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Grants and Fellowships


The moment a chemist puts pencil to paper to design the synthetic sequence that will be used to manufacture a chemical product, he/she also decides whether that sequence will use or generate hazardous substances that will require special handling, treatment, transportation, or disposal. There can be literally hundreds of different chemical reactions to choose from when constructing chemicals, some of which are more hazardous and generate more pollution than others. With proper forethought and analysis, chemists can choose reactions that are less hazardous and prevent pollution, thereby avoiding many of the environmental problems and liabilities that chemical manufacturers face.

EPA's Green Chemistry Program supports fundamental research in green chemistry in order to provide industry with the chemically viable tools and methods necessary to develop products and processes that are more environmentally benign. In 1992, EPA awarded six grants to fund basic research projects that consider impacts to human health and the environment in the design of chemical syntheses. Also in 1992, EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund green chemistry research jointly. These initial activities were the first of a number of research partnerships that have, to date, awarded tens of millions of dollars in the form of grants for fundamental research in green chemistry.

Green chemistry grant opportunities are available through a number of industry/university/government consortia. In addition, both the EPA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the EPA/NSF "Technology for a Sustainable Environment" program include green chemistry in their research grant solicitations.

Technology for a Sustainable Environment (TSE)

EPA/NSF Partnership for Environmental Research

In 1994, EPA's Office of Research and Development entered into a partnership with NSF to fund environmental research jointly as part of its new Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research program. This partnership includes research on green chemistry through a solicitation titled "Technology for a Sustainable Environment," however the program has not received funding recently.

Open solicitations are listed at the NCER Web site.

For detailed information, read on about EPA's Technology for a Sustainable Environment program.

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EPA's Small Business Innovation Research Program

EPA's National Center for Environmental Research solicits proposals for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. Green chemistry projects may be submitted under a variety of research topics, including "Clean Technologies", "Innovations in Manufacturing", as well as other topics that are appropriate.

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National Science Foundation – Mathematical and Physical Sciences

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Catalysis and Biocatalysis program primarily supports fundamental and applied research on sustainability, environmental catalysis, and basic research related to green chemistry or utilization of biorenewable resources, among other topics. More information is available at the NSF website Exit EPA.

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EPA-supported Consortia

ACS Green Chemistry Institute

The ACS Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) works across disciplines and academic, government, and industry sectors to promote the development and implementation of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. More information is available at www.acs.org/greenchemistry Exit EPA.

The National Environmental Technology Institute

The National Environmental Technology Institute (NETI) Exit EPA, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, promotes and funds long-term research to minimize or eliminate pollution from industrial processes. NETI's specific focus is developing innovative process design changes to existing and new industry operations through private industry research partnerships.

The Center for Process Analytical Chemistry

The Center for Process Analytical Chemistry (CPAC) Exit EPA, at the University of Washington, is a consortium of university, government, and academic partners. It is dedicated to supporting and promoting research in several areas of process analytical chemistry.

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Fellowships

Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship in Green Chemistry

For more information on the Breen Fellowship see http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/educat.html#breen.

Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry

For more information on the Hancock Award, see http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/educat.html#Hancock.

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Technology Vision 2020

In 1994, technical and business leaders in the U.S. chemical industry (suppliers and users of basic chemicals) began a study on the factors affecting the competitiveness of the industry in a rapidly changing business environment and set out to develop a vision for its future. The work focused on needs in research and development (R&D) capabilities, which are directly linked to growth and competitive advantage.

This study was also stimulated by a request from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for industry advice on how the U.S. government could better allocate R&D funding to advance the manufacturing base of the U.S. economy. Since then, more than 200 technical and business leaders have investigated the challenges confronting the chemical industry today. The results of this work, contained in Technology Vision 2020 Exit EPA, emphasize opportunities for advancement in R&D capabilities.

The Technology Vision 2020, therefore, is a call to action, a strategic plan, for the U.S. chemical industry. The U.S. chemical industry is the world's largest producer of chemicals (value shipped, $367.5 billion in 1995), contributing the largest trade surplus of any non-defense-related sector to the U.S. economy ($20.4 billion in 1995), representing 10 percent of all U.S. manufacturing, and employing more than one million Americans. Chemical companies must innovate and change to keep the U.S. chemical industry competitive in the global environment in the 21st century.

The participants in the visioning process concluded that "the growth and competitive advantage of our industry depend upon individual and collaborative efforts of industry, government, and academe to improve the nation's R&D enterprise." To assemble these conclusions and recommendations, a core group of Vision 2020 partners was chartered with the task of providing technology vision and establish technical priorities in areas critical to improving the chemical industry's competitiveness; develop recommendations to strengthen cooperation among industry, government, and academia; and provide direction for continuous improvement and step change technology.

In addition and with the goal of creating a technology "roadmap" for the chemical industry to follow, Vision 2020 partners examined the technical disciplines of new chemical science and engineering technology, supply chain technology, information systems, and manufacturing and operations. The importance of these areas to the future competitiveness of the U.S. Chemical Industry is described in Technology Vision 2020 as well as the current state of the industry, a vision for tomorrow, and the technical advances that need to be made in these areas to make the vision a reality.

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