FY 2012 Action Plan: Advancing Science, Research, and Technological Innovation


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                                                                              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

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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.

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

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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

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           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

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