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Funding Opportunities

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Center for Environmental Research
Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Program

CLOSED - FOR REFERENCES PURPOSES ONLY

Fall 2008 EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships For Undergraduate Environmental Study

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Number: (See Section IV. for descriptions)

EPA-F2008-GRO-P1
EPA-F2008-GRO-P2
EPA-F2008-GRO-P3
EPA-F2008-GRO-P4
EPA-F2008-GRO-Q1
EPA-F2008-GRO-Q2
EPA-F2008-GRO-Q3

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.513

Solicitation Opening Date: August 29, 2007
Solicitation Closing Date: December 19, 2007, 4:00 pm Eastern Time

Guidance & FAQs: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/faqs.html
Contact Person: Georgette Boddie (boddie.georgette@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9741
Toll Free Number 1-800-490-9194
Web-based query form: http://es.epa.gov/cgi-bin/ncerqamail.pl
Electronic Submissions Contact: Thomas O'Farrell (o'farrell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9639
E-mail Address for Letters of Recommendation Submission Only: 2008NCERFellowLetters@epa.gov

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Table of Contents:
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
	Synopsis of Program
	Award Information
	Eligibility Information
	Pre-Application Materials
	Agency Contacts
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
	A. Introduction
	B. Background
	C. Authority and Regulations
	D. Specific Areas of Interest
	E. References
	F. Special Requirements
II. AWARD INFORMATION
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
	A. Eligible Applicants
	B. Cost Sharing
	C. Other
IV. PRE-APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
	A. Internet Address to Request Pre-Application Package
	B. Content and Form of Pre-Application Submission
	C. Submission Dates and Times
	D. Funding Restrictions
	E. Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements
V. PRE-APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
	A. Peer Review
	B. Programmatic Review
	C. Funding Decisions
VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
	A. Award Notices
	B. Disputes
	C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Access Standard STAR Forms (http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/forms/)
View research awarded under previous solicitations (http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/archive/grants/)

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Synopsis of Program:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) program, is offering Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) undergraduate fellowships for bachelor level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is December 19, 2007 at 4:00 PM EST. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 20 new fellowships by July 31, 2008. Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer between their junior and senior years. The fellowship provides up to $17,000 per year of academic support and up to $7,500 of internship support for a three-month summer period.

Award Information:
Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship
Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 20 awards
Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $650,000 for all awards
Potential Funding per Fellowship: Up to a total of: $41,500. Fellows will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer between their junior and senior years. Cost sharing is not required.

If selected to receive a fellowship, you will be contacted no later than June 30, 2008 and should subsequently receive your official notification of award by July 31, 2008, for the fall term. Please note that this schedule may be changed without notification due to factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement. The earliest anticipated start date for these awards is September 1, 2008.

Eligibility Information:
Applicants must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories). Individuals must be citizens of the United States or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their pre‑application. You must have your green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity. EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.

Applicants attending fully accredited four year U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. These schools must be among those that are not highly funded for development of environmental research capacity. For the purposes of this solicitation, EPA considers such institutions to be those listed in the National Science Foundation's publication "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: FY 2004," Table 11. Institutions identified as receiving $35 million or less in annual federal research and development funding as designated in column 2 of Table 11, are eligible. These data can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (28 pp, 106 K). Table 11 is a broad representation of institutions, and includes schools that also receive more than $35 million annually in Federal research assistance.

Pre-Application Materials:
You may submit either a paper pre-application or an electronic pre-application but not both for this announcement. The necessary forms for submitting a GRO paper pre-application can be found on the NCER web site, http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/forms/. To apply electronically, you must use the pre-application package available at Grants.gov (see “Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications”). See Section IV for further information on pre-application submission procedures.

Agency Contacts:
Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPA/NCER resources listed below. To obtain information most quickly, consult the "Guidance & FAQs." If your question is not covered, then call the toll-free telephone or send a query to the 2008FellowshipsRFP@epa.gov. You will receive a personal response through a return telephone call or e-mail. Information regarding this announcement obtained from sources other than those indicated below may not be accurate.

Guidance & FAQs: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/faqs.html
Contact Person: Georgette Boddie (boddie.georgette@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9741
Toll Free Number 1-800-490-9194
Web-based query form: http://es.epa.gov/cgi-bin/ncerqamail.pl
Electronic Submissions Contact: Thomas O'Farrell (o'farrell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9639
E-mail Address for Letters of Recommendation Submission Only: 2008NCERFellowLetters@epa.gov

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites pre-applications for the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships for undergraduate environmental study for bachelor level students. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is December 19, 2007. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 15 new fellowships by July 31, 2008. The fellowship provides up to $17,000 per year of academic support and $7,500 for internship support for a combined total of up to $41,500 over the life of the fellowship. The program supports quality environmental education for undergraduate students, thereby encouraging them to pursue careers in environmentally related fields and to continue their education beyond the baccalaureate level. The actual amount awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and fees and the number of months the stipend is required. This fellowship is intended to help defray costs associated with environmentally oriented study leading to a bachelor’s degree.

B. Background
The GRO Undergraduate Fellowship program is part of the national effort to help stimulate and support interest in environmental research at institutions of higher education that receive limited funding, including in particular institutions with substantial minority enrollment. Additionally, the GRO Undergraduate Fellowship program supports quality environmental education for undergraduate students, thereby encouraging them to pursue careers in environmentally related fields and to continue their education beyond the baccalaureate level. This goal is consistent with the mission of EPA, which is to provide leadership in the nation’s environmental science, research, education, assessment, restoration, and preservation efforts. The GRO Fellowship program has benefited both public and private sectors by consistently providing the nation with well-trained environmental specialists to meet environmental challenges in our society. GRO supported fellows have provided new environmental research in the physical, biological, health, and social sciences as well as engineering.

The specific Strategic Goal and Objective from EPA’s Strategic Plan that relates to this solicitation is: Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems, Objective 4.4: Enhance Science and Research. The EPA’s Strategic Plan can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf (PDF) (184 pp, 11.56 MB).

C. Authority and Regulations
The authority for this RFA and resulting awards is contained in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442, 42 U.S.C. 300j-1; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r; Clean Air Act, Section 103, 42 U.S.C. 7403; Clean Water Act, Section 104, 33 U.S.C.; and Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001, 42 U.S.C. 6981.

For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102 (2) (F).

Applicable Regulation: 40CFR Part 46

D. Specific Research Areas of Interest
This RFA solicits pre-applications from students performing research in a variety of environmentally related areas (see Section IV.B. Item 1 for specific areas of interest). By providing financial support across disciplines, EPA expects to continue to assist in increasing the nation’s ability to produce leading edge research, and advancing the nation’s research enterprise.

E. References

Environmental Careers Organization. Creating Lasting Value: A Survey of EPA Minority Academic Institutions (MAI), Fellows from 1990-2001. Available at http://www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/ (2001).

Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Strategic Plan, 2006-2011. Available at http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2006/entire_report.pdf (PDF) (184 pp, 11.56 MB).

Jackson, Shirley Ann. The Quiet Crisis: Falling Short in Producing American Scientific and Technical Talent, Building Engineering and Science Talent (2002).

National Science Foundation. Science and Engineering Indicators. National Science Foundation. Available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/ (2006).

The National Science and Technology Council, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Science for the 21st Century. Available at http://www.ostp.gov/nstc/21stCentury. (2004)

F. Special Requirements
Agency policy prevents EPA technical staff and managers from providing individual applicants information that may create an unfair competitive advantage. Consequently, EPA employees will not review, comment, advise, provide technical assistance to applicants preparing pre-applications in response to EPA RFAs, endorse a pre-application or discuss in any manner how the Agency will apply the published evaluation criteria for this competition.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

It is anticipated that a total of approximately $650,000 will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds and quality of applicants received. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 20 fellowships under this RFA. The maximum projected award per fellowship is $17,000 per year total costs, for up to 2 years plus $7,500 for internship support. Request for amounts in excess of a total of $41,500 will not be considered.

The EPA reserves the right to reject all pre-applications and make no awards or make fewer awards than anticipated under this RFA. The EPA reserves the right, consistent with Agency policy and without further competition, to make additional awards under this RFA if additional funding becomes available. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than four months after the original selection decisions.

The fellowship provides up to $17,000 per year of academic support and $7,500 for internship support for a combined total of up to $41,500 over the life of the fellowship. A more detailed breakout of the funding which covers stipend, tuition, and expenses as follows:

Stipends: During the nine-month academic year, a $500 stipend will be paid to the Fellow each month, for a total annual stipend of $4,500. Stipends are paid directly to the Fellow. Each fellowship institution may choose to supplement a Fellow's stipend from institutional funds in accordance with the supplementation policy of the institution.

Tuition and Academic Fees: Up to $10,000 per year will be paid directly to the institution for allowable tuition and fees. For the purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is not considered to be an academic fee even if it is required by the institution. For purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is an expense, not an academic fee.

Expense Allowance: Up to $2,500 will be provided to pay for items and activities for the direct benefit of the fellow’s education, such as for health insurance, books, supplies, equipment, and travel to technical and scientific meetings. Specific instructions regarding the disbursement and management of the expense allowance will be provided during the award process.

Internship Allowance: During the summer internship, the fellow will receive a total of $7,500 for the three-month period. This amount includes $1,000 for travel to and from the summer internship site, $500 for travel while at the site, and a stipend of $6,000 for living expenses.

Summer Internship - The fellow must agree in writing to participate for up to 12 weeks at an EPA facility (located in the U.S. or its territories) as a Summer Intern in the EPA GRO Summer Intern Program, after the first year of EPA fellowship support. Each Intern must complete a summer project that is designed to complement and enhance the training received under the fellowship program. EPA will provide support for temporary relocation and provide a living stipend during the Summer Internship. Fellows will be contacted during their first year to arrange for this Internship.

Annual Conference – Fellows are expected to attend a technical/scientific conference each year they are members of the GRO undergraduate program. Resources to support this travel are to be taken from the expense allowance.

Diversity: EPA recognizes the need for scientists from diverse cultural backgrounds. Broadening opportunities for, and enabling participation, of all individuals, including women, minorities and persons with disabilities, are essential to the health and vitality of science. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages women, men, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants
Applicants must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories). Individuals must be citizens of the U.S. or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their pre‑application. You must have your green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity. EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.

Applicants attending fully accredited four year U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. These schools must be among those that are not highly funded for development of environmental research capacity. For the purposes of this solicitation, EPA considers such institutions to be those listed in the National Science Foundation's publication "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: FY 2004," Table 11. Institutions identified as receiving $35 million or less in annual federal research and development funding as designated in column 2 of Table 11, are eligible. These data can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (PDF) (28 pp, 106 K). Table 11 is a broad representation of institutions, and includes schools that also receive more than $35 million annually in Federal research assistance.

Applicants attending eligible institutions with substantial minority enrollment are particularly encouraged to apply. Examples of such schools are those that the U.S. Department of Education lists as “Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions” consistent with Executive Orders 13125 (Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders), 13230 (Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans), 13256 (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and 13270 (Tribal Colleges and Universities), which encourage building of the capacity of minority serving institutions to provide high quality education. Note however, that not all of these schools receive less then $35 million annually in Federal Research and Development expenditures. For specific information regarding Federal funding to minority-serving institutions, see The Extent of Federal S&E Funding to Minority-Serving Institutions, at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf04325/nsf04325.pdf (PDF). (6. pp, 438 K).

Regarding students who are attending community college, note that only those that are either four-year baccalaureate-granting institutions with degree programs in one or more eligible academic fields, or two year institutions that grant associate degrees and participate in Articulation Agreements with four-year institutions, are eligible to participate in this fellowship program. An Articulation Agreement is a signed contract between a community or technical college and a four-year college or university that guarantees that a student who earns an associate degree at a participating two-year institution can transfer all of the general education core credits to the four-year institution toward the completion of baccalaureate degree requirements.)

Students must be pursuing a bachelor's degree in an environmentally related field of specialization. Students must have two academic years remaining as of Fall 2008 before receiving a bachelor's degree. Students must have at least a "B" average overall.

Acceptance of this fellowship does not necessarily preclude acceptance of another scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or grant aid. However, this fellowship does preclude receiving other federal fellowships.

The term of the undergraduate fellowship is negotiated with the student and covers a period of nine months for each fellowship year. Students seeking a bachelor’s degree may be supported for a maximum of two years.

Employees of the U.S. government must be able to prove separation from Federal service before accepting this fellowship.

B. Cost-Sharing
Cost sharing is not required.

C. Other
Pre-applications must substantially comply with the pre-application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or they will be rejected. In addition, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to parts of the pre-application, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Pre-applications must be received by the EPA or Grants.gov on or before the solicitation closing date and time as identified in Section IV of this announcement or they will be returned to the sender without further consideration. Applications exceeding a total funding of $41,500 or a 2 year project period term described herein will be returned without review. All applicants must also follow the instructions for verifying that their pre-application was received by NCER or their pre-application may be rejected without review. Also, pre-applications that fail to demonstrate a public purpose of support or stimulation (e.g., by proposing research which primarily benefits a Federal program or provides a service for a Federal Agency) will not be funded.

In addition, to be eligible for funding consideration, a project’s focus must consist of activities within the statutory terms of EPA’s financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statute(s) listed in I.C. above. Generally, a project must address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of air pollution, water pollution, solid/hazardous waste pollution, toxic substances control, or pesticide control depending on which statute(s) is listed in I.C. above. These activities should relate to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing the state of knowledge. Proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, as opposed to “fixing” an environmental problem via a well-established method. Proposals relating to other topics which are sometimes included within the term “environment” such as recreation, conservation, restoration, protection of wildlife habitats, etc., must describe the relationship of these topics to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control. To be considered eligible under this RFA, the applicant’s planned course of study must focus on one or more of the areas of environmental significance referenced in Section IV.B, Item 1.

Applications deemed ineligible for funding consideration will be notified within fifteen calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

IV. PRE-APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

You may submit either a paper pre-application or an electronic pre-application but not both for this announcement. If not otherwise marked, instructions apply to both types of submissions as follows.

A. Internet Address to Request Pre-Application Package
For paper pre-applications, fellowship forms can be found on the NCER web site: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/forms/. Instructions for completing these forms follow.

For electronic pre-applications, use the pre-application package available at Grants.gov (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications"). Instructions for completing these forms follow.

For both paper and electronic pre-applications, an e-mail will be sent by NCER to the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the pre-application and transmit other important information. The e-mail will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov; e-mail to this address will not be accepted. Due to the volume of applications received, the e-mailed acknowledgement from receipt.application@epa.gov may take several weeks. Thus, our staff will not respond to queries regarding pre-applications received before January 21, 2008. Please make a notation on your calendar to call the toll-free number 1-800-490-9194 from Monday, January 21, to no later than 5:00 PM EST Friday, January 28, for information if you have not received the notification from receipt.application@epa.gov by that time. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your pre-application being rejected without review. See "Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications" for additional information regarding acknowledgment of receipt of electronically submitted pre-applications. Due to often lengthy delays in delivery, it is especially important that you monitor NCER's confirmation of receipt of your pre-application when using US Postal Service mail.

B. Content and Form of Pre-Application Submission
The pre-application is made by submitting the materials described below. The pre-application consists of two forms and additional information that you must provide on 8-1/2"x11" paper with one inch margins. Use a font size of 12 points or larger. It is essential that the pre-application contain all information requested and be submitted in the formats described. It is also essential that all contact information be that of the applicant unless specifically requested otherwise.

Item 1. Standard Form 424 and 424i
The student, that is the individual applying for funding, must complete Standard Form 424 (for electronic submissions) or 424i (for paper submissions). This form will be the first page of the pre-application. For paper submissions, use the 424i form identified for Fellowships available at: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/forms/. For electronic submissions, use the Standard Form 424 in the electronic pre-application package (see "Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications").

For help finding the appropriate Congressional District, see http://www.house.gov/. If you cannot locate a Congressional District (e.g., Puerto Rico), please enter "00". For Start Date and End Date, enter a Start Date of 09/01/2008 and an End Date up to 2 years later for a bachelor’s degree support. If necessary, these dates can be modified if you receive a fellowship.

Funding Opportunity Numbers (FON)
Select a single Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for your pre-application. Failure to select a proper FON could result in an inappropriate reviewer assignment. If your pre-application seems to fit under more than one FON, choose the most appropriate one. Each pre-application can be submitted to one, and only one, FON. For electronic submissions, you must use the appropriate electronic pre-application package (see “Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications”) for the chosen FON. Note: Your planned course of study MUST focus on one or more of the following areas of environmental significance and MUST describe the relationship of these topic areas to the statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control. Also see Section III. C. “Other” for additional requirements.

EPA-F2008-GRO-P1 - Natural and Life Sciences
EPA-F2008-GRO-P2 - Environmental Science
EPA-F2008-GRO-P3 - Engineering
EPA-F2008-GRO-P4 - Social Sciences
EPA-F2008-GRO-Q1 - Physical Sciences
EPA-F2008-GRO-Q2 - Mathematics and Computer Science
EPA-F2008-GRO-Q3 - Economics

Item 2. Key Contacts

The student must complete the "Key Contacts" form as the second page of the pre-application using instructions below. Ignore all other instructions for completing this form that may be found else where. Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.

Key Contacts Form Instructions

Authorized Representative: Enter the applicant’s current address information.

Payee: Enter the applicant’s permanent address information. This is the address NCER will use for any U.S.P.S. correspondence.

Administrative Contact: Enter the business information for the student’s advisor. Leave blank if the student has not identified an advisor.

Principle Investigator: Leave blank or, if the student has a second advisor, please enter the second advisor’s information here.

Item 3. Citizenship Status, Degree Sought, Eligibility Certification, Educational Level (1 page)

The third page of the pre-application must contain the following information. Please begin each item on a separate line using the appropriate numbered heading.

1. Your name: Last name, first name, middle initial/name.
2. Citizenship Status: State whether you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If you are a U.S. citizen, give the city and state of your birth. If you are a resident alien, provide your green card number.
3. College/University School or Department: Name and location of college school or department from which your degree will be obtained. NOTE: If you are undecided about the school you will attend, leave blank. If you considering multiple institutions, list your top two choices. If you are ultimately selected to receive a GRO fellowship the institution you attend must be GRO eligible or the offer will be withdrawn. See iv. Below.
4. Institution GRO Eligibility Letter: You must certify that your school or intended school is GRO eligible. These data can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/pdf/tab11.pdf (PDF) (28 pp, 106 K). The full NSF report is available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07316/. Multiply the figure in the second column by 1000. Then complete the following statement: "According to the National Science Foundation's report "Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 2004," Table 11, column two, received less than $ million in Federal Research and Development expenditures in fiscal year 2004. Since this is less than $35 Million, my university is GRO eligible." EPA will verify student eligibility before awards are made. Only students who attend GRO eligible institutions will be awarded these fellowships.
5. Degree Sought: Bachelor. Include the month and year you expect the degree to be awarded.

Item 4. Statement of Objectives

This item must be single-spaced and completed using a 12-point or equivalent typeface on 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper with one-inch margins all around. Page limitations for individual components are specified below. You may use figures and tables, but do not deviate from the format requirements and page limits.

Statement of Objectives (1 Page)

This item will be of paramount importance in evaluating your request for a fellowship. Your answer, therefore, should be well thought out and expressed in a clear and detailed but concise manner. Please give enough details so you may be adequately evaluated, noting the one-page limit. The statement should be in the following format:

1. Introduction: Include any background information you believe is pertinent and provides insight into why you have chosen the goals you are pursuing.
2. Personal Statement: Explain your academic and career goals and how your proposed course of study or research will help you to achieve these goals. Include any background information you believe is relevant and that indicates why you have chosen the goals you are pursuing. You will be evaluated on your dedication to your studies and to an environmentally oriented career. This statement will also provide insight into your organizational, analytical, and written communication skills. Note: Your planned course of study must focus on one or more of the areas of environmental significance identified in Section IV.B. Item 1.
3. Previous Environmentally Related Experience: Describe how work/volunteer and academic experience gained will relate to your career goals.
4. Conclusion Statement: Explain what scientific or other benefits are expected from your academic and career goals.

Item 5. Education and Experience, Publication, and Transcript Information

Education and Experience (1 Page)

List the academic degrees you have received or expect to receive in the near future, including the dates, discipline, and the institution. Include your current grade point average (GPA). Also list relevant experience, including paid employment, military service, research assistantship, internships, special studies, volunteer work, etc. Give dates and a short description of your duties in each position, listing most recent first. Give names and addresses of employers. List only relevant experience.

Publications (1 Page)

If you have published in the technical/scientific literature, provide a bibliography here. If you have not yet published, write “NA.” Also include information on presentations you have given at professional meetings.

Course Work Information (use as many pages as are necessary)

Provide, in tabular form, the following information about your course work (this information should be obtained from your transcripts): the institutions at which the credits were earned, dates, names and catalog numbers of courses taken, credit hours, grades received, and cumulative GPA for all courses taken at each degree level. Be sure to list any degree(s) received. If possible, course titles should not exceed the space available. Abbreviations are allowed. Note if courses were audited or not completed. If any institution you attended had a grading system different from the traditional "A, B, C" system, explain the system in a succinct footnote. Do not leave anything out. Include data from your entire college career. DO NOT INCLUDE COPIES OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS. Top-ranked applicants will be required to submit official copies of transcripts for validation prior to the award of the fellowship.

Item 6. Voluntary Information (1 page)

Voluntary Information: For EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) programmatic assessment purposes only, include your gender and race, ethnicity, or national origin (e.g., Black or African-American, White, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander), and whether you are a person with a disability. This information is requested pursuant to Executive Orders 13125, as amended, (Increasing Opportunity and Improving Quality of Life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders), 13230 (President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans), 13256 (President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and 13270 (Tribal Colleges and Universities), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 794; and in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget’s 1997 Revision to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. Providing this information is voluntary and has no impact on the Agency’s evaluation of your application. If provided according to the submission instructions (see Section IV.E.), this information will be kept completely separate from your pre-application. It will be used only in aggregate statistical form (without individual identification) to assess the effectiveness of ORD’s diversity efforts. Maintenance of the information, and access to individual information, will be governed by the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. §552a, and the information will be handled in accordance with EPA Privacy Act System EPA-36.

Item 7. Letters of Recommendation

Each applicant MUST arrange for the submittal of three (3) current letters of recommendation on official letterhead from individuals who have knowledge of your academic record. Letters of recommendation are critical components of the pre‑application. These letters must be submitted directly to EPA either in paper copy or electronically (via e-mail) per the instructions below. All letters of recommendation regardless of how transmitted must be received by EPA no later than 4:00 PM EST on the solicitation closing date, December 19, 2007. Letters of recommendation cannot be submitted through Grants.gov.

If the applicant has a sponsor or advisor in the program, one of these letters of recommendation should come from that individual. Select your references carefully and urge them to write letters specifically about you. Do not write the letters yourself. Letters of recommendation that appear to be mass produced are generally not ranked highly by the reviewers. At a minimum, the letters of recommendation should address your academic performance and potential, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and motivation in your chosen field. It is always useful if the writer also conveys a sense of who you are as an individual.

Paper-copy submitted letters of recommendation must be submitted directly to EPA, and must have the name of the applicant and the appropriate Funding Opportunity Number (FON) clearly marked on both the letter and on the outside of the envelope prior to sending it to EPA (see Section E "Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements" below for the mailing address).

Electronically submitted letters of recommendation must be submitted directly to EPA and must have the name of the applicant and the appropriate FON in the “subject” line as well as in the letter of recommendation itself. In addition, the letter must be submitted as a PDF attachment with a filename containing the FON and the applicant’s last name. E-mail letters to 2008NCERFellowLetters@epa.gov. This e-mail address is for letters of recommendation submission only; e-mails or other parts of the pre-application package sent to this address will not receive a response. Any pre-applications e-mailed to this address will be rejected without review. Letters of recommendation cannot be submitted through Grants.gov.

NCER cannot guarantee that letters of recommendation that do not denote the applicant’s name and FON will be matched with the appropriate pre-application. Due to the potentially large number of applicants, NCER cannot acknowledge nor verify receipt of letters of recommendation. It is the applicant's responsibility to see that letters of recommendation are submitted in a timely manner.

C. Submission Dates and Times
For paper copy submissions, the original and two (2) copies of the pre-application (3 in all) must be received by EPA no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date, December 19, 2007. Electronic pre-applications must be transferred to Grants.gov no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date. All letters of recommendation (see IV.B. Item 7. above), regardless of how transmitted, must also be received by EPA no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the solicitation closing date, December 19, 2007.

It should be noted that this schedule may be changed without prior notification because of factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement. In the case of a change in the required pre-application closing date, a new date will be posted on the NCER web site (http://www.epa.gov/ncer/) and a modification posted on Grants.gov. Pre-applications received after the closing date will be returned to the sender without further consideration.

D. Funding Restrictions
The funding mechanism for all awards issued under GRO solicitations will consist of assistance agreements from the EPA. All award decisions are subject to the availability of funds. In accordance with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, 31 U.S.C. 6301 et seq., the primary purpose of a grant is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by federal statute, rather than acquisition for the direct benefit or use of the Agency. In issuing a fellowship agreement, the EPA anticipates that there will be no substantial EPA involvement in the design, implementation, or conduct of the research. However, the EPA will monitor research progress through annual reports provided by Fellows and other contacts with the Fellows.

E. Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements
You may submit either a paper pre-application or an electronic pre-application but not both for this announcement.

Submission Instructions for Paper Pre-Applications

Three (3) copies of the pre-application must be submitted: 1) an original, signed copy that includes the Voluntary Information described in Section IV.B. Item 6. above (this is the only copy that needs to include the Voluntary Information); 2) a single–sided copy on plain white paper without the voluntary information for scanning (please label this copy as ”FOR SCANNING AND REVIEW USE”); and 3) another photocopy of version 2 for administrative purposes. Do not permanently bind or staple any of these copies; please use either binder or paper clips to secure them. Submit three copies of each letter of recommendation.

Because of security concerns, paper pre-applications cannot be personally delivered. They must be sent through regular mail, express mail, or a major courier.

The following address must be used for regular mail only:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Peer Review Division (8725F)
Funding Opportunity Number: (applicant: place the appropriate funding opportunity number here)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460

The following address must be used for express mail and couriers:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Peer Review Division (8725F)
Funding Opportunity Number: (applicant: place the appropriate funding opportunity number here)
1025 F Street, NW (Room 3500)
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 233–0686

Pre–applications and letters of recommendation MUST be received by EPA no later than 4:00 pm, EST, on December 19, 2007. NOTE: Letters of Recommendation may be sent directly to EPA but all of them MUST arrive no later than 4:00 pm EST, on December 19, 2007 (see Section IV.B. Item 7. above for further instructions). Allow sufficient time to assure delivery by 4:00 pm EST on December 19, 2007. Because of security concerns, pre-applications cannot be personally delivered. They must be sent through regular mail, express mail, or a major courier. Due to uncertainties associated with timely delivery of regular mail, it is especially important to provide an e–mail address to which an acknowledgment of receipt notification can be sent (see Section IV.A. above).

Submission Instructions for Electronic Pre-Applications

Please read this entire section before attempting an electronic submission through Grants.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to see that these instructions are followed. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your pre-application being rejected without review.

START EARLY! Do not delay submission of your pre-application past 10:00 AM EST on the deadline day. Due to the potentially high volume of pre-applications submitted as the deadline time approaches, it is possible that the Grants.gov electronic submission and telephone systems may become overwhelmed. To assure successful transmission, do not delay submission of your pre-application past 10:00 AM EST on the deadline day. The complete pre-application must be transferred to Grants.gov no later than 4:00 EST on December 19, 2007.

Grants.gov requires a new individual registration to submit a pre-application for this solicitation; however, registration is not required to view the pre-application package. To register, go to http://www.Grants.gov/, click on "Get Registered," click on "Individual Registration." Allow at least one day for the registration to be activated. Safeguard your username and password, as this information can take a great deal of time to retrieve should it be misplaced. Note that the use of an organizational registration (e.g., an academic institution registration) will result in a Grants.gov rejection.

The electronic pre-application package available through the http://www.Grants.gov/ web site must be used for electronic submissions. In order to view the pre-application package, download the PureEdge viewer (hyperlink available under "Apply for Grants"). Registration is not required to view the pre-application package. (Note: The PureEdge viewer is a computer program. Many institutions will not allow it to be downloaded into the institutional system.) The pre-application package may be quickly accessed from https://apply.Grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html using the appropriate Funding Opportunity Number. Please register for announcement change notification e-mails. The Grants.gov training demonstration, "How to Complete a Grant Application Package," is available at: http://www.Grants.gov/images/Application_Package.swf. The Grants.gov "Applicant's User Guide" is available at http://www.Grants.gov/help/user_guides.jsp.

Note: Grants.gov is not compatible with all internet browsers nor is it readily compatible with all computers. To avoid fatal submission problems, please check the compatibility of the browser and computer system you intend to use prior to attempting to submit an electronic pre-application. The Grants.gov system requirements are: Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP; 500 MHz processor; 128 MB of RAM; 40 MB disk space; Web browser: Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher, Netscape Communicator 4.5 - 4.8, Netscape 6.1, 6.2 or 7. If your default internet browser is not specifically listed, contact Grants.gov (1-800-518-4726) for assistance. If your computer system is not listed, please consider submitting a paper pre-application to avoid fatal submission problems. Also, while submitting a pre-application to Grants.gov via dial-up service is possible, the transfer can take one hour or longer and is prone to connection interruptions. Please consider submitting a paper pre-application if you do not have a high-speed internet connection available.

Pre-Application Package Preparation. The pre-application package consists of 1 though 5 below.

1. On the initial electronic Grant Application Package page, complete the "Application Filing Name" field by entering the Applicant's name, starting with the last name. Note: Applicants do not need to complete the "Competition ID" field.
2. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424): See also Item 1 in Section IV. B above. Do not follow the instructions provided with the form. Instead, follow the instructions in Section IV.B. above and the instruction below for items that may cause difficulty. Only the yellow highlighted fields of the form need to be completed.

   8.a. The applicant is the student submitting the pre-application (not the Institution).
   8.b. Enter the applicant's social security number.
   8.f. The contact person is the student (see 8.a.).
   9. enter "P: individual"
   15. Provide a descriptive title for your environmental research project. The title must be brief yet represent the major thrust of the project. Because the title will be used by those not familiar with the project, strike a balance between highly technical words and phrases and more commonly understood terminology. Do not use general phrases such as “research on”. If the specific topic has not been selected, enter your research area of interest.
   16.a. For help finding the appropriate Congressional District, see http://www.house.gov/. If you cannot locate a Congressional District (e.g., Puerto Rico), please enter "00".
   16.b. Enter "00".
   17.a. Enter a start date of 09/01/2008.
   17.b. Enter an End Date up to 2 academic years for bachelor's degree support. If necessary, these dates can be modified if you receive a fellowship.
   18.a. Enter the amount of funding you are requesting (up to $17,000 per year for bachelor’s degree).
   18.b.-f. Enter "0"
   19. Enter "c" Program is not covered.

   The Authorized Representative is the student (see 8.a.). You may enter "student" as the title.
   “Close Form” will save and close the form.

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700–54: Complete the form as described in Section IV.B. Item 2, above. Ignore all other instructions for completing this form that may be found elsewhere.
4. Project Narrative Attachment Form (click on "Add Mandatory Project Narrative"): Attach a single electronic file labeled "Mandatory ApplicationInfo” that contains the items described in Section IV.B., items 3, 4, and 5, above. This file must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Please review the PDF file for conversion errors prior to including it in the electronic pre-application package. Requests to rectify conversion errors will not be accepted if made after the solicitation closing date and time.
5. Voluntary Information (click on “Add Optional Project Narrative File”): Attach an electronic file labeled “Confidential” that contains the item described in Section IV.B. Item 6. above. Submit this file in Adobe Acrobat PDF.

Letters of Recommendation cannot be submitted electronically through Grants.gov; see Section IV.B. Item 7. above for submission instructions. All Letters of Recommendation MUST be received by EPA no later than 4:00 p.m., EST, on December 19, 2007.

Once the pre-application package has been completed, the "Submit" button should be enabled (you may need to "Check Package for Errors" as well as save the file before this occurs). If the "Submit" button is not active, please contact Grants.gov for assistance (Telephone: 1–800–518–4726). Applicants should save the completed pre-application package with two different file names to avoid having to re–key the forms should submission problems be experienced.

Submitting the pre-application to Grants.gov:

Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. In addition, slow connection and transfer rates are generally experienced as the deadline time approaches due to high demand. To assure successful transmission, do not delay submission of your pre-application past 10:00 AM EST on the deadline day.

Close all other software before attempting to submit the electronic pre-application package. Click the "submit" button of the pre-application package. Your internet browser will launch and a sign–in page will appear within a few minutes. Enter your individual registration user name and password.

A successful transfer should take no longer than 10-15 minutes and will end with an on–screen acknowledgement. "Print Screen" or “screen capture” this acknowledgement for documentation purposes. (Note: Subsequent E-mails from Grants.gov regarding your submission may take as long as 48 hours to arrive.) If you experience submission problems, reboot the computer – turning the power off may be necessary – and re-attempt the submission. If submission problems continue, contact Grants.gov for assistance (Telephone: 1–800–518–4726).

Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties continue after following the above instructions, follow the guidance below. NCER may decide to review the application if it is clearly demonstrated that the transmission difficulties were due solely as a result of unavoidable and irresolvable problems associated with the transfer to Grants.gov. The decision regarding acceptance of the pre-application for review will be made by NCER management and provided to the student within ten working days of the request. All e-mails, as described below, are to be sent to o'farrell.thomas@EPA.gov with the FON in the subject line. Note: Grants.gov will issue a “case number” upon being contacted for assistance.

1. Unsuccessful transfer of the pre-application package: If a successful transfer of the pre-application cannot be accomplished due to electronic submission issues, send an e-mail before 4:00 PM EST on the solicitation closing date. In that e-mail, document the problem, include the Grants.gov “case number,” and attach the entire pre-application.
2. Grant.gov rejection of the pre-application: If a notification is received from Grants.gov stating that the application has been rejected for reasons other than late submittal or use of an institutional rather than an individual registration, immediately send an e-mail. In that e-mail, document the problem, include all materials provided by Grants.gov and attached the entire application.

Grants.gov will send several e-mails during their processing of the pre-application. Their last e-mail will state that the pre-application has been transferred to the Agency and is undergoing review. Save these e-mails for documentation purposes; however, the critical e-mail is the one acknowledging receipt by the Fellowship Program. This e-mail will be sent from receipt.application@epa.gov.

Due to the volume of applications received, the e-mailed acknowledgement from receipt.application@epa.gov may take several weeks. Thus, EPA staff will not respond to queries regarding pre-application receipt prior to November 26, 2007. Please make a notation on your calendar to call the toll-free number 1-800-490-9194 from Monday, January 21, to no later than 5:00 PM EST Monday, January 28, for information if you have not received the notification from receipt.application@epa.gov by that time. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your pre-application being rejected without review.

V. PRE-APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Peer Review
All eligible fellowship pre-applications are reviewed by an appropriate external technical peer review panel comprised of individual experts using the criteria below. This review is designed to evaluate each student on his or her potential for success in an environmental undergraduate study program based on the information provided in the pre-application. Each external peer review panel includes non-EPA scientists, engineers, social scientists, and/or economists who are accomplished in their respective disciplines and proficient in the technical subjects they are reviewing. Reviewers are asked to individually assign a score of excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor to each pre-application. EPA translates the average of these individual scores into the final panel review score.

Criteria 1-3 are listed in descending order of importance:

1. Goals and Objectives
   1. Comment on the seriousness of the applicant’s dedication to the stated career goals and objectives.
   2. Comment on the student’s organizational, analytical, and written skills.
2. Reference Letters
3. Course work information

B. Programmatic Review
Pre-applications receiving scores of excellent or very good as a result of the peer review process will then undergo an internal programmatic review, conducted by technical experts from the EPA, including individuals from the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and program and regional offices involved with the science or engineering proposed. All other pre-applications are automatically declined.

The purpose of the programmatic review is to assure an integrated, balanced research portfolio for the Agency and help determine which pre-applications to recommend for award. Finalists will be recommended for award of a fellowship based on the following factors: 1) the availability of funds; 2) program goals, such as distribution of awards across disciplines, institutions and geography; 3) degree level being sought; and 4) other possible indicators of program balance.

C. Funding Decisions
Final funding decisions are made by the NCER Director based on the results of the external review and internal programmatic review. In addition, in making the final funding decisions, the NCER Director may also consider the Congressionally-mandated Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR) (see http://www.epa.gov/ncer/other/), the availability of funds; program goals, such as distribution of awards across disciplines, institutions and geography; and degree level being sought. Applicants selected for funding will be required to provide the additional information listed below under “Award Notices.” The application will then be forwarded to EPA’s Grants and Interagency Management Division for award in accordance with the EPA’s procedures.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices
Either a summary statement or multiple individual reviews provided by the external merit review panel will be provided to each student with an award or declination letter. If selected to receive a fellowship, you will be contacted no later than June 30, 2008 and should subsequently receive your official notification of award by July 31, 2008, for the fall term. Please note that this schedule may be changed without notification due to factors that were not anticipated at the time of announcement. The earliest anticipated start date for these awards is September 1, 2008.

You are advised to retain this announcement for future reference.

The official notification of an award will be made by the EPA’s Grants and Interagency Management Division. Selected applicants will be required to provide the following information to complete the application process:

1. EPA Form 5770-2, "Fellowship Application". This form is available on the NCER web page (www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/).
2. Additional information and documentation about your educational status and tuition/other costs.
3. Sealed official transcripts from all institutions.

B. Disputes
Disputes related to this assistance agreement competition will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in 70 FR 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm. Questions regarding disputes may be referred to the Eligibility Contact. Also see http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/faqs.html.

C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and conditions associated with this award can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance.

1. Meetings: Fellows are expected to attend a technical/scientific conference each year they are members of the GRO program. Resources to support this travel are to be taken from the expense allowance.
2. Human Subjects: A grant applicant must agree to meet all EPA requirements for studies using human subjects prior to implementing any work with these subjects. These requirements are given in 40 C.F.R. § 26. For observational studies involving children or pregnant women or nursing mothers please refer to Subparts B & D of 40 C.F.R. § 26. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations at 45 CFR § 46.101(e) have long required "... compliance with pertinent Federal laws or regulations which provide additional protection for human subjects." EPA’s regulation 40 C.F.R Part 26 is such a pertinent Federal regulation. Therefore, the applicant's Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval must state that the applicant's study meets the EPA's regulations at 40 CFR § 26. No work involving human subjects, including recruiting, may be initiated before the EPA has received a copy of the applicant’s IRB approval of the project and the EPA has also provided approval. Where human subjects are involved in the research, the recipient must provide evidence of subsequent IRB reviews, including amendments or minor changes of protocol, as part of annual reports.
3. Animal Welfare: A fellowship recipient must agree to comply with the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-544), as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2131-2156. The recipient must also agree to abide by the "U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals used in Testing, Research, and Training" (50 Federal Register 20864-20865. May 20, 1985).
4. Reporting: Fellowship recipients must provide annual progress reports in order to retain their funding, and must provide a final report upon termination of the award. Fellows are strongly encouraged to maintain contact with the Agency for at least five years after graduation.
5. Acknowledgment of EPA Support: EPA’s full or partial support must be acknowledged in journal articles, oral or poster presentations, news releases, interviews with reporters and other communications. Any documents developed under the agreement for distribution to the public or inclusion in a scientific, technical, or other journal shall include the following statement:

   This publication [article] was developed under a STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. __________ awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has not been formally reviewed by the EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of [name of recipient] and the EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.

   A graphic that can be converted to a slide or used in other ways, such as on a poster, is located at http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/star_images.html. EPA expects recipients to use this graphic in oral and poster presentations.

Guidance & FAQs: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/faqs.html

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPA/NCER resources listed below. To obtain information most quickly, consult the "Guidance & FAQs. If your question is not covered, then call the toll-free telephone number or send a query through the web-based query form. You will receive a personal response through a return telephone call or e-mail. Information regarding this R.F.A. obtained from sources other than those indicated may not be accurate.

Guidance & FAQs: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/faqs.html
Contact Person: Georgette Boddie (boddie.georgette@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9741
Toll Free Number 1-800-490-9194
Web-based query form: http://es.epa.gov/cgi-bin/ncerqamail.pl
Electronic Submissions Contact: Thomas O'Farrell (o'farrell.thomas@epa.gov); phone: 202-343-9639
E-mail Address for Letters of Recommendation Submission Only: 2008NCERFellowLetters@epa.gov

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