PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:
A. To (1) support research to determine the environmental effects of air quality, drinking water, water quality, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides; (2) identify, develop, and demonstrate necessary and effective pollution control techniques; and (3) support research to explore and develop strategies and mechanisms for those in the economic, social, governmental, and environmental systems to use in environmental management decisions. Competitive RFAs (requests for applications) for grants in these areas are announced widely through the Federal Register, Internet, university and scientific organizations, among other mechanisms. Applicants must propose EPA mission relevant research based on excellent science as determined through peer review by experts drawn from the national and international scientific community. B. To support the STAR (Science To Achieve Results) Program by funding the highest quality academic research in the following nine priority areas: (1) Safe drinking water; (2) high priority air pollutants; (3) research to improve human health (including children's) risk assessment; (4) research to improve ecological risk assessment; (5) emerging issues; (6) water and watersheds; (7) environmental statistics; (8) pollution prevention and new technologies; and (9) social science. Other more specialized scientific areas may be solicited via joint RFAs with other Federal agencies and private entities. Investigator initiated grants are funded in broad areas such as environmental chemistry and physics, environmental engineering; and health and ecological effects of pollution not covered by the RFAs. The STAR program may fund research centers supporting competitively selected universities, or consortia of universities, that focus on long-term, multi-disciplinary research. STAR's Graduate Fellowship Program provides funding for master's and doctoral degree students in environmental sciences and engineering. When funding is available, this competitive program is announced nationally. Applicants' proposals are judged for scientific merit by external peer reviewers, and are subsequently awarded by order of ranking. STAR and other research centers, such as the Hazardous Substances Research Centers mandated by CERCLA, and Congressionally mandated centers are part of the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), Office of Research and Development (ORD). C. Although the programs identified are the formal assistance programs that ORD funds, there are periodic RFAs disseminated on other topics that are not part of the formal program. These new programs are also part of 66.500 but cannot be presently identified. Funds may be available to support activities including but not limited to research, demonstration, development, experiments, surveys, studies, investigations, public education programs, monitoring, training, and undergraduate fellowships where authorized by specific statutes, in both science and engineering disciplines. Please check the Federal Register or the EPA/ORD website http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/grantopportunity.htm for an updated listing of these programs.

 ELIGIBLE FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES:
1. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY;
- Research, Education, Training;

 WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM:
- State;
- Local;
- Public nonprofit institution/organization;
- U.S. Territories;
- Individual/Family;
- Private non-profit institution/organization;

 WHO CAN APPLY:
- State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Local (includes State-designated Indian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Public non-profit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- U.S. Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals);
- Individual/Family;
- Private non-profit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals);