evaluation and other
similar activities.
E.	Start Date/Project Duration
The estimated project period resulting from this solicitation will begin in
April, 2010. The proposed project will be three years.
F.	Disclaimer
EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no award under
this announcement.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants.
EPA is soliciting applications from the following eligible entities under
this announcement: States, U.S. territories or possessions, federally
recognized Indian tribal governments and Native American Organizations,
public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and
other public or private non-profit institutions and individuals.
Non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal
Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of
the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.
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Under this announcement: universities and colleges who have experience
and expertise in pesticide toxicology; epidemiology, occupational health,
medical community, health care providers, poison control centers,
industrial hygiene, animal toxicology, health education, water quality,
food safety, environmental chemistry; environmental fate; human and
animal medial diagnostic and crisis management assistance; risk
management; risk assessment; extension service; pesticide poisonings;
analysis and trend predications of pesticide incident data, emergency
medicine; quantitative analyses of environmental and biological samples;
conventional pesticides including antimicrobials and products of
biotechnology; IPM; IT/IM; web development & web portals;
telecommunication networks; outreach and marketing; data analyses; and
the Federal statues involved within the Office of Pesticide Programs, e.g.,
FIFRA, FFDCA, FQPA, and PRIA.
The university/college shall consist of a principal investigator and
appropriate staff. The university/college must have a physician with
extensive knowledge in medical/clinical toxicology and pesticides. This
individual must be able to demonstrate the ability to handle pesticide cases
of clinical importance or unexpected outcome and also be able to interpret
human health information in the context of the regulatory risk assessment
process. This physician must be well-versed in the major federal/state
statues governing the use of pesticides in the United States. Also, it is
strongly preferred this physician be physically located on the same campus
as NPIC and possess a working knowledge of the overall mission and
objectives of the NPIC.
B.	Cost Share/Matching.
There is a cost share of five percent for this project.
C.	Threshold Eligibility Requirements.
These requirements, if not met by the time of proposal submission, will
result in elimination of the proposal from consideration for funding.
Only proposals that meet ALL of these criteria will be evaluated against
the ranking factors in Section V of the announcement. Applicants
deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold
eligibility review will be notified within 15 days calendar days of
ineligibility determination.
1.	Applicants must be eligible (See Section III .A) to receive funding
under this announcement.
2.	Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission
instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this
announcement or else they will be rejected. In addition, where a page
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limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the proposal, pages in
excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.
3.	Hard copy proposals submitted via express delivery (e.g., FedEx,
UPS, etc.) must be received 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on
December 11, 2009, to contact listed in Section VII.
4.	Hard copy proposals will only be accepted via an express mail
delivery serviced. EPA will not accept proposals submitted via fax or
1st class mail delivery by U.S.Postal Service.
5.	Proposals submitted by e-mail must be received by 5:00 PM Eastern
Daylight Time on December 11, 2009. Please note that if you choose
to submit your materials via e-mail, you accept all risks attendant to e-
mail submission including server delays.
6.	Proposals received after the submission deadline will be considered
late and returned to the sender without further consideration unless the
applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA
mishandling and not the applicant. Applicants should confirm receipt of
their proposal with Frank Davido as soon as possible after the
submission deadline. Failure to do so may result in your proposal not
being reviewed.
7.	EPA will consider only the first proposal submitted by each
individual investigator. Proposals from different investigators
within the same organization are acceptable.
8.	Congress has prohibited the use of federal funds to award grants to
the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
(ACORN) or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied
organizations and therefore in order to be eligible for funding
consideration under this competition all applicants must
affirmatively indicate in their proposal that they are not subject to
this prohibition. In addition, since this funding prohibition applies
to subawards/subgrants and contracts awarded by grantees,
applicants must consider it when preparing proposals.
Proposal and Submission Instructions
A. General:
Applicants must submit a complete, detailed proposal to include all
of the documents described in Section C below. Additional guidance
on completing the documents is available through EPA's Office of
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Grants and Debarment
http://www.epa.gov/ogd/ApptKit/application.htm..
All proposals must be complete and eligible for award consideration at
the time of submission.
B. Mode of Proposal Submission:
Applicants have the option to submit their proposals in one of two ways:
1) Hard copy via express delivery (FedEx, UPS, etc.), or 2) electronically
via email. Proposals will not be accepted via fax or standard 1st Class
Mail delivery by U.S. Postal Service. All proposals must be prepared, and
include the information, as described in Section IV.C. below, regardless of
mode of transmission.
1.	Instructions for Hard Copy Submissions
Applicants must submit two complete packages including all of the
documents identified in Section IV. C. of this announcement. In
addition, a CD containing separate Adobe PDF files corresponding to
each of the documents identified in Section IV. C. of this
announcement must be submitted.
Hard Copy Proposal Submission Deadline
Proposals must be received by 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on
December 11, 2009, to EPA contact listed in Section VII. All
proposals received after this due date and time will NOT be
considered.
2.	Instructions for Electronic Submissions
E-mail submissions to davido.frank@epa.gov must be received by
5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on December 11, 2009. All required
documents listed in Section IV.C. of this announcement must be
attached to the submission e-mail as separate Adobe PDF files.
Please note that if you choose to submit your materials via e-mail,
you are accepting all risks attendant to e-mail submission including
server delays and transmission difficulties. E-mail submissions
exceeding 15MB will experience transmission delays which will
affect when they are received by the Agency. For these size
submissions, applicants should submit their application materials via
hardcopy or else they may be received late and not considered for
funding.
C. Content of Proposal Submission
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Applicants must submit a complete, detailed proposal package which includes
all of the documents described below, in the sequential order shown.
Additional guidance on completing the documents is available through EPA's
Office of Grants and Debarment (http://www.epa.gov/ogd/).
The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:
1.	Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
2.	Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF424A)
3.	EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54
4.	Assurances for NonConstruction Programs (SF-424B)
5.	EPA Form 6600-06, Lobbying Form - Certification Regarding
Lobbying
6.	EPA Form 4700-4 - Preaward Compliance Review Report
7.	Project Narrative - prepared as described below
8.	Budget Narrative
9.	Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) if applicable
10.	Appendix A - Timetable
11.	Appendix B - Resumes
The proposal package must include all of the following materials:
Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance.
Complete the form. There are no attachments. Please be sure to include
organization fax number and email address in Block 5 of the form. Form
SF424 can be obtained online at:
http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/application.htm or from the Agency Contacts
listed in Section VII.
1.	Standard Form (SF) 424A - Budget Information for Non-Construction
Programs. Complete the form. There are no attachments. The total
amount of federal funding requested for the project period should be
shown on line 5(e) and on line 6(k) of SF-424A. If indirect costs are
included, the amount of indirect costs should be entered on line 6(j). The
indirect cost rate (i.e., a percentage), the base (e.g., personnel costs and
fringe benefits), and the amount should also be indicated on line 22. If
indirect costs are requested, a copy of the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement must be submitted as part of the application package.
2.	Project Narrative
The project narrative must be submitted as a single Adobe PDF file. The
project narrative must be 12 pages or less typewritten on 8.5 x 11 inch
paper. Proposal narratives must contain the following information in the
sequential order shown:
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a. Cover Page (page 1). The cover page must list the following
information with your letterhead:
EPA docket ID number: EPA-HQ-OPP-09-006
Project Title:
Project Coordinator:
Organization Name and Address:
Telephone No.: Fax No.: Email Address:
Project Duration (including Starting Date and Ending Date):
First Year Funding Request:
Second Year Funding Request, if applicable:
Total Funding Request (for the entire project):
Indicate if this proposal is for new activities connected with a
previously EPA funded project. If yes, please provide the
following:
o EPA Assistance Number:
o Budget Period of Proj ect:
b.	Table of Contents: A one page table listing the different parts of the
proposal and the page number on which each part begins.
c.	Executive Summary (page 2). Stand-alone, one page document that
concisely explains the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
addresses objectives, outputs, and the outcomes of the proposed project.
It must also include an assurance that the eligibility factors, as listed in
Section 111-Eligibility Information, are addressed in the proposal.
d.	Proposal Narrative (10 pages recommended). The narrative shall
contain the Parts I - VIII as identified below.
Part I. Project Title
Part II. Project Summary and Approach
i.	Purpose Statement: One sentence description of what will be
accomplished as a result of the project.
ii.	Goal and Objectives: Describe how the project addresses one or
more of the Objectives indentified in Section B. Program
Description 2. Goal and Objectives and what will be different as a
result of this project.
iii.	Project Design: Describe the project activities and how they
will improve human health, the environment and/or the general
population. Describe how the project activities build upon or
consider lessons learned from existing efforts. Describe the target
audiences and general geographic areas intended for this project,
and how you might encourage participation by any specific
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group. Explain the project benefits to the public and/or any other
group.
Part III. Outreach and Transferability
Describe how the project will be promoted to ensure project information
and outcomes are clearly and precisely presented and reach the intended
audiences.
Part IV. Sustainability
Describe how the project efforts may continue after EPA funding
should end. Describe to the greatest extent possible how information and
outcomes from the project may be useful to audiences.
Part V. Environmental Results
Outcome:
Describe how you will measure your performance in the area of
customer satisfaction from the various sectors making inquiries and
your efforts put forth in outreach and marketing programs to acquire
pesticide incident reports and also on reaching the under-served
populations.
Output:
Describe how you will measure progress on the anticipated output of
this grant which is to carry out the nine objectives listed under B.
Program Description, 2. Goal and Objectives
Part VI. Past Performance
1. Programmatic Capability
Submit a list of federally funded assistance agreements
(assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative
agreements but not Federal contracts) similar in size, scope and
relevance to the proposed project that your organization
performed within the past three years (no more than five
agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and describe
whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and
manage those agreements including submitting acceptable final
technical reports under the agreements.
In addition, provide information on your organizational
experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the
objectives of the proposed project, and your staff
expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the
ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the
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proposed project.
2. Reporting on Environmental Results—Outcomes and
Outputs
Submit a list of federally funded assistance agreements
(assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative
agreements but not Federal contracts) that your organization
performed within the past three years (no more than five
agreements, and preferably EPA agreements), and describe
how you documented and/or reported on whether you were
making progress towards achieving the expected results (e.g.,
outputs and outcomes) under those agreements. If you were
not making progress, please indicate whether, and how, you
documented why not.
Part VII. Organizational Experience and Resources
Part VIII. Detailed Budget Narrative
Explain how EPA funds will be used. This section provides an
opportunity for narrative description of the budget found in the SF-
424A. Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe
benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct
costs, indirect costs, and total costs.
* Selected applicants will need to submit a copy of their current
indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant
agency.
Management Fees: When formulating budgets for proposals,
applicants must not include management fees or similar charges in
excess of the direct costs and indirect costs at the rate approved by
the applicants cognizant audit agency, or at the rate provided for by
the terms of the agreement negotiated with EPA. The term
"management fees or similar charges" refers to expenses added to
the direct costs in order to accumulate and reserve funds for ongoing
business expenses, unforeseen liabilities, or for other similar costs
that are not allowable under EPA assistance agreements.
Management fees or similar charges may not be used to improve or
expand the project funded under this agreement, except to the extent
authorized as a direct cost of carrying out the scope of work.
3. Appendix A: Timetable
Provide a timetable that details each project object.
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4. Appendix B: Resumes
Provide brief resumes (not to exceed two pages) of the major project
participants.
D. Partnerships, Contractors and Subawards: Contracts and Subawards
1. Can funding be used for the applicant to make subawards, acquire
contract services fund partnerships?
EPA awards funds to one eligible applicant as the recipient even if other eligible
applicants are named as partners or co-applicants or members of a coalition or
consortium. The recipient is accountable to EPA for the proper expenditure of
funds.
Funding may be used to provide subgrants or subawards of financial assistance,
which includes using subawards or subgrants to fund partnerships , provided the
recipient complies with applicable requirements for subawards or subgrants
including those contained in 40 CFR Parts 30 or 31, as appropriate. Applicants
must compete contracts for services and products, including consultant contracts,
and conduct cost and price analyses, to the extent required by the procurement
provisions of the regulations at 40 CFR Parts 30 or 31, as appropriate. The
regulations also contain limitations on consultant compensation. Applicants are
not required to identify subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractors (including
consultants) in their proposal/application . However, if they do, the fact that an
applicant selected for award has named a specific subawardee/subgrantee,
contractor, or consultant in the proposal/application EPA selects for funding does
not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with sub award/sub grant
and/or competitive procurement requirements as appropriate. Please note that
applicants may not award sole source contracts to consulting, engineering or other
firms assisting applicants with the proposal solely based on the firm's role in
preparing the proposal/application.
Successful applicants cannot use subgrants or subawards to avoid requirements in
EPA grant regulations for competitive procurement by using these instruments to
acquire commercial services or products from for profit organizations to carry out
its assistance agreement. The nature of the transaction between the recipient and
the subawardee or subgrantee must be consistent with the standards for
distinguishing between vendor transactions and subrecipient assistance under
Subpart B Section 210 of OMB Circular A 133 , and the definitions of subaward
at40 CFR 30.2(fl) or subgrant at 40 CFR 31 .3, as applicable . EPA will not be a
party to these transactions. Applicants acquiring commercial goods or service s
must comply with the competitive procurement standards in 40 CFR Part 30 or 40
CFR Part 31 .36 and cannot use a subaward/subgrant as the fun ding mechanism.
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2. How will an applicant's proposed subawardees/subgrantees and
contractors be considered during the evaluation process described in Section
V of the announcement?
Section V of the announcement describes the evaluation criteria and evaluation
process that will be used by EPA to make selections under this announcement.
During this evaluation, except for those criteria that relate to the applicants own
qualifications, past performance, and reporting history, the review panel will
consider, as appropriate and relevant, the qualifications, expertise, and experience.
a.	An applicant's named subawardees/subgrantees identified in the proposal if the
applicant demonstrates in the proposal that if it receives an award that the
subaward/subgrant will be properly awarded consistent with the applicable
regulations in 40 CFR Parts 30 or 31. For example, applicants must not use
subawards/subgrants to obtain commercial services or products from for profit
firms or individual consultants.
b.	An applicant's named contractor(s), including consultants, identified in the
proposal/application if the applicant demonstrates in its proposal/application that
the contractor(s) was selected in compliance with the competitive Procurement
Standards in 40 CFR Part 30 or 40 CFR 31.36 as appropriate. For example, an
Applicant must demonstrate that it selected the contractor(s) competitively or that
a proper noncompetitive sole source award consistent with the regulations will be
made to the contractor(s), that efforts were made to provide small and
disadvantaged businesses with opportunities to compete, and that some form of
cost or price analysis was conducted. EPA may not accept sole source
justifications for contracts for services or products that are otherwise readily
available in the commercial marketplace.
EPA will not consider the qualifications, experience, and expertise of
named subawardees/subgrantees and/or named contractor(s) during the
proposal evaluation process unless the applicant complies with
these requirements.
E. Submission Dates and Times
The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions, regardless of mode
of submission, December 11, 2009, 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
All hard copies of proposal packages must be received by (EPA contact) by
December 11, 2009), 5:00 p.m. EDT. Electronic submissions must be addressed
to davido.frank@epa.gov.and include, "Announcement title or #" - [name of
applicant] in the subject line and must be received by December 11, 2009, 5:00
p.m. EST. Proposals received after the closing date and time will not be
considered for funding.
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Following EPA's evaluation of proposals, all applicants will be notified regarding
their status. Final applications and forms will be requested, as necessary, from
those eligible entities whose proposal has been successfully evaluated and
preliminarily recommended for award. Those entities will be provided with
instructions and a due date for submittal of the final application package.
F. General Submission Information
1.	Coalitions.
Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a coalition and
submit a single application for this assistance agreement. However, one entity
must be responsible for the grant. Coalitions must identify which eligible
organization will be the recipient of the cooperative agreement, and which
eligible organization(s) will be sub-awardees of the recipient. Sub-awards or
subgrants must be consistent with the definition of that term in 40 CFR Parts
30.2(fl) and 31.3. The recipient must administer the cooperative agreement, is
accountable to the EPA for proper expenditure of the funds and reporting, and
will be the point of contact for the coalition. As provided in 40 CFR Parts
30.2(gg) and 31.3, subrecipients or subgrantees are accountable to the
recipient or grantee for proper use of EPA funding.
Coalitions may not include for profit organizations that will provide services
or products to the successful applicant. For profit organizations are not
eligible for subawards. Any contracts for services or products funded with
EPA financial assistance must be awarded under the competitive procurement
procedures of 40 CFR Parts 30 and 31. The regulations also contain
limitations on consultant compensation. Applicants are not required to identify
contractors or consultants in the proposal. Moreover, the fact a successful
applicant has named a specific contractor or consultant in the proposal EPA
approves does not relieve it of its obligation to comply with competitive
procurement requirements or consultant compensation limitations.
2.	Intergovernmental Review. Applicants must comply with the
Intergovernmental Review Process and/or consultation provisions of
Executive Order 12372 or Section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and
Metropolitan Development Act, if applicable, which are contained in 40 CFR
Part 29. Further information regarding this requirement will be provided if
your proposal is selected for funding.
3.	Allowable Costs. EPA grant funds may only be used for purposes set forth in
the assistance agreement, and must be consistent with the statutory authority
for the award. Assistance agreements funds may not be used to match funds
for other federal grants, lobbying or intervention in federal regulatory or
adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue
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the Federal government or any other governmental entity. All COSIs identified
in the budget must conform to applicable Federal Cost Principles contained in
OMB Circular A87; A122; and A21 as appropriate.
4.	Confidential Business Information. By submitting an application in response
to this solicitation, the applicant grants the EPA permission to make limited
disclosures of the application to technical reviewers both within and outside the
Agency for the express purpose of assisting the Agency with evaluating the
application. Information from a pending or unsuccessful application will be kept
confidential to the fullest extent allowed under law; information from a successful
application may be publicly disclosed to the extent permitted by law.
In accordance with 40 CFR 2.203, applicants may claim all or a portion of their
application/proposal package as confidential business information. EPA will
evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance with 40 CFR Part 2. Applicants must
clearly mark applications/proposals or portions thereof that they claim as
confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, EPA is not required to make the
inquiry to the applicant otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c)(2) prior to
disclosure. However, competitive proposals/applications are considered
confidential and protected from disclosure prior to the completion of the
competitive selection process.
5.	Pre-Proposal/Application Assistance and Communications. In accordance
with EPA's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy (EPA Order 5700 .5A I).
EPA staff will not meet with individual applicants to discuss draft proposals,
provide informal comments on draft proposals, or provide advice to applicants on
how to respond to ranking criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of
their applications! proposals. However, EPA will respond to questions in writing
from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criterion, administrative
issues related to the submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification about
the announcement.
V. Proposal Review Information
Only eligible entities whose proposal(s) meet the threshold criteria in Section III of this
announcement will be reviewed according to the evaluation criterion set forth below.
Applicants should explicitly address this criterion as part of their proposal package
submittal. Each proposal will be rated under a points system, with a total of 115 points
possible.
A. Evaluation Criteria
1. Project Description and Objectives (15 points) - Under this criterion, applicants will
be evaluated based on their ability to successfully meet the following measures: (i) Does
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the proposal contain clear and concise goals and tasks? (10 points) and (ii) Does the
proposal contain realistic tasks budget timelines and scope? (5 points).
2.	Programmatic Capability (30 points) - Under this criterion, applicants will be
evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete and manage the proposed
project taking into account the following factors : (i) its past performance in successfully
completing and managing funded
assistance agreements similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project
performed within the last 3 years (5 points); (ii) its history of meeting reporting
requirements under funded assistance agreements similar in size, scope, and relevance to
the proposed project performed
within the last 3 years and submitting acceptable final technical reports under those
agreements (5 points); (iii) its organizational experience and plan for timely and
successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project (5 points), and (iv) its staff
expertise/qualifications, staff
knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them , to successfully achieve the goals
of the proposed project (15 points). Note : In evaluating applicants under this criterion,
the Agency will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also
consider relevant information from other sources including agency files and prior/current
grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant).
Applicants with no relevant or available past performance or reporting history (items i
and ii above), will receive a neutral score for those
elements of this criterion.
3.	Environmental Results Past Performance Criterion (10points) - Under this criterion,
applicants will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which they adequately
documented and/or reported on their progress towards achieving the expected results (e
.g., outcomes and outputs) under Federal agency assistance agreements performed within
the last three years, and if such progress was not being made whether the applicant
adequately documented and/or reported why not. Note: In evaluating applicants under
this factor, EPA will consider the information pro vided by the applicant and may also
consider relevant information from other sources including agency files and prior/current
grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant).
Applicants with no relevant or available pas t performance responding history will
receive a neutral score for this factor.
4.	Benefits, Sustainability, Transferable Results (30points) - Under this criterion, the
applicants will be evaluated based on information provided that shows whether and how
the project will continue to provide benefits to the NPIC after the period of performance
has expired and this funding is no longer available. The following will be evaluated: does
the proposal provide information to show the benefits of the project to be sustained
overtime (4 points); Can the: project results be incorporated into existing and/or future
pesticide-related projects
(4 points); does the proposal clearly address the deliverables, experiences, products, or
outcomes resulting from the project transferable to other universities and colleges? Might
this project readily be implemented by another university/college (4 points); does the
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project address ecological, human health benefit" or quality of life issues (4 points); Does
the project have limited or broad application to address risks related to pesticides (4
points); Does the applicant recognize a need for coordination between agencies and
outside communities, and/or federal, state or local agencies (4 points); and does the
project explain how it will build public, professional, and governmental infrastructure
and capacity (6 points),
5.	Performance Measures Outcomes and Outputs (15 points) - Under this criterion ,
applicants will be evaluated based on how well the proposed project is supported by a
clearly articulated set of performance and progress measures. Reviewers will evaluate the
project proposal in
relation to its likelihood to achieve predicted results, including the likelihood of attaining
expected outcomes and reaching project goals.
6.	Sample Tasks (15 points) - Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on
how well they develop an extensive plan for acquiring and improving the quality and
quantity of pesticide incident reports taking into consideration those inquiries already
coming to NPIC and designated as incidents as well as those incident reports obtained
directly from outside sources. At minimum include: magnitude of the project; a budget;
time frame for completion; staffing and expertise required; means for identifying trends
in data; what means would you utilize to better substantiate cause and effect of each
incoming incident report; and the expected results of the overall project.
B.	Review and Selection Process
Proposals will first be evaluated against the threshold factors listed in Section III. Only
those proposals which meet all of the threshold factors will be evaluated using the
evaluation criteria listed above by an EPA evaluation team. Each proposal will be given a
numerical score and will be rank-ordered according to the numerical score. Preliminary
funding recommendations will be provided to the Approving Official based on this
ranking.
C.	Selection Official. The final funding decision will be made by the Selection Official
based on the rankings and preliminary recommendation of the OPP review team. In
making the final funding decisions, the Selection Official may also consider funding
availability and program balance.
VI. Award Administration Information
Following evaluation of proposals, all applicants will be notified regarding their status.
Final applications and forms will be requested, as necessary, from those eligible entities
whose proposal has been successfully evaluated and preliminarily recommended for
award.
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1.. EPA anticipates notification to the successful applicant will be made via
telephone, email or postal mail. The notification will advise the applicant that its
proposed project has been successfully evaluated and recommended for award.
The notification will be sent to the original signer of the Standard Form (SF) 424,
Proposal for Federal Assistance.
This notification, which advises that the applicant's proposed project has been
recommended for award, is not an authorization to begin performance. The
award notice signed by the EPA grants officer is the authorizing document and
will be provided through postal mail.
2. EPA anticipates notification to unsuccessful applicant(s) will be made via
email or postal mail. The notification will be sent to the original signer of the
Standard Form (SF) 424, Proposal for Federal Assistance.
EPA reserves the right to negotiate a decrease in the total amount of available funding,
partially fund proposals, and reject all proposals and make no awards.
B. Quality Assurance Requirements
In accordance with 40 CFR 30.54 and 31.45, projects that include the generation or use of
environmental data are required to submit a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).
This includes efficacy and performance data, surveys and similar results. The award
recipient must develop and implement quality assurance and quality control procedures,
specifications and documentation that are sufficient to produce data of adequate quality to
meet project objectives. The QAPP is the document that provides comprehensive details
about the quality assurance/quality control requirements and technical activities that must
be implemented to ensure that project objectives are met. The QAPP must be prepared in
accordance with EPA QA/R-5: EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans.
The QAPP must be submitted to the EPA Project Officer at least 30 days prior to the
initiation of data collection or data compilation. Requirements for QAPP's can found at
http://www.epa.gov/qualitvl/qa docs.html.
C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The award and administration of these assistance agreements will be governed by the
Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to states,
tribes, and local governments set forth at 40 CFR part 31. In addition, the provision in 40
CFR part 32, governing government-wide debarment and suspension, and the provisions
in 40 CFR part 40 regarding restrictions on lobbying, apply.
All costs incurred under this program must be allowable under the applicable OMB Cost
Circular A-87. Copies of this circular can be found at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/. In accordance with the EPA policy and the
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OMB circular, any recipient of funding must agree not to use assistance funds for fund-
raising, or political activities such as lobbying members of Congress or lobbying for other
federal grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. See 40 CFR part 34.
If a conference or workshop is an element of the project, the applicant will be required to
answer the following questions: Who is initiating the conference/workshop/meeting?
How will it be advertised? Whose logo will be on the agenda and materials? What is the
percentage of participants, i.e. federal, state, local or public? Will the grant recipient
prepare the proceedings and disseminate the information back to the targeted
community? Will program income be generated from this event?
If indirect costs are budgeted in the assistance application and the non-profit organization
or educational institute does not have a previously established indirect cost rate, it agrees
to prepare and submit its indirect cost rate proposal and/or cost allocation plan in
accordance with the appropriate Federal cost principle, OMB Circular A-122, "Cost
Principles for Non-Profit Organizations" or OMB Circular A-21, "Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions" within ninety (90) days from the effective date of the award for
this assistance agreement.
If a local government does not have a previously established indirect cost rate, it will
need to prepare its indirect cost rate proposal and/or cost allocation plan in accordance
with OMB Circular A-87, "Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal
Governments." The local government recipient whose cognizant Federal agency has
been designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must develop and
submit its indirect cost rate proposal for approval to its cognizant Federal agency within
six (6) months after the close of the governmental unit's fiscal year. If the cognizant
Federal agency has not been identified by the OMB, the local government recipient must
still develop (and when required, submit) its proposal within that period..
D. Human Subjects: A grant applicant must agree to meet all EPA requirements for
studies using human subjects prior to implementing any work with these subjects. These
requirements are given in 40 C.F.R. § 26. Studies involving intentional exposure of
human subjects who are children or pregnant or nursing women are prohibited by Subpart
B of 40 CFR Section 26. For observational studies involving children or pregnant women
and fetuses please refer to Subparts C & D of 40 CFR Section 26. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services regulations at 45 CFR § 46.101(e) have long required "...
compliance with pertinent Federal laws or regulations which provide additional
protection for human subjects." EPA's regulation 40 C.F.R. Part 26 is such a pertinent
Federal regulation. Therefore, the applicant's Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
must state that the applicant's study meets the EPA's regulations at 40 CFR § 26. No work
involving human subjects, including recruiting, may be initiated before the EPA has
received a copy of the applicant's IRB approval of the project and the EPA has also
provided approval. Where human subjects are involved in the research, the recipient must
provide evidence of subsequent IRB reviews, including amendments or minor changes of
protocol, as part of annual reports.
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E.	DUNS Number
All applicants are required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for a Federal grant or cooperative
agreement. Applicants can receive a DUNS number, at no cost, by calling the dedicated
toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711, or visiting the D&B website at:
http://www.dnb.com.
F.	Reporting Requirements. The successful applicant will be required to submit
quarterly progress reports throughout the duration of the project. Progress reports are due
30 days post each quarter of the project period. Reports should include a description of
project activities including accomplishments,successes and lessons learned along with
any problems and/or delays. Data on performance measures should be reported in table
format whenever possible.Quarterly Financial Status Reports (FSR s) will also be
required. A final project rep ort is also required 90 days following the end of the project
period according to the same format. All reports can be submitted either electronically or
by hard paper copy.
G.	Dispute Resolution Process. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will
be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR
(Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm . Copies of these procedures may
also be requested by contacting the Agency Contact listed under Section VII.
H.	Non-profit Administrative Capability
Non-profit applicants that are recommended for funding under this announcement are subject
to pre-award administrative capability reviews consistent with Section 8b, 8c and 9d of EPA
Order 5700.8 - Policy on Assessing Capabilities of Non-Profit Applicants for Managing
Assistance Awards (http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700 8.pdf). In addition, non-
profit applicants that qualify for funding may, depending on the size of the award, be
required to fill out and submit to the Grants Management Office the Administrative
Capabilities Form, with supporting documents, contained in Appendix A of EPA Order
5700.8.
VII. Agency Contact
If you have questions or need additional information regarding this
announcement, please contact:
Frank Davido
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, 7502P
One Potomac Yard
2777 S. Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202
Phone:	703-305-7576
Email:	Davido.frank@epa.gov
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All questions or comments must be communicated in writing via postal mail, fax or email
to the contact person listed above. Questions and answers will be posted until the closing
date of this announcement at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/grants/grant-competition-
questions.html
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