Manufactured Nanomaterials

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Funding Opportunities

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program

U.K. Environmental Nanoscience Initiative:
UK Natural Environment Research Council
UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Environment Agency of England and Wales

CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY

Joint US – UK Research Program: Environmental Behavior, Bioavailability and Effects of Manufactured Nanomaterials

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2008-STAR-R1

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.509

Solicitation Opening Date: March 31, 2009
Solicitation Closing Date: August 5, 2009, 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time

US EPA Contacts:

Eligibility Contact: William Stelz (stelz.william@epa.gov); phone: +1 202-343-9802
Submissions Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: +1 202-343-9643
Technical Contact: Nora Savage (savage.nora@epa.gov); phone: +1 202-343-9858

UK NERC Contacts:

Eligibility Contact: Jim Aland (jeal@nerc.ac.uk); phone: +44 (0) 1793 411629
Technical Contact: Dominique Balharry (nano@nerc.ac.uk); phone: +44 (0) 1793 413301
General ENI Program inquiries: Richard Owen (owenr@westminster.ac.uk)

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SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, in conjunction with the UK Environmental Nanoscience Initiative (UKENI) [a collaborative initiative funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC); the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC); the UK Government Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); and the Environment Agency of England and Wales)], is seeking joint applications from US and UK partners that:

1.propose integrated model(s) of fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects for several important and representative nanomaterial classes over key environmental pathways using intrinsic material properties and life cycle analysis as a starting point for model development;
2.validate and refine these model(s) through interdisciplinary research, addressing key assumptions and areas of uncertainty; and
3.develop effective methods and tools to detect, assess, and monitor the presence of nanomaterials in biological and environmental samples.

The outputs of this program will be used to further scientific understanding of the fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects of nanomaterials and risk management policy development.

Award Information:
Two consortia, made up of UK and US research institutions, will be selected for funding [for the purpose of this Announcement of Opportunity (AO)/Request for Applications (RFA), consortia are defined in section II. AWARD INFORMATION of this announcement.]

Anticipated Total Amount of Funding approximately $4 million for US applicants and £3 million for UK applicants

Potential Funding per Consortium: Up to a total of $2 million for US applicants and £1.5 million for UK applicants, including direct and indirect costs.

Anticipated Type of Award: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: Two awards, for each selected Consortium. The US EPA will make one award for each selected Consortium, for a total of two awards to eligible US institutions. The UK Consortium members will be funded through NERC on behalf of the UKENI partnership. NERC will make one or more award(s) for each selected Consortium. Awardees will be funded through their national funding agencies according to national funding guidelines.

Potential Funding per Award: Within each Consortium, the US and UK investigators will be awarded similar levels of funding, up to a maximum of $2 million and £1.5 million, including direct and indirect costs, for US and UK applicants, respectively with a maximum duration of 4 years. Cost-sharing is not required. Proposals with budgets exceeding the total award limits will not be considered.

UK awards will be funded at "full economic costs" (FEC) levels.

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Eligibility Information:
This is a joint UK-US initiative in which a maximum of two consortia, each made up of partners from both the UK and US, will be funded.

US eligibility: Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. See full announcement for more details.

UK eligibility: Institutions eligible for NERC thematic program funding. More information on eligibility criteria is available in the NERC Research Grants Handbook for Full Economic Cost Grants (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/researchgrants/handbook.asp ).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss the composition of planned consortia with the relevant US or UK contacts (see below) to ensure eligibility prior to submission.

Application Materials:
The US applicants must submit the full joint Consortium application, on behalf of both US and UK Consortium members. For US applicants, all necessary forms and instructions can be found on the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) web site, (http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/forms). UK applicants should submit relevant application documents through their US partners (see below and section IV). Required application forms for UK applicants can be found at the NERC ENI website
(http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/nanoscience ).

Agency Contacts:

US EPA Contacts:

Eligibility Contact: William Stelz (stelz.william@epa.gov); phone: +1 202-343-9802
Submissions Contact: Ron Josephson (josephson.ron@epa.gov); phone: +1 202-343-9643
Technical Contact: Nora Savage (savage.nora@epa.gov); phone: +1 202-343-9858

UK NERC Contacts:

Eligibility Contact: Jim Aland (jeal@nerc.ac.uk); phone: +44 (0) 1793 411629
Technical Contact: Dominique Balharry (nano@nerc.ac.uk); phone: +44 (0) 1793 413301
General ENI Program inquiries: Richard Owen (owenr@westminster.ac.uk)

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I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction
A high-priority research area identified by the US EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the UK Government Nanotechnology Research Co-ordination Group (NRCG) is to better understand the environmental risks posed by manufactured nanomaterials. The US EPA, through the ORD’s National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) (http://www.epa.gov/ncer), currently supports a number of research grants that address the environmental fate, behavior and effects of manufactured nanomaterials.

Similarly, the UK supports grants in this area within its Environmental Nanoscience Initiative (ENI), (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/nanoscience ).

Understanding the risks posed by manufactured nanomaterials is a global challenge that is best met through international collaboration, drawing on the combined expertise of researchers in many disciplines, from material scientists and environmental chemists to ecotoxicologists and risk assessors. Through nanotechnology extramural research programs, the US EPA ORD and UKENI have developed strong research communities in the US and UK, respectively. Currently there is a need to bring these communities together to develop integrated and predictive models of fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects for representative classes of nanomaterials of current relevance, and to validate them through interdisciplinary research that addresses key areas of uncertainty. The outcomes of such validated models should provide fundamental understanding that underpins more confident statements regarding exposure, bioavailability, and effects and effective tools for supporting management of risk posed by nanomaterials. This AO/RFA invites joint applications from UK and US scientists to meet this goal by working together within a balanced and interdisciplinary consortium that maximizes the complementary strengths in both the US and UK.

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B. Background
Nanotechnology is rapidly becoming a major enabling industry, with a projected market value of many billions of US dollars in the next decade. Nanotechnology has significant economic potential, as well as health and environmental benefits, including health care, renewable energy and environmental solutions (e.g., remediation and water purification). The technology is based on the observation that materials manufactured at the nanoscale (a billionth of a meter) have physico -chemical properties that can differ widely from those of homologous material manufactured in ‘bulk.’ Nanoparticles, one important category of nanomaterials, are not new, occurring widely from volcanic dust to atmospheric pollution. What is new is the manufacture of specifically engineered nanoparticles with novel or enhanced properties, prompting concerns that these materials may confer disruptive novel properties leading to enhanced risks to the environment and human health. Until relatively recently, there was little information concerning the environmental sources, fate, behavior and effects of manufactured nanoparticles. Few environmental scientists were working in this area, with the notable exception of those working on incidental ultrafine particles (e.g. in atmospheric pollution and vehicle emissions). In response to this lack of information, both the US and UK have commissioned research programs through the US EPA’s ORD/NCER (http://www.epa.gov/ncer/nano/) and the UKENI (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/nanoscience).

The purpose of this international collaborative research program is to strengthen the support for research on the potential implications of nanotechnology and engineered nanomaterials on human health and the environment. The US EPA and the UKENI are particularly interested in supporting research related to: (1) environmental transport and transformation of manufactured nanomaterials; (2) exposure pathways; (3) quantitative assessment of nanomaterials in biological and environmental samples; and (4) environmental and health effects of released nanomaterials.

A better understanding of the fate, transport, transformation, bioavailability and exposure of manufactured nanomaterials and whether nanomaterials pose risks to human health and the environment is required. The scientific community must acquire additional information about the environmental impacts of nanomaterials used for anthropogenic products, and whether the exposure pathway to nanomaterials is unique and different from homologous bulk materials. Related to this, there is a critical need for effective tools to assess and predict the potential impact on human health and the environment. Environmental and other safety concerns about nanotechnology have been raised and a variety of research priorities identified (http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/researchstrategies.htm).

Through its STAR research grants program, US EPA has issued a number of research solicitations and awarded approximately $36M for research on both environmental applications and implications of nanotechnology. Information regarding the US EPA’s research interests can be found in the Nanotechnology White Paper (http://www.epa.gov/osa/nanotech.htm) and the Nanomaterial Research Strategy (http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/researchstrategies.htm). In addition, information on current Agency extramural nanotechnology research can be found on the NCER web site (www.epa.gov/ncer/nano).

In 2006, NERC, DEFRA and UKEA established the UKENI to: a) develop capacity, knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary working in the research community in the area of environmental nanosciences, and b) synthesize the research outputs into sound information for policy making. To date, the UKENI has undertaken two research calls and made 17 awards in the areas of environmental fate, behavior, interaction and effects of manufactured nanoparticles, complementing further work on the human health impacts of nanoparticles made through the UK joint Environment and Human Health program, administered by NERC (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/programmes/humanhealth/ ).

These research programs in the US and UK, as well as other significant international research programs and initiatives (e.g. the European Commissions Framework Program and work within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials) have been important in facilitating the development of communities of scientists working in specific areas of environmental fate, behavior and effects of manufactured nanoparticles. The UKENI and US EPA intend to work collaboratively, to maximize the complementary strengths of the scientific communities that have been developed and to bring these communities together to develop and validate predictive models of fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects for representative nanomaterials of current relevance. By maximizing complementary and interdisciplinary strengths, the outputs of such a collaborative endeavor should be the development of a comprehensive understanding and predictive tools for exposure, bioavailability and effects for key classes of nanomaterials to support more confident statements concerning the effects and appropriate response to mitigate potential risk.

The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from the US EPA’s Strategic Plan that relate to this solicitation are:

Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems, Objective 4.4: Enhance Science and Research.

The US EPA’s Strategic Plan can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf (PDF)

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C. Authority and Regulations
US EPA’s authorities for this AO/RFA and resulting awards are contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; the Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609; the Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; the Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C. 1254; and the Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6981.

For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(F).

Applicable US regulations include: 40 CFR Part 30 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations), 40 CFR Part 31 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments) and 40 CFR Part 40 (Research and Demonstration Grants). Applicable OMB Circulars include: OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions) relocated to 2 CFR Part 220, OMB Circular A-87 (Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments) relocated to 2 CFR Part 225, OMB Circular A-102 (Grants and Cooperative Agreements With State and Local Governments), OMB Circular A-110 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Non-Profit Organizations) relocated to 2 CFR Part 215, and OMB Circular A-122, (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations) relocated to 2 CFR Part 230.

D. Specific Research Areas of Interest/Expected Outputs and Outcomes
Note to applicant: The term “output” means an environmental activity or effort, and associated work products, related to a specific environmental goal(s), (e.g., testing a new methodology), that will be produced or developed over a period of time under the agreement. The term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from the above activity(ies) that is related to an environmental, behavioral, or health-related objective.

The US EPA and the UKENI are soliciting research from an interdisciplinary Consortium consisting of UK and US partners to meet the following objectives:

1.propose predictive, integrated hypothetical model(s) or tools of fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects for several important and representative nanomaterial classes over key environmental pathways using intrinsic material properties and life cycle analysis as starting points for model development;
2.validate and refine these hypothetical model(s) through interdisciplinary research, addressing key assumptions and areas of uncertainty;
3.use these outputs (validated and integrated models) to support confident and more certain statements of environmental exposure, bioavailability, effects and risk that underpin appropriate management responses in an evidential way (the outcomes); and
4.develop effective tools and methods to detect, assess, and monitor the presence of nanomaterials in biological and environmental samples.

The objectives listed above must be achieved through five distinct work components described below. All five components must be addressed in an integrated way and delivered through an interdisciplinary Consortium that is balanced between US and UK research partners:

1.Proposal of hypothetical (i.e.,. conceptual) model(s) of environmental fate, behavior, interaction, bioavailability and effects for one or more classes of nanomaterials of current relevance including carbon nanotubes, silver and cerium nanoparticles and fullerene – type carbon nanomaterials. The approach should use intrinsic physico-chemical properties (e.g. composition, surface chemistry) as a starting point, and be combined with life cycle analysis to propose important potential environmental pathways of exposure and bioavailability. An example from the field of metals ecochemistry is the Biotic Ligand Model used to predict chemical speciation and bioavailability of metals in aquatic systems. Critical assumptions and uncertainties in the proposed model(s) must be identified, forming the basis of the subsequent validation phase.
2.Synthesis/acquisition and detailed characterization of candidate nanomaterials.
3.Model validation through fundamental research of environmental fate and behavior, interaction with biological systems and effects on the ecosystem and human health. A key area of understanding that validated models should address is bioavailability in complex environmental systems. Where appropriate, data should be compared with those for the same substances in ‘bulk’ or dissolved phase to identify and characterize the putative ‘nano’ effect. In the UK, it is expected that the NERC Facility for Environmental Nanoparticle Characterization and Analysis (FENAC) will be accessed for routine characterization measurements to support work components 2 -4.
4.Model refinement for effective exposure, impact and risk assessment.
5.Development of novel tools/methods for detection, monitoring and quantitative assessment of exposure and bioavailability for high priority nanomaterials, supporting work component 3 above.

Note: For UK applicants, EPSRC has made £0.5M (i.e.,. £0.25M per Consortium) specifically available for work component 5. This work component is for the development of novel tools and methods where these do not currently exist, i.e.,. NOT systems that are already available at the NERC-FENAC or similar facilities which can be accessed for more routine characterization requirements.

The five work components should be delivered by a balanced US - UK Consortium (i.e.,. approximately equal research effort from US and UK partners). Equal division of tasks within the various work components between US and UK partners is encouraged.

The outputs of this research will include the first generation of validated, predictive models of environmental fate, behavior, bioavailability and effects for important classes of manufactured nanomaterials of current relevance through key environmental pathways (i.e.,. source – pathway – receptor) and effective tools for assessing exposure to nanomaterials.

The outcomes of this research will be a more confident understanding of environmental exposure, bioavailability, effects and risk to underpin appropriate management responses. Further outcomes of this program will be the fostering of collaborative interdisciplinary working relationships between US and UK scientists and funding agencies. It is anticipated that applications will demonstrate not only how the research will advance scientific understanding, but also describe the approach that will be used to evaluate the success of the project and identify the specific benefits to the public that are likely to be realized from successful completion of the project.

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E. Special Requirements
In response to this AO/RFA, groups of two or more eligible US and UK organizations must form a Consortium and submit a single joint application.

Each joint application must identify an overall Project Lead (PL), a US Principal Investigator (USPI) and a UK Principal Investigator (UKPI), and Co-Investigators (CoIs) as appropriate.

Agency policy prevents US EPA technical staff and managers from providing individual applicants with information that may create an unfair competitive advantage. Consequently, US EPA employees will not review, comment, advise, and/or provide technical assistance to applicants preparing applications in response to this AO/RFA, nor will they endorse an application or discuss in any manner how the Agency will apply the published evaluation criteria for this competition.

The application must include a plan (see “Data Management Plan” in section IV.B.6.c.) to make available to the public all data generated from observations, analyses, or model development (primary data) and any secondary (or existing) data used under an agreement awarded from this AO/RFA. The data must be available in a format and with documentation such that they may be used by others in the scientific community.

Because the manufacturing of nanomaterials is not currently widespread and nomenclature is not standard, researchers must indicate in their proposals which nanomaterials they will use and where they will obtain them, including any needed collaboration with a materials manufacturing corporation or research lab that is synthesizing a commercially viable material. Thus, in the proposal, information on the source, potential use, composition, and present or future availability of the material being studied must be included.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

It is anticipated that a total of approximately $4 million for US applicants and £3 million for UK applicants will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds and quality of applications received. Awardees will be funded through their national funding agencies. For each selected Consortium, the US team members will be funded by the US EPA, according to US EPA guidelines; the UK team members will be funded through NERC, on behalf of the UKENI partnership.

The US and UK funding partners anticipate funding two consortia under this AO/RFA. Each consortium may request up to a total of $2 million and £1.5 million, including direct and indirect costs. Within each consortium, the US and UK scientists will be awarded similar levels of funding, up to a maximum of $2 million for US applicants and up to £1.5 million for UK applicants, respectively. Cost-sharing is not required. Applications with budgets exceeding the total award limits, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered.

The total project period requested in an application submitted for this AO/RFA may not exceed 4years.

The US EPA and UKENI reserve the right to reject all applications and make no awards, or make fewer awards than anticipated, under this AO/RFA. The US and UK funding partners reserve the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agencies’ policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

In appropriate circumstances, the US EPA and NERC reserve the right to partially fund proposals/applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If the US EPA or NERC decide to partially fund a proposal/application (based on recommendations by reviewers and/or the moderating panel), they will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal/application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

The US and UK partners funding this action intend to award only grants under this announcement.

Under a grant, US EPA scientists and engineers are not permitted to be substantially involved in the execution of the research. However, US EPA encourages interaction between its own laboratory scientists and the PI after the award of an US EPA grant for the sole purpose of exchanging information in research areas of common interest that may add value to their respective research activities. This interaction must be incidental to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments.

UK partners should use the combined total of the directly incurred and directly allocated costs.

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III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants
US Eligibility:

Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. Profit-making firms are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the US EPA under this program.

Eligible nonprofit organizations include any organizations that meet the definition of nonprofit in OMB Circular A-122, located at 2 CFR Part 230. However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible to apply.

National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. The institution, organization, or governance receiving the award may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the US EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. However, salaries for permanent FFRDC employees may not be provided through this mechanism.

Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement, and may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations in other ways through awards made under this program.

The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector. Examples are purchase of satellite data, census data tapes, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.

Potential US applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact William Stelz (stelz.william@epa.gov); phone: +1 (202) 343-9802.

UK Eligibility:

Institutions eligible for NERC thematic program funding are eligible to apply. More information on eligibility criteria is available in the NERC Research Grants Handbook for Full Economic Cost Grants (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/researchgrants/handbook.asp ).

Potential UK applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact Jim Aland (jeal@nerc.ac.uk); phone: +44 (0) 1793 411629.

B. Cost-Sharing
Institutional cost-sharing is not required.

C. Other
Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or they will be rejected. In addition, where a page limitation is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the application, pages in excess of the page limit will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted to US EPA (see Section IV.E. “Submission Instructions” for further information) on or before the solicitation closing date and time in Section IV of this announcement or they will be returned to the sender without further consideration. Also, applications exceeding the funding limits or project period term described herein will be returned without review.

Applications that fail to demonstrate a public purpose of support or stimulation will not be funded.

In response to this AO/RFA, groups of two or more eligible US and UK organizations must form a Consortium and submit a single joint application. Each joint application must identify an overall Project Lead (PL), a US Principal Investigator (USPI) and a UK Principal Investigator (UKPI), and Co-Investigators (CoIs) as appropriate.

Applications must address the specific objectives and work components described in Section I. D. (Specific Research Areas of Interest/Expected Outputs and Outcomes) above or they will not be funded. US applicants are reminded that to be eligible for funding consideration by the US EPA, the project must include activities that are within the statutory terms of US EPA’s financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statutes listed in I.C. above. Generally, a project must address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of air pollution, water pollution, solid/hazardous waste pollution, toxic substances control, or pesticide control depending on which statutes are listed in I.C. above. These activities should relate to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing the state of knowledge. Proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, as opposed to “fixing” an environmental problem via a well-established method. Proposals relating to other topics which are sometimes included within the term “environment” such as recreation, conservation, restoration, protection of wildlife habitats, etc., must describe the relationship of these topics to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control.

Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

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