Deadline: 9-Feb-22
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing cutting-edge transdisciplinary research (integrating diverse disciplines such as behavioral science, psychology, economics, public health, and sociology) to develop, apply, and test innovative and creative community-engaged approaches/methods to reduce household food waste through prevention (i.e., not redistribution) in the United States (U.S.) in real world settings.
The STAR Program’s goal is to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. It is a competitive, peerreviewed, extramural research program that provides access to the nation’s best scientists and engineers in academic and other nonprofit research institutions. STAR funds research on the environmental and public health effects of air quality, environmental changes, water quality and quantity, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides.
Prevention of household food waste means that the amount of food available for consumption in a household that is not ultimately eaten by the household is reduced. Applicants should propose a community-engaged research project that addresses at least one of the following three pathways to reduce household food waste through prevention:
- Changing the U.S. food environment to discourage waste by consumers.
- Strengthening consumers’ motivation, opportunity, and ability to reduce food waste.
- Leveraging and applying research findings and technology to support consumers in food waste reduction.
Funding Information
- Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately two awards
- Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $1.5 million total for all awards
- Potential Funding per Award: Up to a total of $750,000 per award, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of three years. Cost-sharing is not required. Applications with budgets exceeding the total award limits will not be considered.
Expected Outcomes
EPA anticipates outcomes from this research to include improved understanding of consumer benefits and barriers to prevention of food waste, demonstrated effectiveness of interventions to reduce household food waste, improved methods to engage communities in food waste prevention behaviors, increased sharing of replicable research-supported solutions, and ultimately a reduction in food waste and its associated environmental impacts. The ultimate outcome would be reduction of food waste and its negative impacts on the environment.
Eligibility Criteria
- Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, and hospitals located in the U.S. and its territories or possessions; state and local governments; Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments; and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply.
- Foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international organizations/institutions are not eligible to apply.
- Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement. Federal employees may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations through awards made under this program unless authorized by law to receive such funding.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=336912