Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2011 STAR G1
Apply for EPA G2011 STAR G1
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research and Demonstration of Innovative Drinking Water Treatment Technologies in Small Systems" 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 23, 2011 and posted on Jun 23, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 2011 Please see the announcement, including Section IV, for additional information on due dates and submission methods.. (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.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The EPA, through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, offered this grant opportunity to support research and real-world demonstration of new drinking water treatment technologies designed specifically for small public water systems. The main goal was to move beyond incremental improvements and identify solutions that are truly innovative, practical, and durable for small systems that often have limited staffing, budgets, and technical capacity. Projects were expected to generate the kind of applied research evidence needed to show that a technology works, can be operated reliably, and can be adopted in the field rather than remaining a lab-only concept.
A central theme of the opportunity was performance: EPA was looking for technologies that can treat or reduce multiple contaminants, or contaminant precursors, rather than narrowly addressing a single target. That includes approaches that help manage precursor compounds that later form regulated or harmful byproducts. The emphasis on “robust†and “sustainable†signals that proposed technologies should be resilient under variable source water conditions, realistic for long-term operation and maintenance, and mindful of costs, energy use, waste streams, and overall life-cycle impacts. EPA also made clear that it was open to entirely new technologies as well as creative, innovative modifications of existing methods, as long as the result is significantly better than what small systems typically use today.
The scope was broad in terms of where treatment can occur. Proposed innovations could be used to retrofit or augment existing treatment trains at a small utility, improve treatment practices already in place, reduce contaminants or their precursors in source waters before they reach the plant, or address water quality issues within the distribution system. The announcement explicitly included point-of-use (POU) devices as eligible areas of innovation, recognizing that for some small systems or specific contaminant problems, decentralized treatment at the tap can be a practical and protective strategy when centralized upgrades are difficult or slow to implement.
Another notable element was the encouragement to look for “game changing†ideas wherever they may come from. EPA highlighted that promising technologies might be identified from both national and international sources and stressed the value of including perspectives from groups that have not traditionally been centered in environmental research and implementation conversations. In particular, the announcement called attention to participation from Minority Academic Institutions (MAIs), signaling an interest in broadening who contributes to drinking water innovation and ensuring a wider range of communities and researchers are part of developing solutions for small systems.
From the funding and administrative details, this was a discretionary EPA grant/cooperative agreement opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA G2011 STAR G1) under CFDA 66.509 (STAR Research Program). EPA anticipated making about 6 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $3,000,000 and an award ceiling of $500,000 per project; there was no stated minimum award amount. Cost sharing was not required, which lowers the barrier for applicants that may not have significant matching funds available. The opportunity was posted June 23, 2011 and closed August 25, 2011 (archived September 24, 2011). Eligibility was described broadly in the listing but ultimately governed by the full announcement (notably Section III), and applicants were directed to consult the announcement for exact submission requirements and deadlines (Section IV).
For questions, EPA provided specific contacts covering eligibility, electronic submissions, and technical topics: James Gentry (eligibility), Ron Josephson (electronic submissions), and Angela Page (technical). Overall, the opportunity was designed to push forward practical, field-ready treatment innovations that small drinking water systems could realistically adopt to better protect public health across a range of contaminant challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this EPA funding opportunity about?
This opportunity was offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program to support research and real-world demonstration of new drinking water treatment technologies designed specifically for small public water systems.
What is the main goal of the program?
The main goal was to move beyond incremental improvements and identify treatment solutions that are truly innovative, practical, and durable for small systems that often have limited staffing, budgets, and technical capacity. Projects were expected to produce applied research evidence showing that a technology works, can be operated reliably, and can be adopted in the field (not remain only a lab concept).
What kinds of projects was EPA looking for?
EPA was looking for projects that combine applied research with real-world demonstration of drinking water treatment technologies for small public water systems, with a strong emphasis on performance, operational reliability, and adoption potential.
What does EPA mean by focusing on "performance"?
A central theme was performance in realistic conditions. EPA emphasized technologies that can treat or reduce multiple contaminants (or contaminant precursors) rather than addressing only one target contaminant.
Are projects limited to addressing a single contaminant?
No. The opportunity emphasized technologies that address multiple contaminants, or multiple contaminant precursors, and approaches that help manage precursor compounds that can later form regulated or harmful byproducts.
What are "contaminant precursors" in this context?
In this opportunity, contaminant precursors refer to compounds that may later form regulated or harmful byproducts. EPA highlighted the value of technologies that reduce these precursors to help prevent downstream formation of problematic byproducts.
What does "robust" and "sustainable" mean for proposed technologies?
EPA signaled that proposed technologies should be resilient under variable source water conditions, realistic for long-term operation and maintenance, and mindful of costs, energy use, waste streams, and overall life-cycle impacts.
Do proposed solutions need to be entirely new technologies?
No. EPA stated it was open to entirely new technologies as well as creative, innovative modifications of existing methods, as long as the result is significantly better than what small systems typically use.
Where can the treatment innovation be applied (plant, source water, distribution system, etc.)?
The scope was broad. Innovations could be used to retrofit or augment existing treatment trains at a small utility, improve treatment practices already in place, reduce contaminants or precursors in source waters before they reach the plant, or address water quality issues within the distribution system.
Are point-of-use (POU) devices eligible under this opportunity?
Yes. The announcement explicitly included point-of-use (POU) devices as eligible areas of innovation, recognizing that decentralized treatment at the tap can be a practical strategy for some small systems or contaminant problems when centralized upgrades are difficult or slow to implement.
What does EPA mean by "field-ready" or "adoptable" solutions?
Projects were expected to generate applied research evidence that a technology can work outside the lab, can be operated reliably over time, and can realistically be adopted by small public water systems with limited resources.
Did EPA encourage "game changing" ideas?
Yes. EPA encouraged applicants to look for game changing ideas wherever they may come from, and noted that promising technologies might be identified from both national and international sources.
Was there an emphasis on broadening participation in drinking water innovation?
Yes. The opportunity stressed the value of including perspectives from groups not traditionally centered in environmental research and implementation. The announcement specifically called attention to participation from Minority Academic Institutions (MAIs).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number was EPA G2011 STAR G1.
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity was listed under CFDA 66.509 (STAR Research Program).
What type of award was this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
It was described as a discretionary EPA grant/cooperative agreement opportunity.
How many awards did EPA anticipate making?
EPA anticipated making about 6 awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $3,000,000.
What was the maximum award amount per project?
The award ceiling was $500,000 per project.
Was there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount was stated.
Was cost sharing or matching funds required?
No. Cost sharing was not required, which helps reduce barriers for applicants that may not have matching funds available.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on June 23, 2011 and closed on August 25, 2011. It was archived on September 24, 2011.
Where can applicants find the definitive eligibility rules and submission requirements?
Eligibility was described broadly in the listing, but the controlling details were in the full announcement. Applicants were directed to consult the announcement, particularly Section III (eligibility) and Section IV (submission requirements and deadlines).
Who were the EPA contacts for questions?
EPA listed specific contacts by topic: James Gentry (eligibility), Ron Josephson (electronic submissions), and Angela Page (technical topics).
What kinds of system constraints did EPA have in mind for "small public water systems"?
The opportunity highlighted that small systems often have limited staffing, budgets, and technical capacity, and therefore need technologies that are practical to operate and maintain over the long term.
What kinds of impacts or tradeoffs were applicants expected to consider?
EPA emphasized long-term operational reality and sustainability, including costs, energy use, waste streams, and overall life-cycle impacts, alongside performance across variable water conditions.
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