Leveraging Within EPA

Personal contacts at the local and state level are invaluable. Identify programs that might have similar goals and encourage other regional program staff to help you review your SAI grant proposals. You can leverage both influence and funds by either collaborating with other programs or by steering your SAI grant applications to them. However, note that EPA allowable indirect costs are negotiated in association with other federal agencies. EPA grants cannot limit indirect costs beyond the federal rate unless the grantee offers a lower rate. This may be a limitation for researchers when indirect cost rates may usurp up to 46% of grant funds in administrative charges. In addition, categories of grant funds determine who may be eligible for grants. For instance, State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) are for state and tribal performance agreements, STAG discretionary funds are for ad hoc proposals which may address IPM, and Environmental Performance Grants (EPM) have open eligibility.

EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)

Strategic Agricultural Initiative (SAI)
SAI supports FQPA related projects through the EPA regional offices. EPA is encouraging more cooperation and coordination between these programs and cooperative agreements with an emphasis on outcomes (most likely via an SAI toolbox type approach). Therefore, collaboration with other programs and cooperative agreements is likely. You can also steer SAI grant applicants to some of these programs.

National Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP)
The National PESP program offers competitive grants to implement agricultural, school and urban IPM. It is administered through a partnership with the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs – Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division and the National Foundation for IPM Education (NFIPME). The total amount available per year ranges from $150,000 to $350,000 with five to seven grants of up to $50,000 awarded. NFIPME also awards challenge grants to address priority issues hat its Board of Directors identifies. If SAI specialists identify their top priority issue and a possible partnership to address it, Ann Sorensen can present the proposed project to the Board for consideration. Collaboration with this program is less likely, but still worth trying. You can also steer SAI grant applicants to this program.

Regional Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP)
The regional EPA offices administer Regional PESP grants (also known as Regional Initiative Grants). These grants support pollution prevention projects that are important to and complement ongoing efforts in EPA’s regional offices. Each office selects one project for funding. Then, the top unfounded projects from each regional office are pooled, further reviewed and funded until the balance of available funds are obligated. In fiscal year 2003, a total of $500,000 of grant funds was available with individual grants of up to $40,000. Collaboration with this program is likely. In addition, you can also steer SAI grant applicants to this program.

Tribal Pesticide Project Grants
For the past several years, OPP has solicited tribal grant proposals for short term water quality and special pesticide projects. The total amount available is $450,000 per year with grants of up to $50,000 awarded. Collaboration with and/or steering SAI grant applicants from tribes to this program is likely.

EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT)

Pollution Prevention Grants (P2 Grants)
Pollution Prevention Incentives for States (PPIS)
The P2 grant program provides matching funds to state and tribal programs to support P2 activities and to develop state programs that address the reduction or elimination of air, land or water pollution by businesses. The majority of PPIS grants fund state based projects for technical assistance, training, outreach, education, regulatory integration, data collection, research, demonstration projects and recognition programs. Collaboration with this program may not be likely since these funds usually go to states. But SAI specialists may be able to initiate collaboration by promoting the use of IPM to address water quality issues.

Source Reduction Grant Program
This P2 program funds national/regional grants and cooperative agreements based upon source reduction or pollution prevention principles. It started in fiscal year 2003. For fiscal year 2004, the program offers $1 million for sixty-five assistance agreements at $5,000 and up to $100,000. SAI grant applicants to this program are less likely but still worth trying.

EPA Office of Water (OW)

EPA's Office of Water (OW) has the largest funding opportunities for agricultural pollution prevention projects. The challenge in leveraging these funds is OW's overwhelming need to focus on reducing nutrients and sediment pollution in water. However, the same mechanisms that transport nutrients and sediments are likely to transport pesticides.

319 Nonpoint Source Implementation Grants The 319 Program recently had a budget of over $100 million dollars per year to primarily fund construction of structures to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff. Funding is distributed to the states and funding criteria are developed by the states. Nonpoint Source Mini-grants These may be a source of funds for SAI grant applicants that are addressing nutrient management as well as pesticide management. States, local agencies and non-profit organizations use these grants to address nonpoint source pollution and to protect or restore watersheds. Many of these are implemented as sub-awards, through state grant or contract mechanisms of funds received by the state as part of an EPA grant under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Others are purely state funded. State Revolving Fund (SRF) These funds have been used by organizations for purchase of equipment or loans for the producer cost-share portion in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). SRF rules are made by each state. OW’s Funding & Grants The Office of Water’s Funding and Grants webpage provides a link to the Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection and Funding Sources for Water Quality (from the National Agricultural Library).

EPA Office of Air and Radiation (OAR)

OAR List of Grant Opportunities
The above link goes to the OAR’s list of grant opportunities. OAR is a smaller but still significant area for partnering. OAR activities in agriculture have focused on point sources where methane from animal concentrations contributes to greenhouse effects and ozone depletion. Pilot demonstration projects have been funded (with the Department of Energy) to construct farm-scale power generation projects from captured methane. OAR has also monitored, funded and enforced PM-10 issues relating to Agricultural Burning. It is theoretically possible to link pesticide fate, transport and effect to air issues. This could form a basis for an intra-agency partnership.

EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD)

Science to Achieve Results Program (STAR)
ORD administers the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program with the National Center for Environmental Research, harnessing the best science to study, remove or prevent harm to the environment and health by pesticides. Currently the program has $65 million for FY05, down from $100 million, available to academics, non-profits and state and local governments in large grants (up to $1 million or more). SAI can steer grant applicants to some of these programs. Requests for Proposals are posted in January, April, August and October. STAR grants program include Children’s Health, Ecological Assessment and Indicators, Pesticide Removal and Agricultural Impact, Remediation, Sediments, Pesticide Bio- and Phytoremediation, and Pesticides and Human Health. This program also funds research to develop Ecological Assessment and Indicators. More information about STAR research grants is available from the National Center for Environmental Research

EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP)

OCHP Grant Information
EPA established the Office of Children's Health Protection (OCHP) in May 1997 to make the protection of children's health a fundamental goal of public health and environmental protection in the United States. OCHP supports and facilitates Agency efforts to protect children's health from environmental threats. OCHP has a very small grants program (about $225,000) that has invested non-competitively in three partnerships. Collaboration with OCHP is less likely but worth trying. Perhaps more important, OCHP just published America’s Children and the Environment: A First View of Available Measures. This report looks at environmental contaminants that impact children’s health including pesticide residues in foods.

EPA Regional Offices

Regional Geographic Initiative
The RGI funds unique, geographically-based projects that fill critical gaps in the Agency’s ability to protect human health and the environment. Each EPA Regional Office (Regional RGI Coordinator) is responsible within its states for the execution of the RGI program. SAI specialists may be able to influence the direction of the program or steer grant applicants to it. Currently, Region 7 is offering between $250,000 to $1,000,000 for a varied number of grants or cooperative agreements ($10,000 to $100,000) that address regional strategic priorities of critical ecosystems, sensitive populations and agriculture to be awarded July 13, 2004.

Regional Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP)
The regional EPA offices administer Regional PESP grants (also known as Regional Initiative Grants). These grants support pollution prevention projects that are important to and complement ongoing efforts in EPA’s regional offices. Each office selects one project for funding. Then, the top unfounded projects from each regional office are pooled, further reviewed and funded until the balance of available funds are obligated. In fiscal year 2003, a total of $500,000 of grant funds was available with individual grants of up to $40,000. Collaboration with this program is likely. In addition, you can also steer SAI grant applicants to this program.

EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)

GLNPO Grant Information
US EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office is located in Chicago with a budget of almost $15 million. The Program monitors Lake ecosystem indicators, manages data, supports local protection and restoration of important habitats, helps communities address contaminated sediments, promotes pollution prevention, and provides assistance for community-based Remedial Action Plans. In 2002, GLNPO awarded $2.9 million in grants with a success rate between 14-23 percent.

Gulf Hypoxia Initiative
Implementation Plan Outline for the Gulf Hypoxia
EPA has partnered with USDA, ACOE, NOAA and DOI to implement the National Task Force’s Hypoxia Action Plan to pursue the 30 percent annual nitrogen loadings reduction target. The draft plan outlines activities for FY04 and FY05. It targets 25 percent (about $5 million) in FY04 from EPA’s Targeted Watershed Grants Program (formerly the Watershed Initiative Program). The Targeted Watershed Grants Program encourages successful community-based approaches to restore, preserve, and protect the nation's watersheds. SAI regions within the Mississippi River water basin working with grant applicants that implement nutrient management.