Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2014 STAR J1
Apply for EPA G2014 STAR J1
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AIR, CLIMATE AND ENERGY (ACE) CENTERS SCIENCE SUPPORTING SOLUTIONS" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.509 Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2014 and posted on May 15, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 4, 2014 Please refer to the announcement, including Section IV, for additional information on submission methods and due dates.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $30,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- See Section III of the announcement for additional eligibility information.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) Centers: Science Supporting Solutions opportunity was a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research funding announcement under the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. Its basic aim was to create a small number of research centers that could generate strong, policy-relevant science to help state and local decision makers design and implement air pollution control strategies that deliver the largest public health benefits. The emphasis was not just on studying air pollution in general, but on producing actionable evidence and tools that improve how air quality management decisions are made, especially decisions intended to reduce real-world human exposure to harmful pollutants and pollutant mixtures.
A central theme of the announcement was understanding why air pollution levels and related health effects differ from place to place and over time, and then using that knowledge to support better control strategies. EPA highlighted the need to move beyond broad regional averages and instead capture the kinds of spatial and temporal variability that people actually experience in daily life. This includes differences within a city, across neighborhoods, and between urban, suburban, and rural settings, as well as differences across larger geographic regions. The opportunity explicitly encouraged research that improves understanding of both individual pollutants and complex pollutant mixtures, recognizing that exposures often occur as mixtures that can vary by location, season, and source patterns.
The priority research areas were laid out in four main categories. First, EPA wanted work that enhances understanding of spatial and temporal differences in pollutant concentrations and mixtures within and across different areas. That means improving what is known about how air pollution changes hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season, and how those patterns look different across neighborhoods or regions. Second, EPA emphasized identifying and better characterizing the key factors that drive differences or similarities in pollution and health impacts between regions or cities, specifically calling for insight beyond what can be explained by topography and meteorology alone. In practice, this points toward examining influences such as emissions source profiles, land use and transportation patterns, industrial activity, regulatory histories, population characteristics, atmospheric chemistry, and other determinants that may explain why two places with similar weather can still have different pollution mixtures and health outcomes.
Third, the agency wanted research that improves the ability to understand and project how these contributing factors and resulting differences may change over the next one to several decades. This forward-looking component indicates a strong interest in scenario analysis and longer-term planning tools, not just retrospective assessments. It also reflects an expectation that economic development, technology transitions, energy systems, demographic shifts, and climate-related changes could reshape emissions and exposures in ways that matter for future public health. Fourth, EPA sought advances in scientific knowledge and practical tools needed to develop robust air pollution control strategies that protect public and environmental health under a range of conditions, including explicit consideration of climate change preparedness. In other words, the work was intended to support strategies that remain effective even as conditions evolve, and to help decision makers account for climate-related stressors that can interact with air quality, such as heat, wildfire smoke, changing atmospheric conditions, and other climate-influenced drivers.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary EPA opportunity offering awards as grants and/or cooperative agreements, meaning recipients could expect either traditional grant support or a more collaborative relationship with EPA depending on the award mechanism used. EPA anticipated making three awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $30,000,000 and an award ceiling of $10,000,000. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated. The program fell under CFDA 66.509 (Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program), aligning it with EPA's broader portfolio of competitively awarded environmental research.
The opportunity was posted May 15, 2014, with an original and current closing date of September 4, 2014, and it was archived October 4, 2014. Eligibility was described generally in the summary as "Others" with a note to consult Section III of the full announcement for the specific eligibility rules, which is typical for EPA STAR solicitations where eligible entities often include universities, nonprofits, and other research institutions, sometimes with restrictions depending on the specific topic area and statutory authorities. The announcement also provided a point of contact for access issues: Todd Peterson at 703-308-7224.
Overall, the ACE Centers opportunity was designed to fund center-scale research efforts that connect air quality science, exposure and health considerations, and long-term planning needs. Its focus on within- and between-community variability, drivers beyond weather and terrain, decadal projections, and climate preparedness signals an intent to produce science that directly strengthens how air pollution policies and control programs are prioritized, targeted, and evaluated at the state and local level.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) Centers: Science Supporting Solutions opportunity?
The Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) Centers: Science Supporting Solutions opportunity was a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research funding announcement under the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. It was designed to create a small number of research centers that produce policy-relevant science and practical outputs to support air quality management decisions.
What was the main purpose of funding ACE Centers?
The basic aim was to fund center-scale research that helps state and local decision makers design and implement air pollution control strategies that deliver the largest public health benefits. The emphasis was on actionable evidence and tools that improve how air quality management decisions are made, especially decisions intended to reduce real-world human exposure to harmful pollutants and pollutant mixtures.
Was the focus on general air pollution research, or on decision-support and actionable outcomes?
The announcement emphasized actionable outcomes. Rather than studying air pollution in general, the opportunity prioritized policy-relevant science and tools that can strengthen how control strategies are prioritized, targeted, implemented, and evaluated in real-world settings.
Who was the intended audience or end user for the research?
The opportunity highlighted support for state and local decision makers responsible for air quality management and air pollution control strategies, with a focus on maximizing public health benefits.
What kinds of air pollution patterns did EPA want the research to address?
EPA emphasized understanding spatial and temporal variability in pollutant concentrations and mixtures. This included hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and seasonal changes, and differences within cities (including across neighborhoods) and between urban, suburban, and rural settings, as well as across larger geographic regions.
Why did EPA emphasize moving beyond regional averages?
The announcement highlighted the need to capture the spatial and temporal variability that people actually experience in daily life. Broad regional averages can miss meaningful neighborhood-scale and time-varying differences that affect exposure and health outcomes and that influence which control strategies will be most effective.
Did the opportunity focus on single pollutants, pollutant mixtures, or both?
Both. The opportunity explicitly encouraged research that improves understanding of individual pollutants and complex pollutant mixtures, recognizing that real-world exposures often occur as mixtures that vary by location, season, and source patterns.
What were the priority research areas?
EPA laid out four main categories of priority research:
- Enhancing understanding of spatial and temporal differences in pollutant concentrations and mixtures within and across different areas.
- Identifying and better characterizing key factors driving differences or similarities in pollution and health impacts between regions or cities, beyond what topography and meteorology alone can explain.
- Improving the ability to understand and project how contributing factors and resulting differences may change over the next one to several decades.
- Advancing scientific knowledge and practical tools needed to develop robust air pollution control strategies that protect public and environmental health under a range of conditions, including explicit consideration of climate change preparedness.
What kinds of drivers did EPA want researchers to examine beyond weather and terrain?
The opportunity pointed toward determinants such as emissions source profiles, land use and transportation patterns, industrial activity, regulatory histories, population characteristics, atmospheric chemistry, and other factors that could explain why two places with similar meteorology still experience different pollution mixtures and health outcomes.
Did the opportunity include a forward-looking or long-term planning component?
Yes. A key priority was improving the ability to understand and project how relevant factors and resulting air pollution differences may change over the next one to several decades, indicating interest in scenario analysis and longer-term planning tools.
How did climate change factor into the research priorities?
Climate preparedness was explicitly included. EPA sought science and tools to develop air pollution control strategies that remain effective under a range of evolving conditions, including climate-related stressors that can interact with air quality such as heat, wildfire smoke, and changing atmospheric conditions.
What types of award mechanisms were anticipated?
This was a discretionary EPA opportunity offering awards as grants and/or cooperative agreements. That means an award could be made as a traditional grant or as a cooperative agreement involving a more collaborative relationship with EPA, depending on the mechanism used.
How many awards did EPA anticipate making, and what was the funding level?
EPA anticipated making three awards. The estimated total funding amount was $30,000,000, with an award ceiling of $10,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement was stated in the information provided.
What program or catalog listing was this opportunity associated with?
The opportunity fell under CFDA 66.509, the Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on May 15, 2014. The original and current closing date was September 4, 2014.
Was the opportunity archived, and if so, when?
Yes. It was archived on October 4, 2014.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described generally as "Others" in the summary, with instructions to consult Section III of the full announcement for specific eligibility rules. This is typical for EPA STAR solicitations where eligible entities often include universities, nonprofits, and other research institutions, though eligibility can vary by topic and authority.
Who was listed as the point of contact for access issues?
The announcement provided a point of contact for access issues: Todd Peterson at 703-308-7224.
What kind of outcomes was EPA aiming to support with these centers?
The centers were intended to connect air quality science, exposure and health considerations, and long-term planning needs. The overall intent was to produce science that directly strengthens how air pollution policies and control programs are prioritized, targeted, and evaluated at the state and local level.
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