This is a fact sheet about the research grants awarded under EPA's Systems-Based Research for Evaluating Ecological Impacts of Chemicals Request for Applications (RFA). One of EPA’s priorities is to support research that will result in a better understanding of the vulnerability of organisms and ecosystems to chemical exposures. Recent scientific advances provide new approaches for evaluating how exposures to chemicals influence the health of ecosystems. EPA research in this area is developing and applying innovative approaches to improve the evaluation of ecological resilience and impact analyses.

Through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program, EPA is providing grant funding to six universities to complement its research in this area. The six recipients are developing and applying innovative methods and models to better understand and predict biological and ecological consequences of exposures to chemicals in environmental systems. The universities are researching how to apply different metrics, methods and models to characterize the interactions between spatial and temporal distribution of chemicals and ecological receptors and predict the consequences.

Research results will help improve risk assessments and decisions made to protect the environment.

• Systems-Based Research for Evaluating Ecological Impacts of Chemicals (PDF)(2 pp, 341 K, 8/5/2015)