&ER& EPA-190-B-11-003 United States Environmental Protection Agency FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategy: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation Advance a rigorous basic and applied science research and development agenda that informs, enables, empowers and delivers innovative and sustainable solutions to environmental problems. Provide relevant and robust scientific data and findings to support the Agency's policy and decision- making needs. The major challenges we face to human health and the environment are not incremental problems, and they do not lend themselves to incremental solutions. EPA will promote innovative solutions to environmental problems that reduce or eliminate pollution while avoiding unintended and/or unwanted consequences, addressing pollutants, chemicals, and materials throughout their life cycle from raw material to final disposition. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has reiterated the critical and timely need for innovation in science and technology, building on the President's Strategy for American Innovation. '" OMB identifies priorities that include new approaches to multi-disciplinary research, new approaches for accelerating technology commercialization and innovation, interagency and international collaborations, and better communication with the public on science, technology, and innovation. Environmental sustainability is a guidepost for science, research, and technological innovation at EPA.'" Sustainability is a broader approach to environmental protection that considers trade-offs in production processes and materials use. Sustainable solutions prevent chemicals from entering the environment or eliminate, rather than simply reduce, the production of waste through better materials management. EPA must help drive high quality research, sound science, and technology innovation to sustainably address air quality, climate change, water quality and quantity, unreasonable risks from toxic chemicals, ecosystem degradation, and other environmental issues. EPA will inform, enable, and stimulate the development of sustainable solutions to current and future challenges because sustainable and innovative environmental solutions can also be more economically efficient. EPA science and research must always inform the decisions that are essential to the protection of human health and the environment and empower the broader community that supports our mission. To address challenging environmental problems in this manner, EPA research will: 1. Provide timely, responsive, and relevant solutions: EPA's science, research, and technological innovation depend on partnerships and a continuing dialogue with internal and external partners and stakeholders to ensure that EPA efforts focus on the highest priority problems faced by the Agency and the nation. Building on traditional collaboration efforts, EPA will also leverage the scientific discoveries of others to achieve even more responsive solutions to the environmental problems that our communities face. 2. Transcend traditional scientific disciplines: A broad perspective—one that integrates knowledge from a wide variety of sources—is key to developing sustainable solutions. In all aspects of our work, from problem identification, to research design and conduct, to implementation and adoption FY 2012 Action Plan: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation 1 ------- of solutions, EPA must rely on diverse disciplines. Environmental problems often raise complex scientific and technological issues that require non-traditional approaches. If EPA is to advance progress on these challenging problems, we must rely on integrated, trans-disciplinary research that complements traditional, single-discipline approaches. 3. Communicate widely and openly: Great work, done invisibly, cannot have an impact. To maximize the impact and utility of our research, EPA will communicate the design, definition, conduct, transfer, and implementation of the work we do. We will translate our science so that it is accessible, understandable, relevant to, and used by stakeholders and the general public. EPA must document our successes to maximize the value of our scientific work. 4. Catalyze sustainable innovation: EPA's efforts alone will not be enough to address the environmental challenges our nation faces. As we develop and promote these technology innovations, EPA must account for life-cycle perspectives and support technologies that fully consider environmental and social impacts, and collaborate with partners in academia, government, and industry to assess impacts and promote effective product stewardship. EPA must also guide sustainable solutions on the path from conceptual and proof-of-concept stages, through research and development, to commercialization and deployment. EPA must understand and engage the marketplace to ensure the effectiveness of these solutions. Additionally, EPA must be receptive to external innovations in science, research, and technology that can enhance EPA's effectiveness in fulfilling our mission. FY 2012 Action Plan: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation This Action Plan lists the specific actions that the EPA will carry out in FY 2012 to achieve the goals of the Strategy for Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation as described in the FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan. Annual Action Plans will be developed for each year of the Plan. 1. Plan and implement research programs to develop sustainable solutions to high priority environmental problems through close partnerships among the EPA's offices, partners, and external stakeholders (Supports Principles 1, 2 and 4). • By September 2012, the Agency will approve four integrated trans-disciplinary Research Action Plans for programs on: (1) air, climate, and energy; (2) safe and sustainable water; (3) chemical safety and sustainability; and, (4) safe and healthy communities. These Research Action Plans will identify relevant, timely, and sustainable solutions to specific Agency problems, decision needs, and strategic goals. They will be reviewed by an independent expert Federal Advisory Committee Act panel to ensure they clearly communicate research outcomes, outcomes from users of research, and mission-relevant impacts. • Address cross-cutting research needs identified by the EPA's offices, partners, and external stakeholders by: o Providing preliminary results from an Agency-wide study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. For more information see: /7#av/water.epa.aov/iVpe/aro^^ (December 2012). o Issuing competitive Requests for Applications to establish research centers for life-cycle chemical safety and sustainable molecular design (September 2012). • Developing tools and data to support the assessment of cumulative exposure, dose, effects and risks applicable for use in regulatory decision-making, including reports on: (1) the potential use of biomarkers in rats and humans for mixtures exposure assessments (September 2012); and, (2) the use of dose additivity to predict interactions among chemicals with common modes of action (September 2012). FY 2012 Action Plan: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation ------- o Through a partnership between the EPA Regions and scientists, conduct a regional pilot project focused on applying an innovative systems approach to the problem of nutrient impairment in Narragansett Bay and its watershed. Substantial investments have already been made to reduce nitrogen loadings in this watershed, and resolving the remaining environmental problems is a high regional priority. The aim of this project is to develop practical, sustainable solutions through use of a decision support model that integrates environmental, economic, and social issues at a watershed scale (Status Report, September 2012). o Continue the implementation of a competitive program that encourages the EPA's scientists and engineers to develop integrated trans-disciplinary research projects and partnerships with entrepreneurs, universities, and other research institutions. Implement a second round of Pathfinder Innovation Project (PIP2) projects (https://intrablog.epa.gov/pathforward/?p=4104) to provide seed funding for the EPA's scientists to pursue promising new research ideas. Use external reviewers with expertise in innovation and sustainability. (April 2012) o Demonstrate the use of "open innovation challenges" to fill the EPA priority science and technology gaps in the Agency's regulations, as identified by program and regional offices. New open innovation challenges will be announced and entries will be reviewed and summarized in reports and on the EPA website throughout 2012 (https://intrablog.epa.gov/pathforward/?page id=5648). • Review the recommendations in the National Academy of Sciences Report, "Sustainability and the USEPA," and make recommendations as to how the Agency will respond to these recommendations. This will include developing action plans and key performance indicator(s) for sustainability. 2. Support and promote innovative science and technologies that scrutinize environmental and human health impacts from the beginning to the end of the technology life cycle (Supports Principles 1, 2, and 4). • By September 2012, conduct at least two innovative technology opportunity and market assessments for completed, pending, or prospective regulatory actions. Begin developing a framework for conducting future assessments as part of the EPA Action Development Process (ADP) and periodic regulatory action review process (as required by Executive Order 13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review). Apply lessons learned from the two pilot assessments. o Consistent with the Agency's commitments in response to the President's initiative to assess and reform regulations, National Program Managers will identify and highlight opportunities for incorporating "technology push" language in regulatory packages, especially for traditional "technology defined" regulations like Best Available Technology (BAT) or Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) (June 2012). 3. Communicate the design, definition, conduct, transfer, and implementation of research and technological innovation so that it can be understood readily and used by stakeholders (Supports Principle 3). • By September 2012, develop and implement strategies for communicating the design, definition, conduct, transfer, and implementation of research and technological innovation to important stakeholders. o Develop strategy for communicating research and technology efforts and results including a timeline for outreach opportunities. This overall strategy will combine communication plans from national research programs and efforts implemented to promote opportunities for technology innovation (June 2012). FY 2012 Action Plan: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation ------- Develop qualitative and quantitative metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of key strategies (e.g., media relations and electronic and web tools) for communicating EPA research to target audiences (September 2012). 1 OMB Memorandum M-10-30, July 21, 2010. "Science and Technology Priorities for the FY2012 Budget." Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2010/m10-30.pdf. 11 Press Release from the White House Office of the Press Secretary, September 21, 2009. "President Obama Lays Out Strategy for American Innovation." Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the press office/President- Obama-Lavs-Out-Strategy-for-American-lnnovation/. 111 Information on the EPA Sustainability Program is available at http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/. FY 2012 Action Plan: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation ------- |