Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2019 STAR E1
The EPA grant opportunity titled "Contaminated Sites, Natural Disasters, Changing Environmental Conditions and Vulnerable Communities: Research to Build Resilience" is a call for transdisciplinary research under the agency's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. The core idea is to understand how disasters and longer-term environmental shifts can mobilize pollution from contaminated or engineered containment locations and, in turn, increase health risks for nearby communities, with special attention to people who are more likely to be harmed by those exposures, particularly older adults and very young children (under five). The EPA is looking for projects that do not treat these problems as purely environmental chemistry issues or purely public health issues, but instead connect the physical movement of contaminants, the pathways of exposure, and the social and biological factors that shape real-world impacts.
A central focus is the first research question: how specific natural disasters and changing environmental conditions may trigger or accelerate contaminant migration from places such as hazardous waste sites, landfills, solid waste or wastewater storage and treatment facilities, and industrial locations like mines or refineries. The opportunity highlights a wide range of disruptive events including wildfires, severe storms, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, along with slower but compounding pressures like sea level rise and increasing average temperatures or heat index. The research is meant to connect these stressors to mechanisms of contaminant release and transport, such as flooding that overtops containment systems, storm surge that drives saline water intrusion and corrodes infrastructure, wildfire heat that volatilizes chemicals or damages caps and liners, or heavy rainfall that increases leaching and runoff. Ultimately, EPA is asking applicants to show how these processes translate into elevated exposure risks in nearby communities, not just hypothetical releases.
The second research question asks investigators to go beyond the disaster-contaminant pairing and identify major contributing factors or effect modifiers that can worsen outcomes for vulnerable groups. In practice, this means studying the conditions that determine who gets exposed, how intensely, and for how long, and why some communities experience more severe consequences than others even when the same event occurs. These modifiers can include features of the built environment (housing quality, proximity to sites, drainage and stormwater infrastructure, road access for evacuation), community-level factors (poverty, limited healthcare access, language barriers, risk communication gaps, occupational exposures), and individual susceptibility factors (pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular disease, limited mobility in the elderly, developmental sensitivity in young children). The intent is to produce a clearer picture of compounded risk, where chemical hazards interact with disaster impacts and social vulnerability.
The third research question makes clear that EPA is not only interested in documenting problems, but also in generating results that help communities build resilience. Applicants are expected to translate scientific findings into practical value for impacted areas, which could include improved risk assessment methods, monitoring and early warning approaches, decision-support tools for local and tribal governments, guidance for site managers on climate- and disaster-informed containment strategies, or communication products that better support protective actions for caregivers, schools, elder care facilities, and emergency planners. "Resilience" here is essentially the ability to anticipate, withstand, respond to, and recover from contaminant releases or exposure spikes tied to disasters and changing environmental conditions, with a strong emphasis on protecting those at highest risk.
Administratively, this was issued as a discretionary funding opportunity by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Agency Name: Environmental Protection Agency) with Funding Opportunity Number "EPA G2019 STAR E1" and CFDA number 66.509. The funding instruments include both grants and cooperative agreements, indicating that some awards may involve closer collaboration or involvement by EPA compared to a standard grant. The award ceiling listed is $800,000, and EPA anticipated making about five awards. The opportunity was created July 29, 2019, with an original closing date of September 17, 2019, and applicants were directed to consult Section IV of the official announcement for detailed submission requirements. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the expectation that the formal eligibility rules are spelled out in the announcement's additional information field.
Taken together, the opportunity is aimed at research teams that can connect environmental processes (release and transport of chemicals from contaminated sites), disaster science and climate-related stressors (acute events and chronic shifts), exposure and health considerations (especially for the elderly and children under five), and community realities (infrastructure and social vulnerability). The strongest projects under this call would be expected to integrate these pieces into a coherent approach that not only explains how risks increase, but also produces actionable knowledge that communities and decision-makers can use to reduce harm before, during, and after disruptive events.Apply for EPA G2019 STAR E1
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Contaminated Sites, Natural Disasters, Changing Environmental Conditions and Vulnerable Communities: Research to Build Resilience" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.509.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 29, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 17, 2019 Please see Section IV of the announcement for additional submission information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $800,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the official title of this EPA grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Contaminated Sites, Natural Disasters, Changing Environmental Conditions and Vulnerable Communities: Research to Build Resilience."
What program is this funding opportunity part of?
It is offered under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program and is framed as a call for transdisciplinary research.
What problem is EPA asking researchers to address?
EPA is seeking research that explains how natural disasters and longer-term environmental changes can mobilize pollution from contaminated sites or engineered containment locations, increase exposures, and raise health risks for nearby communities, especially people more likely to be harmed by exposures.
What does EPA mean by "transdisciplinary" research in this call?
EPA is looking for projects that connect multiple pieces of the problem rather than treating it as only environmental chemistry or only public health. The intent is to link: (1) contaminant release and transport processes, (2) exposure pathways, and (3) the social and biological factors that shape real-world impacts.
What types of locations are considered potential sources of contaminant release?
The announcement highlights contaminated or engineered containment locations such as hazardous waste sites, landfills, solid waste or wastewater storage and treatment facilities, and industrial locations like mines or refineries.
Which disaster events does EPA specifically mention?
Examples listed include wildfires, severe storms, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
What longer-term environmental changes are within scope?
The opportunity also emphasizes slower, compounding pressures such as sea level rise and increasing average temperatures or heat index.
What kinds of mechanisms for contaminant release or migration are applicants expected to study?
EPA gives examples such as flooding that overtops containment systems, storm surge that causes saline water intrusion and corrodes infrastructure, wildfire heat that volatilizes chemicals or damages caps and liners, and heavy rainfall that increases leaching and runoff.
Is the goal simply to show that contaminants can be released during disasters?
No. EPA emphasizes connecting these stressors to elevated exposure risks in nearby communities, not just describing hypothetical releases. Projects should link physical release and transport to actual or likely exposure pathways and resulting risk.
What is Research Question 1 focused on?
Research Question 1 asks how specific natural disasters and changing environmental conditions may trigger or accelerate contaminant migration from contaminated sites or engineered containment locations, and how that translates into increased exposure risk for nearby communities.
What is Research Question 2 focused on?
Research Question 2 asks investigators to identify major contributing factors or effect modifiers that can worsen outcomes for vulnerable groups. In other words, it focuses on why exposure intensity, duration, and consequences may differ across people and communities even when the same event occurs.
What does the opportunity mean by "vulnerable communities" or "vulnerable groups"?
Based on the announcement description, particular attention is given to people more likely to be harmed by exposures, especially older adults and very young children (under five). The call also points to community conditions that increase vulnerability, such as poverty, limited healthcare access, and communication barriers.
Why are older adults and children under five emphasized?
The opportunity notes that these groups can be more susceptible to harm from exposures. It also highlights factors like limited mobility in the elderly and developmental sensitivity in young children as examples of individual susceptibility.
What kinds of "effect modifiers" or contributing factors does EPA want studied?
The opportunity lists examples across multiple levels, including built environment features (housing quality, proximity to sites, drainage and stormwater infrastructure, and road access for evacuation), community-level factors (poverty, limited healthcare access, language barriers, risk communication gaps, and occupational exposures), and individual susceptibility factors (pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular disease, limited mobility in the elderly, and developmental sensitivity in young children).
What is Research Question 3 focused on?
Research Question 3 focuses on resilience: generating results that help communities anticipate, withstand, respond to, and recover from contaminant releases or exposure spikes tied to disasters and changing environmental conditions, with emphasis on protecting those at highest risk.
What kinds of resilience-oriented outputs does EPA seem to be looking for?
Examples include improved risk assessment methods, monitoring and early warning approaches, decision-support tools for local and tribal governments, guidance for site managers on climate- and disaster-informed containment strategies, and communication products that support protective actions for caregivers, schools, elder care facilities, and emergency planners.
Does this opportunity prioritize practical value for communities and decision-makers?
Yes. The description makes clear that EPA is not only interested in documenting problems; applicants are expected to translate scientific findings into practical value that supports protective actions and resilience.
Who is the funding agency?
The funding agency is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is EPA G2019 STAR E1, and the CFDA number is 66.509.
What types of funding instruments are included?
The opportunity includes both grants and cooperative agreements, meaning some awards may involve closer collaboration or involvement by EPA compared to a standard grant.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $800,000.
How many awards did EPA anticipate making?
EPA anticipated making about five awards.
When was the opportunity created and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was created on July 29, 2019, and the original closing date was September 17, 2019.
Where are the detailed submission requirements found?
Applicants were directed to consult Section IV of the official announcement for detailed submission requirements.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the expectation that formal eligibility rules are detailed in the official announcement's additional information field.
What kinds of research teams are likely to be competitive for this call?
Based on the description, competitive teams would be able to integrate environmental processes (contaminant release and transport), disaster science and climate-related stressors (acute events and chronic shifts), exposure and health considerations (especially for older adults and children under five), and community realities (infrastructure and social vulnerability) into a coherent, actionable research approach.
Is this opportunity limited to studying chemical movement, or does it include exposure and health risk?
It explicitly includes exposure and health risk. EPA is asking applicants to connect contaminant movement to exposure pathways and to the social and biological factors that influence impacts, rather than focusing on chemistry alone.
What is the overall intended impact of the funded research?
The intended impact is to produce actionable knowledge that helps explain how risks increase before, during, and after disruptive events, and to support communities and decision-makers in reducing harm and building resilience, particularly for groups at highest risk.
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