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Research Grants

Research Grants In the News

EPA Awards Funding to Student Teams to Solve Environmental and Public Health Challenges (October 2020)
The eight teams are being awarded Phase II funding to develop their proposed solutions to pressing environmental problems including determining trace levels of lead in drinking water, controlling harmful algal blooms, and removing Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater effluent for reuse in agriculture.

EPA Announces Over $6 Million in Funding to Research How to Control and Prevent Harmful Algal Blooms (September 2020)
The awards will fund research how to prevent and control harmful algal blooms using current and new technologies.

EPA Announces $4 Million in Research Funding to Build Resilience and Protect Vulnerable Groups from Environmental Impacts of Natural Disasters (September 2020)
These grants will help protect our communities and provide the information they need to be prepared and stay safe.

EPA Awards Nearly $5 Million for New Research on Managing PFAS in Agricultural and Rural Communities (August 2020)
Building on technical assistance provided to more than 30 states, Trump Administration continues its commitment to supporting rural and agricultural communities in addressing PFAS.

EPA Awards $4 Million to Develop New Approaches for Evaluating Chemical Toxicokinetics (August 2020)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3,980,782 in funding to five academic research teams to develop New Approach Methods (NAMs) for evaluating chemical toxicokinetics, an important aspect of evaluating the impacts of chemicals on human health and the environment.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (our Water Sources): Water Conservation and Reuse Grants (August 2016)
Recycling isn’t just for paper and plastic—did you know that there are ways to recycle resources like water too? This practice is especially relevant and useful in places that have a long history of water scarcity.

Climate Change May Extend Ozone Season in the Southeastern U.S. Exit(August 2016)
This EPA-funded Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research connects variations in ground-level ozone concentrations to the drought stress on trees.

Big Fish – and Their Pee – are Key Parts of Coral Reef Ecosystems Exit(August 2016)
This EPA-funded Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research focuses on how fishing on Caribbean coral reefs influences biodiversity and ecosystem functions provided by the fish community, that is, fish-mediated nutrient capacity.

Collaborating with Local Communities to Measure Air Pollution (August 2016)
By supporting the development and deployment of air monitoring technology, EPA is empowering ordinary citizens to take action against air pollution. Looking out for your community can be as easy as using our air sensor toolbox for citizen scientists to find out how to monitor the air quality in your neighborhood.

Exposure to the Environmental Endocrine Disruptor TCDD and Human Reproductive Dysfunction: Translating Lessons from Murine Models  Exit(July 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the Vanderbilt-Pittsburgh Resource for Organotypic Models for Predictive Toxicology (VPROMPT) investigated the effect of exposure to the environmental endocrine disruptor TCDD on the human reproductive system.

A Spatially Distributed Model for Assessment of the Effects of Changing Land Use and Climate on Urban Stream Quality Exit (July 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the University of Washington investigated the effects of development and climate change on water quality and temperature in the Puget Sound.

Climate and Land Cover Effects on the Temperature of Puget Sound Streams Exit (July 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the University of Washington published an article in Hydrological Processes. In this study, researchers examined the response of the temperature of the major streams draining to Puget Sound to land cover and climate change.

The Lifetime of Nitrogen Oxides in an Isoprene-dominated Forest Exit (June 2016)
EPA-funded researchers evaluated the lifetime of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by analysis of field measurements from the southeastern United States during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) in the summer of 2013.

Intraurban Variation of Fine Particle Elemental Concentrations in New York City Exit (June 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the New York City Department of Health described the intra-city variation and composition of particulate matter (PM) in New York City.

Northern Ragweed Ecotypes Flower Earlier and Longer in Response to Elevated CO2: What Are You Sneezing at? Exit (June 2016)
EPA STAR Grantee Kristina Stinson (Harvard University) studied how Ragweed plants adapt to more northern latitudes and respond more strongly to increasing carbon dioxide by producing more pollen and earlier than those from latitudes further south.

Seasonal Influenza Infections and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Exit (June 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the New York City Department of Health examined the effect of influenza on cardiovascular mortality. Using vital statistics and influenza surveillance data for the city, investigators were able to quantify the effect of seasonal influenza on cardiovascular disease using a variety of metrics.

Managing Water for the Environment During Drought; Lessons from Victoria, Australia Exit (June 2016)
Researchers from the EPA-funded Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) examined how Australians effectively manage drought through reforms in water policy, innovative planning approaches, and development of new infrastructure.

Estimating Causal Effects of Local Air Pollution on Daily Deaths: Effect of Low Levels Exit (June 2016)
Researchers from the EPA-funded Harvard Clean Air Research Center used causal methods to estimate the acute effect of local air pollution on daily deaths, and found that concentrations below current limits are associated with important increases in daily deaths.

A Novel Principal Component Analysis for Spatially Misaligned Multivariate Air Pollution Data Exit (June 2016)
Researchers at the EPA-funded University of Washington Center for Clean Air Research (CCAR) developed a new statistical method to analyze multi-pollutant exposure data for health studies.

Inflammatory and Vasoactive Effects of Serum Following Inhalation of Varied Complex Mixtures Exit (June 2016)
A new study from the EPA-funded University of Washington Center for Clean Air Research (CCAR) explored the topic of inflammatory and vasoactive effects of serum following inhalation of complex mixtures of air pollutants.

Bisphenol A and Adiposity in an Inner-City Birth Cohort Exit (June 2016)
Researchers from the NIEHS/EPA Children’s Center at Columbia University have shown that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that is widely used in plastic water bottles and metal canned food containers, might contribute to the development of obesity in young children.

Aggregate Entropy Scoring for Quantifying Activity across Endpoints with Irregular Correlation Structure (June 2016)
EPA-funded researchers published an article in the Journal of Reproductive Toxicology discussing a novel cell-based assays that can be used to characterize systems-level responses to chemical perturbations in environmental toxicology applications.

Personalized in Vitro Cancer Models to Predict Therapeutic Response: Challenges and a Framework for Improvement Exit (June 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the Human Models for Analysis of Pathways (H-MAPs) Center published a paper demonstrating one way to integrate Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOP) with in vitro tissue culture models.

Placental Epigenetics in Children's Environmental Health Exit (June 2016)
Researchers from the EPA/NIEHS Children’s Center at Dartmouth College reviewed studies which examine how environmental toxicant exposures can impact the placental epigenome. The recently published results of this review contribute to the understanding of mechanisms underlying the contribution of the intrauterine environment to long-term health.

Repeated Ozone Exposure was Found to Induce Oxidative Stress, Adipose Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance in Mice Exit (June 2016)
Researchers from the EPA-funded GLACIER Clean Air Research Center conducted a study where diabetes-prone mice were exposed for 13 consecutive days to levels equivalent to those that may be experienced by humans exercising at ozone levels twice the current standard. Compared to unexposed controls, exposed animals showed lung inflammation and increased white blood cells in blood and adipose tissue.

The Role of Diet in Children's Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides Exit (May 2016)
In a recently published study by the NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health Center at the University of Washington, researchers aimed to understand the importance of diet as a route of exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides.

Impact of Microbial Activities and Hydraulic Retention Time on the Production and Profile of Long Chain Fatty Acids in Grease Interceptors: A Laboratory Study Exit (May 2016)
STAR grantee Tao Yan (University of Hawaii at Manoa) recently published their EPA-funded work in Environmental Science Water Research & Technology. This study investigated how microbial activities effect fat, oil and grease deposits (FOG).

EPA's MESA Air Study Confirms that Air Pollution Contributes to the #1 Cause of Death in the U.S. (May 2016)
This week we took a giant leap forward in our understanding of the relationship between air pollution and heart disease with the publication of results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Air Pollution Study (MESA Air) in the leading medical journal The Lancet.

University of Washington releases results of 10-year MESA Air Pollution Study Exit (May 2016)
The University of Washington has published groundbreaking findings of the 10-year Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air). This study investigated the biological basis for the relationship between long-term exposure to air pollution and the development of cardiovascular disease.

Particulate Matter in a Changing World: Grants to Combat the Impacts of Climate Change (May 2016)
With EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants, university researchers are approaching the future of air quality from multiple angles with a focus on learning more about the PM-climate change relationship.

Air Quality Awareness: A New Generation of Research (May 2016)
It’s Air Quality Awareness Week! This week, EPA is showing how we care about the air by announcing grants to three institutions to create air research centers.

Ambient Particulate Matter and MicroRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles: a Pilot Study of Older Individuals Exit (March 2016)
A new potential mechanism linking particulate matter exposure to cardiovascular disease through epigenetic regulation was explored by EPA-funded researchers at the Harvard Clean Air Research Center.

Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Relation to Progression in Physical Disability among Older Adults (March 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the University of Washington Center for Clean Air Research (CCAR) and other institutions evaluated long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) in relation to progression in physical disability.

Water Uptake and Hygroscopic Growth of Organosulfate Aerosol Exit (March 2016)
Through a series of detailed laboratory experiments, EPA-funded researchers at the University of Iowa investigated the rate of growth (via water uptake) of organosulfates under varying humidity.

Metabolomic Changes in Murine Serum Following Inhalation Exposure to Gasoline and Diesel Engine Emissions Exit (March 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the University of New Mexico evaluated the effects of acute exposure to mixed vehicle emissions (MVE; mixed gasoline and diesel emissions) on potentially active metabolites in the serum of exposed mice.

Babies' Gut Bacteria Linked To Delivery Method, Diet Exit (March 2016)
In a recently published study in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers from the EPA/NIEHS Children’s Center at Dartmouth College examined the associations of delivery mode and feeding method with infant intestinal microbiome composition at six weeks of life.

Engineered Nanomaterials for Water Treatment and Remediation: Costs, Benefits, and Applicability Exit (February 2016)
EPA-funded researchers at the UCLA-based Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology reviewed the potential of engineered nanomaterials to remove contaminants from polluted water.

Differences in Ambient Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations between Streets and Alleys in New York City: Open Space vs. Semi-Closed Space Exit (January 2016)
Researchers from the EPA/NIH Children’s Center at Columbia University measured concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in open spaces and semi-closed spaces in New York City to understand the spatial variations in ambient PAH concentrations.

Traffic-Related Air Pollution, Blood Pressure, and Adaptive Response of Mitochondrial Abundance Exit (December 2015)
EPA-funded researchers at the Harvard Clean Air Research Center assessed mitochondrial abundance in blood cells from 675 older men in the Normative Aging Study, along with their blood pressure over 4 weeks of exposure, in a paper published in the journal Circulation.

Influence of Crustal Dust and Sea Spray Supermicron Particle Concentrations and Acidity on Inorganic NO3− Aerosol during the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study Exit (September 2015)
During the EPA-funded Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study field campaign in Centerville, AL researchers used a Monitor for Aerosols and Gases (MARGA) to reveal two periods of high aerosol nitrate (NO3−) concentrations, which were correlated with increased concentrations of supermicron crustal and sea spray aerosol species.

Optimization of a Mainstream Nitritation-denitritation Process and Anammox Polishing Exit (August 2015)
EPA-funded researchers from the Water Environment Research Foundation investigated the biological removal of nitrogen by optimizing an aggressively operated nitration-denitration process (named AvN) using an intermittent aeration pattern based on effluent ammonia and nitrate and nitrite concentrations.

Life Cycle Payback Estimates of Nanosilver Enabled Textiles under Different Silver Loading, Release, And Laundering Scenarios Informed by Literature Review Exit (June 2015)
Nanoscale silver has been applied to consumer textiles (nAg-textiles) to eliminate the prevalence of odor-causing bacteria. In turn, it is proposed that consumers will launder these items less frequently, thus reducing the life cycle impacts. EPA-funded researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review of nAg-textile life cycle studies to inform a cradle-to-grave life cycle impact assessment.

High Resolution Spatially Explicit Nutrient Source Models for the Lower Peninsula of Michigan Exit (June 2015)
EPA STAR grantee David Hyndman (Michigan State University) published an article, High resolution spatially explicit nutrient source models for the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. In this study, researchers described models for predicting nutrient sources using GIS in order to examine the link between watershed nutrient sources, landscape processes, and in-stream loads in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Artful Rainwater Design: Creative Ways to Manage Stormwater Exit (May 2015)
EPA STAR grantee Stuart Echols of Penn State University co-authored and published a book on stormwater treatment. The book compiles more than fifty case studies, drawn from across the nation and representing a variety of climatic conditions, that serve as examples for how rainwater can opportunistically be treated as a resource, rather than as waste.

EPA Releases New Report on the Impact of 10 Years of Tribal Environmental Research (January 2014)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report this month titled A Decade of Tribal Environmental Health Research: Results and Impacts from EPA’s Extramural Grants and Fellowships Programs, summarizing over a decade of Tribal Environmental Health Research.