RFAs: Grant Funding to Address Indoor Air Pollution at Schools

Deadline: 19-Mar-24

Environmental Protection Agency is accepting applications for a grant opportunity to enable Greenhouse Gas emission reduction and comprehensive indoor air risk reduction for K-12 schools and school districts in low-income, disadvantaged, and tribal communities to improve children’s health, wellbeing, and educational achievement.

GHGs (such as carbon dioxide and methane) and common indoor air contaminants (e.g., radon, secondhand smoke, wildfire smoke, mold, particulate matter, asbestos, combustion byproducts, volatile organic compounds, and airborne viruses or bacteria) are often best addressed holistically through policies and programs. GHG reductions and IAQ improvements in buildings can be obtained through: 1) better facility design, construction, operation, maintenance, and renovation practices; 2) policies and programs that support behavior change among occupants, such as updating or adopting new building codes, local and state ordinances, and IAQ standards of practice; 3) training programs; 4) air quality monitoring programs; and 5) and education campaigns.

Project Areas

Applications will be placed in separate Tracks depending on which project areas are addressed in the application. Applications that only address combinations of project areas 1 through 3 will be placed in Track A. Applications that include project area 4 (in addition to at least one of project areas 1 through 3) will be placed in Track B. Track A and Track B applications will be ranked separately. The EPA selection official intends to make selections from top ranked applications in each ranking list.

Area1: IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building targeting facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers at K-12 schools and/or school districts in low-income and disadvantaged communities. IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building project area activities could include: coalition building; multisector discipline convening; providing support to a diverse mix of IAQ network(s); and any other activities that build sustainable long-term national, regional, or multi-state capability and intent of K-12 schools and/or school districts (especially among facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers) to develop and adopt comprehensive IAQ and GHG 9 reduction plans and programs for school facilities, during school rehab projects, and during new construction.
Area2: Tribal IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building targeting facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers at K-12 schools in Tribal communities. Tribal IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building activities could include: coalition building; multisector discipline convening; providing support to a diverse mix of IAQ network(s); and any other activities that build sustainable long-term national, regional, or multi[1]state capability and intent of K-12 schools and/or school districts (especially among facility management staff, health officers and key decision makers) to develop and adopt comprehensive IAQ and GHG reduction plans and programs for school facilities, during school rehab projects, and during new construction.
Area3: IAQ and GHG Reduction Training and Education Campaign for facility management staff and health officers at K-12 schools and school districts in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities, and/or the development of qualified K-12 school staff necessary to execute comprehensive IAQ and GHG reduction plans in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities.
- Training activities could include classes (in person or virtual), development of educational materials, mentorship programs, Registered Apprenticeship Programs, and other activities/content/trainings that provide K-12 facility management staff and health officers with the necessary training to develop, sustainably fund, and adopt comprehensive IAQ management plans and/or programs in K-12 schools.
- IAQ and GHG Reduction Education Campaign activities could include sustained efforts to deliver communications (press releases, emails, social media content, public service announcements, radio/podcast content, etc.), advertisements, events, and educational materials that are designed to increase school facility management staff and health officer awareness and knowledge of IAQ and GHG issues, their impacts, practical solutions, and local/state/federal resources (funding, guidance, training, technical assistance, etc.) to help address IAQ and GHG issues.
Area4: IAQ and GHG Reduction Research and Demonstration Projects in K-12 schools located in low-income, disadvantaged, and/or Tribal communities. Research and Demonstration Project activities could include testing different IAQ and GHG reduction intervention strategies in buildings to identify the most effective, sustainable, and replicable options in particular indoor spaces, measurement/monitoring of IAQ variables (e.g., carbon dioxide [CO2], particulate matter [PM]), and/or GHG emissions before and after interventions to improve indoor air quality through activities addressing ventilation or filtration, and/or displaying real-time results or before-and-after intervention results as part of education or stakeholder outreach efforts with school staff, students, and/or the community.

Objectives

Activities in four project areas should achieve one or more of the objectives detailed below:

All project areas should:
- Reduce GHG emissions and comprehensive indoor air risks in K-12 schools and school districts in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities.
- Increase low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal K-12 school and school district facility managers’, health officers’, and key decision makers’ awareness of the scientifically validated IAQ interventions that provide the most educational and health benefits at reasonable cost (and with the best energy efficiency/GHG emission reductions), and the most practical ways to implement those interventions as part of a K-12 school or school district’s comprehensive IAQ management plan.
IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building Projects: Increase the number of K-12 schools and/or school districts in low-income and disadvantaged communities that develop and adopt comprehensive IAQ and GHG management plans and/or IAQ and GHG reduction programs consistent with EPA best practices.
Tribal IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building Projects: Increase the number of K-12 schools and/or school districts in Tribal communities that develop and adopt comprehensive IAQ and GHG management plans and/or IAQ and GHG reduction programs consistent with EPA best practices.
IAQ Training and Education Campaign Projects:
- Increase and promote the number of well-trained and qualified facility management staff and health officers at K-12 schools and school districts in low[1]income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities with the necessary training and skills to develop, sustainably fund, and adopt comprehensive IAQ management plans and/or programs consistent with EPA best practices.
  - If applicants propose K-12 staff training programs: Increase the availability of skilled, trained K-12 facility and health staff in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities that are necessary to execute IAQ activities in K-12 schools and school districts through high-quality training models such as Registered Apprenticeship Programs.
- Increase the awareness and knowledge of IAQ and GHG issues, their impacts, practical solutions, and local/state/federal resources (funding, guidance, training, technical assistance, etc.) to help address IAQ and GHG issues among key decision makers, facility management staff, and health officers at K-12 schools and school districts located in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities.
IAQ Research and Demonstration Projects:
- Increase the number of high-quality peer-reviewed IAQ scientific publications and data on 1) which IAQ and GHG reduction interventions and monitoring activities provide the most educational and health benefits at reasonable cost (and with the best energy efficiency) and 2) the most practical ways to implement those interventions as part of a K-12 school or school district’s comprehensive IAQ and GHG reduction management plan.
- Increase awareness of IAQ management and GHG reduction scientific, technical, and demonstration project information among facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers at K-12 schools and/or school districts in low[1]income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities.

Funding Information

The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive opportunity is approximately $32,000,000.
EPA anticipates awarding four to six grants under this announcement, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, broadest geographic impact of activities, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. Awards are expected to be between $5,000,000 to $8,000,000 and will support five years of IAQ and GHG reduction activities. The amount of federal funding requested by an applicant must be at least $5,000,000 and may not exceed $8,000,000.
Period of Performance
- The period of performance for awards resulting from this solicitation will be up to five years with an estimated project start date in October 2024.

Eligibility Criteria

Competition under this solicitation is available to states (including the District of Columbia); local governments and educational agencies; U.S.
territories and possessions; Indian Tribes; and nonprofit organizations.
For-profit organizations (which includes for-profit K-12 schools) and federal agencies are not eligible to apply to this funding opportunity. In addition, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.