Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2014 STAR K1

  • The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Air Pollution Monitoring for Communities" 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 Jun 11, 2014 and posted on Jun 9, 2014.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 7, 2014 Please see the announcement, including Section IV, for additional submission information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • The funding agency has allocated a total of $45,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
  • Please see Section III of the announcement for eligibility information.
Apply for EPA G2014 STAR K1

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Opportunity Summary:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offered this funding opportunity under its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program to support research focused on helping communities and individual residents better understand and reduce their exposure to air pollution by using low-cost, portable air pollution sensors. The central idea is not simply to develop sensors, but to study how these newer, more affordable tools can be used in real-world community settings to generate useful information and translate that information into practical actions people can take to avoid or reduce exposure. The opportunity emphasizes applied, community-empowering research that connects measurement, data interpretation, and decision-making rather than purely laboratory or technology-development work.

The EPA highlighted several priority research directions. One major area is investigating how low-cost portable sensors can be used to understand air pollution exposure patterns at the level people actually experience them, for example as they move through neighborhoods, commute, attend school, or work outdoors. Another is studying how people and community groups interact with sensors and the data they produce, including questions such as how residents interpret readings, what kinds of displays or alerts lead to behavior changes, what barriers exist to sustained use, and how trust and usability affect whether sensor information is acted upon. A third focus is data quality: because low-cost sensors can vary in accuracy and stability, the EPA signaled strong interest in methods to evaluate, manage, calibrate, validate, and communicate data quality so that communities are not misled by noisy, biased, or poorly understood measurements. Finally, the announcement calls for research that compares sensors and sensor networks to existing state-of-the-art air quality monitoring approaches, which could include examining when and how low-cost systems can complement regulatory monitors, where they fall short, and what design choices (placement, maintenance, co-location, algorithms) improve their performance and usefulness.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this was a discretionary opportunity using grant and cooperative agreement instruments within the environmental research activity category. The program anticipated making about six awards, with an estimated total funding level of $45,000,000 across the competition. Individual awards could be as high as $750,000, with no stated minimum award amount, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The funding opportunity number was EPA G2014 STAR K1, associated with CFDA 66.509 (Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program). The opportunity was posted June 9, 2014, created June 11, 2014, and had an application deadline of October 7, 2014, with the archive date listed as November 6, 2014.

Eligibility was not fully specified in the excerpted details and was described as “Others,” with clarification and full requirements referenced in Section III of the official announcement. Applicants were directed to consult the complete announcement, including Section IV, for submission instructions and other application details. For access issues or questions, the contact listed was Todd Peterson at 703-308-7224.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of this EPA funding opportunity?

This opportunity, offered under the EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program, supported research that helps communities and individual residents better understand and reduce exposure to air pollution by using low-cost, portable air pollution sensors. The emphasis was on how sensors can be used in real-world community settings to produce useful information and translate that information into practical actions people can take to avoid or reduce exposure.

Is this opportunity about developing new sensor technology?

The central focus was not simply to develop sensors. Instead, the opportunity emphasized applied research on using newer, more affordable sensors in community settings, including measurement, data interpretation, and decision-making, rather than purely laboratory or technology-development work.

What kinds of research topics were prioritized?

The EPA highlighted several priority research directions, including (1) understanding exposure patterns using low-cost portable sensors in everyday settings, (2) studying how people and community groups interact with sensors and the data they produce, (3) addressing data quality issues (evaluation, calibration, validation, and communication of uncertainty), and (4) comparing sensor approaches to existing state-of-the-art air quality monitoring methods.

What does the opportunity mean by studying exposure patterns "as people actually experience them"?

The announcement emphasized research that captures exposure patterns at the scale and contexts of daily life, such as moving through neighborhoods, commuting, attending school, or working outdoors, using low-cost portable sensors to better understand how exposure varies across time and location.

Did the EPA encourage research on how residents interpret sensor readings?

Yes. A key priority area was studying how residents and community groups interact with sensors and sensor data, including how people interpret readings, what types of displays or alerts lead to behavior changes, what barriers exist to sustained use, and how usability and trust influence whether sensor information is acted upon.

Was behavior change or decision-making part of the intended research?

Yes. The opportunity stressed connecting measurement and data interpretation to decision-making, with the goal of translating sensor information into practical actions that help people avoid or reduce exposure.

Why was data quality such a major focus for low-cost sensors?

The EPA noted that low-cost sensors can vary in accuracy and stability. Because of that, the announcement expressed strong interest in methods to evaluate, manage, calibrate, validate, and communicate data quality so that communities are not misled by noisy, biased, or poorly understood measurements.

What types of data quality activities were of interest?

Based on the announcement, data quality activities of interest included evaluating sensor performance, managing data reliability, calibrating and validating measurements, and clearly communicating data quality and limitations to community users.

Did the opportunity include comparing low-cost sensors to regulatory or traditional monitoring?

Yes. The call included research that compares sensors and sensor networks to existing state-of-the-art air quality monitoring approaches, including examining when low-cost systems can complement regulatory monitors, where they may fall short, and what design choices improve performance and usefulness.

What design or implementation choices were mentioned as relevant to performance?

The announcement referenced design choices such as placement, maintenance, co-location, and algorithms as factors that could influence the performance and usefulness of low-cost sensor systems.

What funding program was this offered under?

The opportunity was offered under the EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program and was associated with CFDA 66.509.

What was the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number was EPA G2014 STAR K1.

What type of funding instrument was used?

This was a discretionary opportunity that used grant and cooperative agreement instruments within the environmental research activity category.

How many awards did the EPA expect to make?

The program anticipated making about six awards.

What was the estimated total funding available?

The estimated total funding level across the competition was $45,000,000.

What was the maximum award amount?

Individual awards could be as high as $750,000.

Was there a minimum award amount?

No minimum award amount was stated in the provided information.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated that there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?

The opportunity was posted on June 9, 2014. The application deadline was October 7, 2014.

When was the opportunity created and when was it archived?

The opportunity was created on June 11, 2014, and the archive date was listed as November 6, 2014.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was not fully specified in the excerpted details and was described as "Others." The announcement indicated that full eligibility requirements were provided in Section III of the official announcement.

Where could applicants find the full eligibility and application requirements?

Applicants were directed to consult the complete announcement, including Section III for eligibility requirements and Section IV for submission instructions and other application details.

Who was the contact person for questions or access issues?

The listed contact was Todd Peterson, reachable at 703-308-7224.

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