Deadline: 29-Sep-21
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is seeking applications proposing to accelerate water innovation, information availability, and engagement to advance clean and safe water reuse goals, promote a better understanding of the Nation’s water and wastewater treatment and infrastructure, and enhance the availability and efficient use of water resources through water reuse.
This request for applications (RFA) is intended to address multiple water reuse sources and applications to support national efforts to reduce technological and institutional barriers for expanded water reuse.
Themes
The scope of this RFA could generate information that addresses four of the eleven strategic themes in the WRAP:
- Science and Specifications: Compile and refine fit-for-purpose specifications;
- Technology Development and Validation: Promote technology development, deployment, and validation;
- Water Information Availability: Improve availability of water (quality and quantity) information; and,
- Integrated Research: Integrate and coordinate research on water reuse.
Research Areas
- Research Area 1: Science, Technology Development, and Validation for Water Reuse Applications
- Topics of interest:
- Health-Based Risk Assessment: Any proposed research toward health based risk assessment and specifications should describe the state of the science, the gap being addressed, and how the proposed assessment is expected to have a broad impact on the Nation’s ability to address real world water reuse challenges.
- Technology Innovation: Any proposed technology research should clearly describe the state of the science, the technology development context, and the gap being addressed. The technology research should be at a high Technology Readiness Level and clearly demonstrate the pathway from the proposed work to application in the real world toward addressing water reuse challenges.
- Topics of interest:
- Research Area 2: Social science, Information, Engagement, and Organizational barriers to Water Reuse
- Topics of interest:
- Water Information and Availability: Any proposed research on current and future water availability should clearly identify the gap in current knowledge, and the actionable solution(s) toward addressing water reuse challenges within the water industry.
- Organizational Barriers: Any proposed research on water sector policy, organizational structures, and legal/ financial/ regulatory barriers should identify the gap in the current knowledge, advance understanding of the problem, and/or clearly identify actionable solution(s) toward addressing water reuse challenges within the water industry.
- Social Barriers: Any proposed research on public attitudes, perceptions, and acceptance should identify the gap in the current knowledge, advance understanding of the barrier, and/or clearly identify actionable solution(s) toward addressing water reuse challenges within the water sector.
- Topics of interest:
Funding Information
- Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 2 awards
- Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $6,492,000 total in federal funds for all awards.
- Potential Federal Funding per Award: Up to a total of $3,246,000 in federal funds, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of 4 years.
- Each applicant must contribute a minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match of the federal funds awarded which may include in-kind contributions
Expected Outcomes
- Environmental Justice: To the extent practicable, research applications must seek to incorporate environmental justice and underserved community considerations. Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
- Community Engagement Plan: Collaboration and cooperative partnerships are strongly encouraged in the design and execution of the proposed research.
- Innovation and Sustainability: To the extent practicable, research applications must embody innovation and sustainability. Innovation for the purposes of this RFA is defined as the process of making changes; a new method, custom or device.
Eligibility Criteria
- Public and private nonprofit institutions and public and private universities and colleges located in the United States and its territories or possessions are eligible. Foreign entities, States, the District of Columbia, State and local government departments, territories, possessions, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments of the U.S., are not eligible to apply under this Request for Applications (RFA). Profit-making firms and individuals are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.
- 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 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. 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=334795