Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA OAR IO 09 02

  • The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "COMMUNITY ACTION FOR A RENEWED ENVIRONMENT (CARE) PROGRAM" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jan 8, 2009 and posted on Dec 17, 2008.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 2009 Please refer to the full 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 $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 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.
Apply for EPA OAR IO 09 02

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Opportunity Summary:

The Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding opportunity that supports community-led efforts to understand and reduce health and environmental risks linked to toxic pollutants and other local environmental concerns. The program is set up as a community-based, community-driven demonstration initiative, meaning it is designed not just to fund isolated projects, but to test and showcase how a structured, collaborative process can produce stronger results than traditional approaches that tackle issues one pollutant, one medium (air, water, land), or one agency at a time. In practice, CARE is meant to help communities look at the full picture of pollution and exposure in their area, including multiple sources and pathways, and then coordinate practical actions that reduce risk in ways the community helps define and carry out.

A central feature of CARE is partnership-building. The program expects eligible applicants to work with EPA and local stakeholders to form collaborative, community-based partnerships that include the kinds of organizations and groups that influence local conditions and can sustain long-term work. Through this partnership structure, communities are expected to develop a clearer understanding of their local risk landscape, including where toxic pollutants and environmental stressors are coming from and how they may affect residents. CARE emphasizes setting local priorities based on that shared understanding, then selecting and implementing risk-reduction projects through coordinated local action rather than fragmented efforts. The long-term aim is capacity building: the program is trying to help communities develop self-sustaining partnerships that continue improving local environmental quality and public health after the grant period ends.

The objective of the program is also evaluative. CARE is specifically framed as a cross-agency, multimedia model, and part of what EPA is testing is whether this kind of collaborative, multi-pathway approach delivers greater environmental and health benefits than non-collaborative strategies or approaches focused on a single environmental medium. That means proposals are not only expected to produce local benefits, but to contribute to learning about how well the CARE process works as a model for community risk reduction and coordinated environmental management.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity was offered under Funding Opportunity Number EPA-OAR-IO-09-02 and was categorized as a discretionary grant program, with awards issued as cooperative agreements (which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the project, such as technical assistance, coordination, or shared planning). The EPA listed an estimated total funding level of $3,000,000 and anticipated making about 18 awards. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated. The opportunity was posted on December 17, 2008, with an original and current closing date of March 16, 2009, and an archive date of April 15, 2009. Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others" with clarification directed to Section III of the full announcement, meaning applicants needed to consult the official notice for the specific types of eligible entities and any conditions or restrictions. For access issues or questions about the full announcement, the listed contact was Dennis OConnor at (202) 343-9213.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): EPA Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program

What is the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program?

The Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding opportunity that supports community-led efforts to understand and reduce health and environmental risks linked to toxic pollutants and other local environmental concerns.

What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?

The program is designed to help communities take a structured, collaborative approach to identifying local environmental risks (including toxic pollutants and other stressors) and carrying out practical actions that reduce those risks. It is also intended to test and demonstrate whether this multi-pathway, cross-agency model produces stronger results than traditional approaches that focus on one pollutant, one medium (air, water, or land), or one agency at a time.

What does it mean that CARE is a "community-based, community-driven demonstration initiative"?

It means the program is not aimed at funding isolated, one-off projects. Instead, it supports a community-driven process that is meant to be replicated and evaluated: building partnerships, developing a shared understanding of local risks, setting local priorities, and coordinating actions across issues and pathways to reduce risk.

What kinds of environmental issues does CARE focus on?

CARE focuses on health and environmental risks linked to toxic pollutants and other local environmental concerns. It is framed as a multi-pollutant and multi-pathway effort, encouraging communities to consider multiple sources and exposure pathways rather than looking at problems in isolation.

How is the CARE approach different from traditional environmental projects?

CARE emphasizes looking at the "full picture" of pollution and exposure in a community, including multiple sources and pathways (air, water, land). It also emphasizes coordinated, collaborative local action rather than fragmented efforts that address one pollutant or one environmental medium at a time.

Is partnership-building required or just recommended?

Partnership-building is a central feature of CARE. The program expects eligible applicants to work with EPA and local stakeholders to form collaborative, community-based partnerships that include organizations and groups that influence local conditions and can sustain long-term work.

What is the role of EPA during the project?

Awards were issued as cooperative agreements, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the project. Based on the opportunity description, this can include EPA technical assistance, coordination, or shared planning with the funded partnership.

What are communities expected to do with CARE funding?

Communities are expected to (1) develop a clearer understanding of their local risk landscape (where toxic pollutants and environmental stressors are coming from and how residents may be affected), (2) set priorities based on that shared understanding, and (3) select and implement risk-reduction projects through coordinated local action.

Does CARE focus only on planning, or also on taking action?

CARE is intended to support both understanding and action. The description emphasizes building a shared understanding of local risks and then selecting and implementing practical risk-reduction projects through coordinated local action.

What does "capacity building" mean in the context of CARE?

Capacity building refers to strengthening a community's ability to continue improving local environmental quality and public health over the long term. CARE aims to help communities develop self-sustaining partnerships that keep working after the grant period ends.

Is the program also meant to generate lessons for EPA or other communities?

Yes. CARE is framed as an evaluative, cross-agency, multimedia model. Proposals were expected not only to produce local benefits, but also to contribute to learning about how well the CARE process works as a model for community risk reduction and coordinated environmental management.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this CARE grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed was EPA-OAR-IO-09-02.

What type of funding mechanism was used for awards?

The opportunity was categorized as a discretionary grant program, and awards were issued as cooperative agreements.

How much total funding was available and how many awards were anticipated?

EPA listed an estimated total funding level of $3,000,000 and anticipated making about 18 awards.

Was cost-sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement was stated in the provided opportunity summary.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on December 17, 2008. The original and current closing date was March 16, 2009.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The provided information indicates a closing date of March 16, 2009 and an archive date of April 15, 2009.

What does the archive date indicate?

The archive date (April 15, 2009) indicates the opportunity was moved into an archived status after the closing period.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with clarification directed to Section III of the full announcement. Applicants would have needed to consult the official notice for the specific eligible entity types and any conditions or restrictions.

Where can applicants find the detailed eligibility rules and other official requirements?

The summary points to Section III of the full announcement for eligibility details and any conditions or restrictions.

Who was the listed contact for access issues or questions about the full announcement?

The listed contact was Dennis OConnor at (202) 343-9213.

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