Opportunity Information: Apply for 13 524
Apply for 13 524
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EPA/NSF Networks for Characterizing Chemical Life Cycle" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences 66.509 Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Research Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 5, 2014 and posted on Dec 19, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by This opportunity has been archived.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $12,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Non profit, non academic organizations Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities. Universities and Colleges Universities and two and four year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions. State and local governments and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments. PI Limit NCCLCs proposals should reflect the research interestsof two or more investigators in keeping with the scope of the research activities proposed. An investigator may participate (as a PI, Co PI or Senior Personnel) in only one proposal submitted to this competition. The investigator must be affiliated with an eligible organization.
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Opportunity Summary:
The EPA/NSF Networks for Characterizing Chemical Life Cycle (NCCLC) solicitation (NSF Publication 13-524) was a joint funding opportunity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry designed to build coordinated research networks that can better explain what happens to synthetic chemicals and materials over their entire life cycle. The central idea was to move beyond studying chemicals in isolation and instead create transdisciplinary teams that connect molecular-level chemistry with systems-level behavior, tracking how chemicals and materials are manufactured, used, transported, transformed, and ultimately disposed of, recycled, or released into the environment. For purposes of this program, "chemicals" was intentionally defined very broadly to include materials, compounds, mixtures, and nanomaterials.
A key goal of the NCCLC program was to produce practical scientific advances: methods, models, and tools that make it possible to characterize and predict environmental and human health implications across the full life cycle of chemicals and materials. That includes understanding how substances move through society and supply chains, how they interact with the built environment (products, infrastructure, waste systems), how they enter and behave in natural environments (air, water, soil, organisms), and how they may be chemically or physically altered along the way. The program emphasized that better life-cycle characterization should support smarter decisions about chemical manufacture and use, including anticipating downstream impacts rather than only measuring harm after exposure has occurred.
Unlike a single-investigator research grant, NCCLC projects were expected to operate as networks, meaning multi-investigator, collaborative efforts that combine different disciplines and perspectives. Proposals were required to involve two or more investigators, and the solicitation placed a strict participation rule on investigators: any one investigator could be listed as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel on only one proposal in this competition. The expectation was that networks would be intentionally assembled to cover complementary expertise rather than overlapping teams competing with similar rosters.
Education, workforce development, and broader impacts were not treated as add-ons, but as core components of what NCCLC networks were supposed to deliver. Each network was expected to include strong mentoring and training structures for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, along with deliberate broadening participation elements. The solicitation also encouraged additional educational activities such as informal science communication, outreach, and efforts aimed at K-12 students or the general public. In addition, the program highlighted translation of research into social or economic benefits, encouraging awardees to think early about how life-cycle tools and findings could be used outside academia, including proactive engagement with industry where appropriate. When relevant, intellectual property protection and technology transfer planning were explicitly encouraged.
The NCCLC program was also designed to coordinate with another related EPA/NSF effort: the Networks for Sustainable Molecular Design and Synthesis (NSMDS). Funded NCCLC teams were expected to communicate and coordinate with NSMDS-funded networks so that the two groups could pursue complementary research, with interaction supported through annual EPA All Investigators Meetings (progress reviews). In practice, this linkage was meant to connect upstream innovation in designing and synthesizing safer, more sustainable molecules with downstream understanding of how chemicals actually behave once deployed in products and environments.
From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. The program anticipated about four awards, with an estimated total funding level of $12,000,000 and an award ceiling of $5,000,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The program was posted on December 19, 2012, with full proposals due March 18, 2013. The opportunity has since been archived (archive date August 5, 2014), meaning it is no longer open for applications, but it provides a clear snapshot of EPA and NSF priorities around life-cycle science, predictive tools, and networked, cross-disciplinary research tied tightly to training and real-world translation.
Eligible applicants included accredited U.S. universities and colleges (including two- and four-year institutions and community colleges), certain non-profit non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with education or research, and U.S. state and local governments as well as federally recognized tribal governments. Investigators had to be affiliated with an eligible organization. The solicitation was administered through NSF, with CFDA listings tied to NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences (47.049) and EPA STAR Research Program (66.509), reflecting the joint sponsorship and the blend of chemistry-focused basic research with environmental outcomes and applications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): EPA/NSF Networks for Characterizing Chemical Life Cycle (NCCLC) (NSF 13-524)
What is the NCCLC solicitation (NSF Publication 13-524)?
The EPA/NSF Networks for Characterizing Chemical Life Cycle (NCCLC) solicitation (NSF Publication 13-524) was a joint funding opportunity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry. It was designed to build coordinated research networks that can explain what happens to synthetic chemicals and materials across their entire life cycle.
What was the main purpose of NCCLC-funded projects?
The program aimed to move beyond studying chemicals in isolation by creating transdisciplinary, collaborative networks that connect molecular-level chemistry with systems-level behavior. Networks were expected to track how chemicals and materials are manufactured, used, transported, transformed, and ultimately disposed of, recycled, or released into the environment.
How did the solicitation define "chemicals"?
For this program, "chemicals" was defined very broadly to include materials, compounds, mixtures, and nanomaterials.
What kinds of outcomes was NCCLC trying to produce?
NCCLC emphasized practical scientific advances such as methods, models, and tools that make it possible to characterize and predict environmental and human health implications across the full life cycle of chemicals and materials.
What life-cycle stages and settings were networks expected to consider?
The solicitation emphasized understanding chemicals and materials as they move through society and supply chains; interact with the built environment (products, infrastructure, and waste systems); enter natural environments (air, water, soil, and organisms); and undergo chemical or physical changes along the way.
Why did the program emphasize prediction and decision support?
The program highlighted that better life-cycle characterization should support smarter decisions about chemical manufacture and use by anticipating downstream impacts rather than only measuring harm after exposure has occurred.
Were NCCLC projects intended to be single-investigator grants?
No. NCCLC projects were expected to operate as networks, meaning multi-investigator, collaborative efforts combining different disciplines and perspectives.
How many investigators were required on a proposal?
Proposals were required to involve two or more investigators.
Was there a limit on how many proposals an investigator could join?
Yes. The solicitation imposed a strict participation rule: any one investigator could be listed as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel on only one proposal in this competition.
What was the intent behind the investigator participation limit?
The expectation was that networks would be intentionally assembled to cover complementary expertise, rather than having overlapping teams competing with similar rosters.
How were education and workforce development treated in this program?
Education, workforce development, and broader impacts were core expectations of NCCLC networks, not optional add-ons. Networks were expected to include strong mentoring and training structures for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers.
Did the solicitation address broadening participation?
Yes. The program called for deliberate broadening participation elements as part of the network structure and activities.
Were outreach and informal education activities encouraged?
Yes. The solicitation encouraged additional educational activities such as informal science communication, outreach, and efforts aimed at K-12 students or the general public.
Did the program encourage real-world translation of research?
Yes. NCCLC highlighted translation of research into social or economic benefits and encouraged awardees to consider early how life-cycle tools and findings could be used outside academia, including proactive engagement with industry where appropriate.
Was intellectual property (IP) or technology transfer mentioned?
Yes. When relevant, intellectual property protection and technology transfer planning were explicitly encouraged.
How did NCCLC relate to the NSMDS program?
NCCLC was designed to coordinate with a related EPA/NSF effort called Networks for Sustainable Molecular Design and Synthesis (NSMDS). Funded NCCLC teams were expected to communicate and coordinate with NSMDS-funded networks to pursue complementary research directions.
How was coordination between NCCLC and NSMDS supported?
Interaction was supported through annual EPA All Investigators Meetings, which served as progress reviews and a venue for coordination.
What was the administrative category of this funding opportunity?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.
How many awards were anticipated, and what was the total estimated funding?
The program anticipated about four awards, with an estimated total funding level of $12,000,000.
What was the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling was $5,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when were full proposals due?
The opportunity was posted on December 19, 2012, and full proposals were due on March 18, 2013.
Is this grant opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity has been archived (archive date August 5, 2014), meaning it is no longer open for applications.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included accredited U.S. universities and colleges (including two- and four-year institutions and community colleges); certain non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with education or research; and U.S. state and local governments as well as federally recognized tribal governments.
Did investigators need a specific type of affiliation?
Yes. Investigators had to be affiliated with an eligible organization.
Which agency administered the solicitation?
The solicitation was administered through NSF, reflecting the joint sponsorship by NSF and EPA.
Which CFDA listings were associated with the program?
The solicitation referenced CFDA listings tied to NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences (47.049) and the EPA STAR Research Program (66.509).
What did the joint NSF/EPA structure signal about the program focus?
The CFDA alignment reflected a blend of chemistry-focused research and environmental outcomes and applications, consistent with NCCLCs emphasis on life-cycle science and predictive tools.
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