science in ACTION

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

3

THE REGIONAL SCIENCE PROGRAM

Program Background

EPA's Regional Science Program
plays a vital role in linking ORD
with EPA's regional offices. The
program, managed by ORD's Office
of Science Policy, is implemented
by a headquarters staff and two
teams of scientists and engineers
located across the EPA regions:
Regional Science Liaisons (RSL)
and Superfund and Technology
Liaisons (STL). The Regional
Science Program builds networks
and partnerships between ORD and
the regions, as well as with state,
local and tribal partners to ensure
EPA applied science is useful and
practical for enviromnental decision
making.

Regional Applied Research
Effort (RARE) Program

The RARE program provides a
mechanism for ORD, the regions
and other partners to collaborate on
high-priority, near-term research
needs of the regions, states and
tribes. RARE research addresses a
wide range of enviromnental issues,
from human health concerns to
ecological effects of various
pollutants. The RSLs coordinate
RARE activities and help
communicate research results within
the regions.

Regional Research Partnership
Program (R2P2)

R2P2 provides short-term training
opportunities for regional technical
staff to work directly with ORD
scientists in ORD laboratories,
centers and offices. The program
builds technical capacity in the
regions, enhances the skills and
knowledge of regional and ORD
staff, and promotes the development
of stronger ties between ORD and
the regions. The RSLs facilitate the
application process in their regions
and help candidates establish
connections with ORD.

Regional/ORD Community of
Science Networking
(ROCS-Net) Program

ROCS-Net is an ORD orientation
and networking program for regional
scientists. It provides an opportunity
for regional staff who have limited
familiarity with ORD to visit an
EPA research facility and discuss
collaborative research opportunities,
regional priorities and cross-cutting
issues with ORD scientists. The
program includes overviews of ORD
research programs, meetings with
laboratory scientists, facility tours,
research demonstrations and
information sharing sessions
between participants.

Note: Another research partnership
program, administered by ORD's
Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Research Program, is the Regional
Sustainable Environmental Science
(RESES) program. RESES supports
community efforts to assign value to
ecosystem goods and services through
the use of the best available scientific-
tools and information.

The Regional Science
Program addresses high
priority regional science
needs through collaborative
research activities and
technical support.

Superfund Technical Support

The STLs help regional hazardous
waste program managers make
scientifically defensible decisions by
providing direct technical support or
coordinating assistance through
ORD's five Technical Support
Centers. Technical support may
involve site assessments, remedial
investigations, document review,
remedial design, enviromnental
cleanup technology demonstrations,
optimization, five-year reviews, and
aerial photo interpretation. Regional
staff can access this support by
calling their regional STL.

REGIONAL SCIENCE PROGRAM
HEADQUATERS CONTACTS:

MAGGIE LAVAY

Regional Science Program Chief
(202) 564-5264
lavav.maggie@epa.gov

VALERIE BLANK

Program Coordinator

(202)564-1720

blank.valerie@epa.gov

www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-ofiice-
science-policv-osp

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Research and Development

April 2018


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