Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2009 STAR E1
Apply for EPA G2009 STAR E1
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Understanding the Role of Nonchemical Stressors and Developing Analytic Methods for Cumulative Risk Assessments" 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 Feb 18, 2009 and posted on Feb 18, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 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 $8,000,000.00 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 9 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education County governments State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education City or township governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- See Section III of the announcement for additional eligibility information.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released this Science to Achieve Results (STAR) funding opportunity to strengthen the science behind cumulative risk assessment, especially in situations where people are exposed to multiple environmental stressors at the same time. The central idea is that health risks are rarely driven by a single chemical exposure in isolation. Instead, real-world conditions often involve mixtures of chemical pollutants plus nonchemical stressors, such as psychosocial stress, socioeconomic disadvantage, neighborhood conditions, limited access to health care, noise, heat, violence, or other community-level pressures that can change how exposures occur and how the body responds. EPA is looking for interdisciplinary research teams because the work requires combining methods and perspectives from environmental health, toxicology, exposure science, epidemiology, statistics, social science, and risk assessment.
This request for applications is framed around two major research needs that EPA identifies as limiting progress in cumulative risk assessment. The first focus area (labeled STAR E1) centers on developing statistical and other analytic techniques capable of working with "disparate types of data." In practice, cumulative risk questions often involve datasets that do not fit neatly together: chemical monitoring results, biomonitoring data, geospatial indicators, health outcomes, survey-based stress measures, administrative data, and community metrics that may be collected at different times, different scales, and with different levels of uncertainty or missingness. EPA is therefore soliciting research that produces practical methods to integrate and analyze these kinds of mixed inputs. This can include new approaches for combining chemical and nonchemical indicators into cumulative exposure or vulnerability profiles, methods for handling measurement error and uncertainty across data sources, and frameworks that allow multi-route exposures (inhalation, ingestion, dermal) to be evaluated together rather than separately. The intent is to move beyond single-stressor modeling so that analysts and decision-makers can evaluate cumulative impacts with tools that are statistically defensible and transparent.
The second focus area (STAR E2) targets the science of combined effects, specifically the evaluation of how nonchemical and chemical stressors interact to influence health risk. This is not limited to simple additivity; it includes the possibility that nonchemical stressors can amplify or dampen the toxicity of chemicals, alter exposure patterns, or change susceptibility through biological pathways like inflammation, immune function, endocrine responses, or chronic stress physiology. Research responsive to this area would typically test or characterize how combined exposures operate in realistic scenarios, potentially through epidemiologic studies, controlled experiments, mechanistic research, or modeling work that links stress-related factors to dose-response or toxicity processes. A key theme is differential impact across communities: EPA highlights that certain factors can "differentially affect exposure or toxicity," which aligns with environmental justice concerns where structural and social conditions may lead to higher exposures, greater vulnerability, or both.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal assistance opportunity under CFDA 66.509, the STAR Research Program. EPA anticipated making about nine awards with an estimated total funding amount of $8,000,000. The award ceiling is listed as $750,000 per award. The opportunity allows for either a cooperative agreement or a grant as the funding instrument, meaning some projects could involve substantial EPA involvement typical of cooperative agreements, depending on the final award structure and project needs. Cost sharing or matching is not required, which can lower barriers to participation for institutions that might not have discretionary funds to contribute.
Eligibility is broad and includes private and public institutions of higher education, state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, with "others" potentially eligible as described in the full announcement's eligibility section. The opportunity was posted on February 18, 2009, with an application deadline of June 17, 2009, and an archive date of July 17, 2009. For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement, EPA provided a technical contact: Deborah Segal at (202) 343-9797.
Overall, the grant is aimed at producing both usable analytic methods and stronger evidence about how chemical and nonchemical stressors jointly shape health risk, so cumulative risk assessments can better reflect real exposure situations, address multiple routes and stressor types, and more accurately evaluate risks experienced by different communities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this EPA STAR funding opportunity about?
This EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) opportunity supports research to strengthen the science behind cumulative risk assessment, especially situations where people face multiple environmental stressors at the same time. The premise is that health risks in real life are rarely caused by a single chemical exposure in isolation and often involve mixtures of chemical pollutants plus nonchemical stressors.
What does EPA mean by "cumulative risk assessment" in this announcement?
In this context, cumulative risk assessment refers to approaches that evaluate health risks when exposures come from multiple stressors together. This includes combinations of chemical pollutants and nonchemical stressors (for example, psychosocial stress or neighborhood conditions) and considers that these stressors may affect exposure patterns and how the body responds.
What types of stressors are considered "nonchemical" in the description?
The opportunity description lists several nonchemical stressors and community-level pressures, including psychosocial stress, socioeconomic disadvantage, neighborhood conditions, limited access to health care, noise, heat, violence, and other community-level pressures that can influence exposure and susceptibility.
Why is EPA emphasizing multiple stressors rather than single chemicals?
EPA emphasizes that real-world health risks often involve mixtures and combined pressures. The announcement highlights that nonchemical stressors can change how exposures occur and can influence biological responses, so cumulative tools need to move beyond single-stressor modeling.
What are the two main research focus areas in the announcement?
The opportunity is framed around two major research needs: (1) STAR E1, which focuses on developing statistical and analytic techniques to integrate and analyze disparate types of data used in cumulative risk work; and (2) STAR E2, which focuses on understanding combined effects, specifically how chemical and nonchemical stressors interact to influence health risk.
What is STAR E1 focused on?
STAR E1 is centered on developing statistical and other analytic techniques capable of working with "disparate types of data." EPA is seeking practical methods to integrate and analyze mixed inputs used in cumulative risk questions, where datasets may differ in timing, scale, uncertainty, and missing data.
What kinds of datasets does EPA expect cumulative risk researchers to integrate under STAR E1?
The description mentions chemical monitoring results, biomonitoring data, geospatial indicators, health outcomes, survey-based stress measures, administrative data, and community metrics. These may be collected at different times, different geographic scales, and with different levels of uncertainty or missingness.
What types of methods or outputs would be responsive to STAR E1?
Examples described include methods for combining chemical and nonchemical indicators into cumulative exposure or vulnerability profiles, methods for handling measurement error and uncertainty across data sources, and frameworks that allow multi-route exposures to be evaluated together rather than separately.
Does STAR E1 include work on multi-route exposure assessment?
Yes. The announcement explicitly notes interest in frameworks that allow multi-route exposures (inhalation, ingestion, and dermal) to be evaluated together rather than separately.
What is STAR E2 focused on?
STAR E2 targets the science of combined effects, focusing on evaluating how nonchemical and chemical stressors interact to influence health risk. The opportunity notes these interactions may go beyond simple additivity.
What does EPA mean by interactions that are "not limited to simple additivity" under STAR E2?
The description indicates that nonchemical stressors may amplify or dampen chemical toxicity, alter exposure patterns, or change susceptibility through biological pathways. The intent is to support research that examines combined exposures in realistic scenarios rather than assuming effects simply add up.
What biological pathways are referenced in the combined effects description?
The opportunity mentions biological pathways such as inflammation, immune function, endocrine responses, and chronic stress physiology as examples of mechanisms through which nonchemical stressors could affect susceptibility or toxicity processes.
What study approaches does EPA indicate could be relevant to STAR E2?
The announcement notes that responsive research could test or characterize combined exposures through epidemiologic studies, controlled experiments, mechanistic research, or modeling work linking stress-related factors to dose-response or toxicity processes.
How does this opportunity relate to environmental justice concerns?
The description emphasizes differential impacts across communities and notes that certain factors can "differentially affect exposure or toxicity." This aligns with environmental justice themes where structural and social conditions may contribute to higher exposures, greater vulnerability, or both.
Why is EPA asking for interdisciplinary research teams?
EPA states that cumulative risk assessment research requires combining methods and perspectives across multiple fields. The announcement specifically references environmental health, toxicology, exposure science, epidemiology, statistics, social science, and risk assessment.
What is the CFDA number and program name for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 66.509, the STAR Research Program.
How much funding is EPA expecting to award in total?
EPA anticipated about nine awards with an estimated total funding amount of $8,000,000.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $750,000 per award.
How many awards is EPA expecting to make?
EPA anticipated making about nine awards.
What funding instruments may be used for awards?
The opportunity allows either a cooperative agreement or a grant. The description notes that cooperative agreements may involve substantial EPA involvement, depending on the final award structure and project needs.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
Who is eligible to apply based on the description provided?
Eligibility is described as broad and includes private and public institutions of higher education, state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The description also notes that "others" may be eligible as described in the full announcement's eligibility section.
When was the opportunity posted and what were the key dates?
The opportunity was posted on February 18, 2009. The application deadline was June 17, 2009, and the archive date was July 17, 2009.
Who is the technical contact for help accessing the full announcement?
EPA provided a technical contact: Deborah Segal at (202) 343-9797.
What kinds of practical outcomes is EPA aiming for from this grant?
Based on the description, EPA is aiming for usable analytic methods to support cumulative risk assessments (particularly methods that integrate mixed data types and evaluate multiple routes and stressor types) and stronger evidence about how chemical and nonchemical stressors jointly shape health risk in real exposure situations.
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