Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 08 005
Apply for RFA ES 08 005
- The National Institutes of Health in the education environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health 93.143 NIEHS Superfund Hazardous SubstancesBasic Research and Education.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 3, 2008 and posted on Dec 3, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 15, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $11,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,800,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Section 311(a)(3) of SARA limits recipients of awards to accredited institutions of higher education, which are defined in the Higher Education Act, 20 USC (annotated) 3381. However, grantees are permitted under the law, and encouraged by NIEHS, to subcontract as appropriate with organizations, domestic or foreign, public or private (such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, faith based organizations, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government) as necessary to conduct portions of the research. Examples of other organizations may include generators of hazardous wastes persons involved in the detection, assessment, evaluation, and treatment of hazardous substances owners and operators of facilities at which hazardous substances are located State and local governments and community organizations.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42), administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) within the National Institutes of Health, is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to support large, coordinated research programs focused on hazardous substances and their impacts on human health and the environment. This program continues NIEHS's long-running Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) and is specifically intended to address research mandates established under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. At its core, the opportunity is meant to fund interdisciplinary, multi-project centers that can tackle complex contamination problems in a way that is broader and more integrated than a single-project grant.
The program’s purpose is built around four major research aims that align with the Superfund legislative mandates. First, it supports the development of new methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment, which can include improved monitoring tools, analytical techniques, and field-deployable detection systems. Second, it emphasizes advanced approaches for detecting, assessing, and evaluating how hazardous substances affect human health, meaning applicants are expected to strengthen the scientific basis for understanding exposure and biological response. Third, it seeks improved methods for assessing human health risks posed by hazardous substances, which can involve risk modeling, exposure assessment, and translating complex data into clearer estimates of health impact. Fourth, it encourages basic biological, chemical, and physical research that can reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances, which often includes remediation-oriented science and engineering approaches aimed at detoxification, degradation, containment, or other strategies that lower hazard and exposure.
A defining feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on a holistic research agenda that directly links environmental contamination with human health protection. NIEHS is looking for programs that integrate biomedical research with relevant non-biomedical disciplines such as engineering, hydrogeology, and ecology. Rather than treating these fields as separate tracks, the intent is for applicants to build a cohesive scientific theme that connects mechanistic health research with the real-world behavior of contaminants in soil, water, sediments, and ecosystems, and with practical approaches to detection and cleanup. In other words, the program is structured to push teams to connect what is happening in the environment, how people are exposed, what biological effects occur, and what interventions or technologies could reduce risk.
The funding mechanism is the NIH P42 multi-project grant, which is commonly used for complex center-style programs with multiple coordinated projects. A key eligibility requirement within the application structure is that each proposed program must include at least four research projects total, with a minimum of two biomedical projects and two non-biomedical projects. This requirement reinforces the program’s interdisciplinary intent and ensures that funded centers are not solely focused on either health effects or environmental/engineering topics in isolation. The expectation is that the different projects inform one another and collectively advance the program’s overarching theme related to hazardous substances and health protection.
In terms of funding scale, NIEHS planned to commit about 11.0 million dollars in fiscal year 2010 to support approximately four to five awards under this announcement. The listed award ceiling is 1.8 million dollars, indicating that projects are expected to be substantial in scope but still bounded by a defined maximum annual budget level (as presented in the source data). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which can make the program more accessible for eligible academic institutions that may not have discretionary funds to meet a match.
Eligibility is primarily aimed at accredited institutions of higher education, consistent with the restrictions in Section 311(a)(3) of SARA. The opportunity explicitly notes, however, that awardees are allowed and encouraged to subcontract or partner with a wide range of other organizations as needed to conduct parts of the research. This can include domestic or foreign entities and both public and private organizations, such as universities, hospitals, laboratories, faith-based organizations, state and local government units, and eligible federal agencies. The program also points to the practical value of involving stakeholders connected to hazardous waste and contaminated sites, naming examples such as hazardous waste generators, parties involved in detection and treatment, facility owners/operators where hazardous substances are located, state and local governments, and community organizations. That emphasis signals that, while the prime recipient must be an accredited higher education institution, strong collaborative components that connect research to on-the-ground needs are consistent with NIEHS’s intent.
Administrative details from the announcement include the Funding Opportunity Number RFA-ES-08-005 and the title Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42). The opportunity was posted on December 3, 2008, with an original and current closing date of April 15, 2009, and an archive date of May 16, 2009. The catalog listings include CFDA 93.113 (Environmental Health) and 93.143 (NIEHS Superfund Hazardous Substances Basic Research and Education). Overall, this FOA is best understood as a center-style grant designed for universities that can assemble strong cross-disciplinary teams and propose an integrated set of projects that move from contaminant detection and environmental behavior to exposure, health effects, risk assessment, and strategies to reduce hazard and protect public health.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42) - RFA-ES-08-005
What is this grant opportunity?
The Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42) is a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). It supports large, coordinated, interdisciplinary research programs focused on hazardous substances and their impacts on human health and the environment.
Which agency administers the program?
The program is administered by NIEHS, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-ES-08-005.
What is the official title of the opportunity?
The official title is Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42).
What type of grant mechanism is used?
The funding mechanism is the NIH P42 multi-project grant, commonly used for complex, center-style programs made up of multiple coordinated research projects.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The purpose is to fund interdisciplinary, multi-project centers that address complex hazardous substance contamination problems by linking environmental contamination science with human health research and practical approaches to reduce risk.
What legislative mandate does this program align with?
The program is intended to address research mandates established under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986.
How is this different from a single-project research grant?
This opportunity is designed for broad, integrated center-style programs with multiple projects that inform one another. It is intended to be more coordinated and comprehensive than a single-project grant, especially for problems where contamination behavior, exposure, health effects, and risk reduction strategies need to be studied together.
What are the main research aims supported by this program?
The announcement describes four major aims: (1) development of new methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; (2) advanced approaches to detect, assess, and evaluate effects of hazardous substances on human health; (3) improved methods for assessing human health risks posed by hazardous substances; and (4) basic biological, chemical, and physical research that can reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances (often including remediation-oriented approaches).
What does the program mean by a "holistic" or integrated research agenda?
It means the proposed program should directly connect environmental contamination with human health protection, integrating biomedical research with relevant non-biomedical disciplines (such as engineering, hydrogeology, and ecology) under a cohesive scientific theme.
What kinds of disciplines are expected to be integrated?
NIEHS is looking for integration between biomedical research and non-biomedical disciplines relevant to contamination and cleanup, including examples such as engineering, hydrogeology, and ecology.
How many research projects are required in an application?
Each proposed program must include at least four research projects total.
Are there minimum requirements for biomedical vs. non-biomedical projects?
Yes. The application must include a minimum of two biomedical projects and two non-biomedical projects.
Why is there a requirement for both biomedical and non-biomedical projects?
The requirement reinforces the program's interdisciplinary intent and is meant to ensure that funded centers connect health effects research with environmental behavior of contaminants and practical methods for detection and remediation, rather than focusing on only one side of the problem.
What kinds of environmental media or settings are implied in the program description?
The description explicitly references contaminants in soil, water, sediments, and ecosystems, and the intent to connect those environmental realities with exposure, biological effects, and interventions that reduce risk.
What types of research activities related to detection are supported?
The program supports development of new methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances, including improved monitoring tools, analytical techniques, and field-deployable detection systems.
What types of research activities related to human health effects are supported?
The program emphasizes advanced approaches for detecting, assessing, and evaluating how hazardous substances affect human health, strengthening the scientific basis for understanding exposure and biological response.
What types of research activities related to risk assessment are supported?
Supported work can include improved methods for assessing human health risks posed by hazardous substances, such as risk modeling, exposure assessment, and translating complex data into clearer estimates of health impact.
What types of research activities related to remediation or risk reduction are supported?
The program encourages basic biological, chemical, and physical research that can reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances. Examples described include remediation-oriented science and engineering approaches aimed at detoxification, degradation, containment, or other strategies that lower hazard and exposure.
Who is eligible to apply as the prime applicant?
Eligibility is primarily aimed at accredited institutions of higher education, consistent with the restrictions in Section 311(a)(3) of SARA.
Can the prime awardee collaborate with other organizations?
Yes. Awardees are allowed and encouraged to subcontract or partner with a wide range of other organizations as needed to conduct parts of the research.
What types of organizations can be involved as partners or subcontractors?
The announcement notes that partners/subcontractors can include domestic or foreign entities and both public and private organizations. Examples listed include universities, hospitals, laboratories, faith-based organizations, state and local government units, and eligible federal agencies.
Does the opportunity encourage engagement with stakeholders connected to hazardous waste sites?
Yes. The program description highlights the value of involving stakeholders connected to hazardous waste and contaminated sites, including hazardous waste generators, parties involved in detection and treatment, facility owners/operators where hazardous substances are located, state and local governments, and community organizations.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What was the planned total funding level and approximate number of awards?
NIEHS planned to commit about $11.0 million in fiscal year 2010 to support approximately four to five awards under this announcement.
What is the award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling is $1.8 million (as presented in the source information), indicating a defined maximum annual budget level.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on December 3, 2008.
What was the closing date for applications?
The original and current closing date listed is April 15, 2009.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date is May 16, 2009.
Which CFDA program listings are associated with this opportunity?
The catalog listings include CFDA 93.113 (Environmental Health) and 93.143 (NIEHS Superfund Hazardous Substances Basic Research and Education).
What kinds of institutions is this opportunity best suited for?
Based on the structure and eligibility described, it is best suited for universities (accredited institutions of higher education) that can assemble strong cross-disciplinary teams and propose an integrated set of coordinated projects spanning contaminant detection and environmental behavior, exposure and health effects, risk assessment, and strategies to reduce hazard and protect public health.
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