18th Annual People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3)
Informational Webinar Questions and Answers
December 2, 2020

Question: Are architecture students eligible to apply?

Answer: The principal investigator/faculty sponsor submits the application, but any student enrolled in
an eligible college or university may participate in the research. It is up to the faculty sponsor and
student team to determine which combination of student majors is appropriate for the proposed
research project.

Question: I am graduating by Dec. 2021. What happens after that for Phase II?

Answer: Per Section III.A. of the RFA, "The students on the teams supported by the institution receiving
the grant must be enrolled in the college, university, or post-secondary educational institution they will
be representing at the time the application is submitted." If the school is successful in winning a Phase II
grant, it may need to find other students to take your role, if necessary. However, please do not be
discouraged from participating in research while you are enrolled.

Question: Must you apply and receive a Phase I before applying for Phase II?

Answer: Yes. Per the RFA, Section I.A., "The competitors for 2022 P3 Phase II grants are limited to

recipients of Phase I grant awards from this solicitation".

Question: Does the Principal Investigator submit the application or does a student in the group submit
the application?

Answer: The school submits the application. The applications should be submitted with a single lead
Principal Investigator (PI) who will serve as the primary faculty advisor for the P3 student team.

Question: Does the $1,000,000 total for all awards include both Phase I & II grants?

Answer: Yes. Per the RFA, the "Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 20 awards for Phase I;
Approximately five awards for Phase II. Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $1 million total for
all awards".

Question: Can student teams be from multiple universities?

Answer: The PI (faculty advisor) leads a student team from the academic institution receiving the grant.
However, other institutions or sub-awardees can partner on the project along with students at that
institution. Please note that the total P3 award per application is limited to $25,000 in Phase I.

Question: What start date should be used for funding during preparation of the budget?

Answer: October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023.

Question: Is there a page limitation for the proposal?

Answer: Yes. The page limitation for the Research Plan is 12 pages. Please consult Section IV.C.6. of the
RFA for additional page limitations.

Question: How many applications are normally received every year?

Answer: On average, the Agency receives 70-80 P3 Phase I applications per year. The number does vary,
and in some years the Agency has received in excess of 100 P3 Phase I applications.

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Question: Where will students find the current & pending form? Is this the same form used by NSF
and NIH?

Answer: Applicants should use the current and pending support form found on EPA's website. This form
should be completed for each investigator and important co-worker (provided at
https://www.epa.gov/researchgrants/research-funding-opportunities-how-applv-and-required-forms ).
The completed form should be included in the Project Narrative Attachment document.

Question: Can the funds be used to provide tuition support for a grad student? For example, if a
promising graduating student is involved in the Phase I project, can Phase II funds be used to support
that student toward a 1-year masters?

Answer: P3 grant funding may be used to award stipends to graduate or undergraduate students.

Question: Do we need to keep the same student composition between Phase I and Phase II?

Answer: No. It is understood that the composition of a team could change over time as students
graduate, change universities, etc.

Question: For graduate students interested in using this grant writing experience to build a resume,
can graduate students be co-PIs on the grant? Can a postdoc be the co-PI with the faculty PI?

Answer: This decision is left to the institution, but typically the PI writes the proposal based on research
they are already conducting, or research they wish to undertake. What is important is that applicants
prepare proposals robust enough to be competitive and relevant throughout the review process. Per the
RFA, Section IV. C.5.c. "the Principal Investigator (P.I.) is described as someone that will serve as the
faculty advisor for the P3 student team."

Question: Can research teams have a crossover project dealing with both Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources and Sustainable and Healthy Communities? Do teams need to choose one funding
opportunity?

Answer: Per the Solicitation (Section IV.C.lO.b.: "Applicants must select the FON corresponding to their
proposed research topic area. It is the responsibility of the applicant to identify the proper FON based
on the nature of the proposed research. Failure to do so could result in an inappropriate peer review
assignment. If your research seems to fit under more than one FON, choose the most appropriate one.
Each application must be submitted using a single FON. Applicants should identify one topic within that
research area that will be the focus of their project (see Section I.D). If applicants propose a project that
does not address one of these topics, they may not be evaluated as highly during the relevancy review,
and therefore may not be recommended for an award."

Question: Can a new student team be established for Phase II after the Phase I of research is
completed?

Answer: Yes. It is understood that the composition of a team could change over time as students
graduate, change universities, etc.

Question: Can the fund pay indirect costs?

Answer: Indirect and total costs are included in the total budget requested from EPA and cannot exceed
the $25,000 threshold.

Question: Can a research institute director (non-faculty staff member) be a PI?

Answer: No. Per the RFA, Section IV. C.5.c. "the Principal Investigator (P.I.) is described as someone that
will serve as the faculty advisor for the P3 student team".

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Question: After attending the National Student Design Expo for Phase I, when are Phase II grants
awarded and announced?

Answer: As stated in the in Section I.A. of the RFA, "...in the summer of 2022, Phase I grant recipients
will submit a Project Report that will serve as an application for a Phase II grant award of up to
$100,000." Phase II applications will be awarded in Winter 2022-2023.

Question: If funded, is participation in the Expo required?

Answer: Yes. As stated in the Section I.A of the RFA, "... in the summer of 2022, the Phase I grantees
awarded from this solicitation are required to present their projects/designs at the National Student
Design Expo".

Question: Is cost sharing (matching fund) required?

Answer: No. The RFA states in Section III.B. that "Institutional cost-sharing is not required for Phase I or
Phase II grants".

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