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Frequently Asked Questions for the National Environmental Education Training Program

— FOR REFERENCE ONLY —
The deadline for applying has passed. Applications were due on July 26, 2010.

References

National EE Training Program Solicitation Details

Solicitation Notice

How to Apply - Forms

EPA Press Release, April 7, 2010

EPA Announcement, April 8, 2010

Updated 7/15/10
This page will be updated based on questions received from potential applicants. Please visit this page frequently. Specific updates include:

The frequently asked questions are grouped into the following categories:


Application Process

1. What is the deadline for submitting my application?

Applications must be received by EPA no later than 11:59pm July 26, 2010. Any application received after this date and time will not be considered for funding.

2. Where do I send my application?

Applications must be e-mailed to U.S. EPA at: EnvEdTraining@epa.gov. If you are unable to submit your application by e-mail, please contact the Environmental Education Training Program Solicitation Notice Hotline at 202-564-0451 to determine an alternative method.

3. How and when will I be notified about the status of my application?

Applicants will receive a confirmation by e-mail that your application was received by EPA. If you have submitted your application and have not received an e-mail confirmation, please send an e-mail to EnvEdTraining@epa.gov to request verification. If you can not send an e-mail, you may leave a message on the National Environmental Education Training Program Hotline at 202-564-0451 and an EPA representative will call you back as soon as possible.

EPA expects to contact the finalist whose application is being recommended for funding by e-mail or phone to request additional documentation needed to process the award by mid-September 2010. Applicants who are not selected for funding will receive official notification from EPA by mail within 15 calendar days after the final selection is made.

Applicants who are not eligible for funding consideration based on the threshold eligibility criteria will be notified by mail within 15 calendar days of EPA’s determination that they are not eligible. For more information about the threshold eligibility criteria, see Question 19 below.

4. When will the award be made?

The award is expected to be made by September 30, 2010.

5. Who do I contact if I have questions about my application?

Before contacting EPA, please read the solicitation notice. Also, please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs). Most questions applicants ask are already addressed in the solicitation and in the FAQs. If you are not able to send an e-mail, please call the National Environmental Education Training Program Solicitation Hotline at 202-564-0451 to leave a message. An EPA representative will return your call.
NOTE: EPA can only answer administrative questions. EPA staff will not discuss draft applications, provide comments on draft applications, or provide any advice to applicants.

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Award Information

6. How many awards will be made?

Only ONE cooperative agreement will be awarded to a U.S. institution of higher education, an eligible not-for-profit institution, or a consortium of such institutions to operate the entire national program for the expected duration of five years. As in the past, EPA expects the award to be made to a consortium of institutions due to the broad and diverse nature of the program.

7. How much money will be awarded?

Approximately $2.2 million will be awarded for the first year of the program based on FY 2010 appropriations. Funding for the subsequent four years of the program is subject to annual appropriations by Congress and other factors. For planning purposes, applicants should estimate funding for each subsequent four years of the program to be $2 million per year.

8. When should the program start? How long will the program last?

The start date for the program is October 1, 2010. The award will cover the first year of the program which will operate from October 1, 2010 - September 30, 2011. The Agency intends, subject to appropriations by Congress and other factors, to execute supplemental funding agreements for up to four subsequent project periods through September 30, 2015.

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Eligibility

9. Who is eligible to apply as a recipient/grantee or to be a partner /subgrantee in a consortium in this program?

U.S. institutions of higher education, eligible not-for-profit institutions, or a consortium of such institutions may apply for funding directly from EPA or be a partner in a consortium under this program.

10. Are Minority Academic Institutions eligible to apply or to be a partner in this program?

Yes, institutions of higher education include Minority Academic Institutions (MAIs) such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.

11. Where can I get more information about Minority Academic Institutions?

EPA’s Office of Small Business Programs has a listing of MAIs such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions. For information on EPA’s MAI program, go to: http://www.epa.gov/osdbu/mai_program.htm.

12. What type of not-for-profit institution is eligible to apply or to be a partner in this program?

Not-for-profit institutions who are eligible to apply or to be a partner in this program are those organizations, associations, or institutions described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which are exempt from taxation (often referred to as “501(c)(3) non-profit organizations”).

13. Does EPA encourage applicants to form a consortium of institutions?

Yes, EPA encourages eligible institutions to form a consortium to operate the National Training Program due to the broad and diverse nature, in both scope and reach, of the program.

14. May an institution be part of or submit more than one application?

Yes, eligible institutions may be a member of a consortium in more than one application. However, such institutions may not apply as the sole applicant or as the lead institution in a consortium in more than one application.

15. Can the consortium that is currently operating the National Training Program apply to operate the next five year program?

Yes, any eligible institution may apply regardless of whether they have operated the program in the past or were a partner in a consortium in the past. This includes the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point or any of the partners in this consortium. All applications will be evaluated based on the criteria established in the solicitation notice. For more information about the current program, the Environmental Education and Training Partnership, go to: http://www.eetap.org.

16. May a Federal agency be a partner in a consortium?

Yes, a Federal agency who supports or implements environmental education or conservation education programs may be a partner in a consortium. However, Federal agencies may not be a subgrantee that receives funds under this program. Thus, a Federal agency may be a partner but may not be the lead partner in the consortium (since the lead partner receives the funding under the program). A Federal agency who is a partner would need to use their own funds to support their activities as a partner in the consortium. See Question #47 for information about federal agencies as subcontractors under this program.

17. Where can I get more information about Federal agencies who may be potential partners in a consortium?

Examples of Federal agencies that are involved in environmental education and conservation education programs include: the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, NASA, Bureau of Land Management, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information on Federal agencies that support or implement environmental education and conservation programs, go to: http://www.epa.gov/education/FTFmemws.html.

18. May a state or local government agency or a school or school district be a partner in a consortium? If these entities may not be partners, may they otherwise receive funds as sub-grantees?

Only U.S. institutions of higher education and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations may be partners in a consortium under this program as specified under Section 5(c)(1) of the National Environmental Education Act. However, under EPA's sub-grant policy, sub-grantees do not need to be eligible to receive grant funds directly from EPA in order to receive a sub-grant, unless the grant making statute, EPA regulation, or official policy expressed in the solicitation notice provide otherwise. None of these conditions apply. Therefore, a state or local government agency or a school or school district could receive a sub-grant under this program from one of the partners in the consortium. For example, an eligible non-profit organization may be a partner in the consortium. This non-profit may have an established program whereby they distribute funds to state education agencies for specific purposes. Under this scenario, the eligible non-profit organization who is a partner in the consortium may provide sub-grants to state education agencies to implement specific activities under the program. In addition, teachers and other education professionals who work for state or local government agencies or schools or school districts may receive training and long-term support under this program. For more information on sub-awards, go to: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/guide/subaward-policy-part-2.pdf.

19. What threshold requirements do I need to meet to ensure my application is not screened-out based on eligibility?

Applications must meet the following threshold criteria to be eligible for funding consideration.
Failure to meet any of the following criteria will result in the application being disqualified from further consideration.

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Audience and Scope

20. What is the relationship between EPA’s National Training Program and EPA’s Environmental Education Grant Program?

The National Training Program and the Environmental Education Grant program are two separate programs administered by EPA’s Office of Environmental Education. This solicitation notice applies only to the National Training Program authorized under Section 5 of the Act (http://www.epa.gov/education/educate.html). This program focuses on delivering training and long-term support to a wide range of education professionals that reach diverse demographic populations in all geographic regions of the United States, including K-12 classroom teachers, faculty in education departments at colleges and universities, and non-formal educators. Only one award is made to operate the entire national program which is expected to operate from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2015, subject to annual performance reviews, the availability of funds, and consistency with Agency policy. As in the past, the award is expected to be made to a consortium of institutions. This program does not provide grants for individual educator training projects nor does it support other types of environmental education projects.

The Environmental Education Grant Program is authorized under Section 6 of the Act. This program typically awards about 100 grants worth between $2 – 3 million per year to support individual environmental education projects around the country, including smaller scale educator training projects. Institutions seeking funding for local, state, or regional educator training efforts or other types of environmental education projects are encouraged to apply for funds under this program (http://www.epa.gov/education/grants.html). Solicitation notices for the EE Grant Program are typically issued in the Fall with applications due in the Winter each year. For more information on the National Environmental Education Act, go to: (http://www.epa.gov/education/whatis.html).

21. How does EPA define “environmental education”? How is environmental education different from environmental information and environmental outreach?

Environmental education* increases awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provides the skills needed to make informed and responsible decisions. EE enhances critical thinking, problem solving and effective decision making skills and teaches individuals how to weigh various sides of an environmental issue before making decisions. EE does not advocate a particular viewpoint or course of action.

*NOTE: Training under this program must be for environmental education rather than for environmental information and environmental outreach. As defined in EPA’s FY 2010 Environmental Education Grant Program Solicitation Notice, environmental information and environmental outreach may be important elements of environmental education, but these activities by themselves are not environmental education (http://www.epa.gov/education/pdf/solicitationnotice2010.pdf). These activities can be viewed along a continuum as follows:

Environmental Education Continuum

As shown in the continuum, environmental information, by itself, only addresses awareness and knowledge. Environmental outreach involves information dissemination and requests or suggestions for action (often without the critical thinking, problem solving and decision making steps in between). Environmental education covers the range of steps and activities shown in the continuum -- from awareness to action with an ultimate goal of environmental stewardship.

The terms environmental information, environmental outreach, and environmental stewardships are defined below.

22. Is reaching historically under-served audiences an important element of the National Training Program? How does the solicitation notice address the inclusion of under-served audiences?

Yes, reaching historically under-served audiences is an important element of the National Training Program. Historically under-served audiences may include communities of color, economically distressed communities and/or geographically isolated communities. The solicitation notice addresses this by indicating that the program must deliver training and support to education professionals who reach diverse demographic populations in all geographic regions of the U.S. The solicitation also encourages training that involves colleges and universities to include efforts to reach out to Minority Academic Institutions.

23. Does my application need to include both actual training and long-term support activities?

Yes, EPA believes that long-term support is as important as the actual delivery of training.

24. What does it mean to be a “national” program?

This means that the delivery of training and long-term support must to reach education professionals in all geographic regions of the U.S. (e.g., Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, West Coast, East Coast, Mid-West, Mid-Atlantic, South etc).

25. Can my local or statewide educator training program be considered “national” if the program can serve as a model for others to duplicate?

No, this would not be considered a “national” program. The program must be delivered across the country, not just made available for others to duplicate if they wish.

26. Would my program be considered "national" if we deliver training to a few cities at national conferences and have a national Internet presence in the first year then expand the geographic reach of the program in years 2 - 5?

No, delivery of training must be delivered to all geographic regions of the U.S. in all five years of the program to be considered "national." And, having a national Internet presence does not constitute the delivery of training.

27. Are existing national environmental education resources and programs required to be part of the National Training Program?

Yes, the National Training Program must, at a minimum, build on existing national environmental education resources and programs to leverage resources, encourage partnerships, and reduce duplication of effort. To build on these national resources and programs, partnerships may be formed with colleges/universities and/or non-profit organizations who are eligible to receive funds under this program. NOTE: This is a threshold eligibility requirement as discussed in Question 19 above.

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History of the Program

28. How many awards have been made in the past to operate the National Training Program? Which institutions have received previous awards as the lead partner in a consortium?

There have been four previous multi-year cooperative agreements awarded.

29. Which institutions are or have been partners in the National Training Program?

Each of the four consortia identified above included various university and non-profit partners that shared responsibility for implementing program activities. For example, past partners have included:

30. Which institutions are partners in the current National Training Program?

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point leads the current program called the “Environmental Education and Training Partnership 3” (EETAP - 3). Current partners are:

For information on the current program, go to: http://www.eetap.org.

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Contents of the Application

31. What must be included as part of my application?

32. Where can I get copies of the SF 424 and 424A?

You may access and print the two required federal forms (SF 424 and SF 424A) from EPA’s environmental education web site at: http://www.epa.gov/education/educate/solicitation.html.

33. Where can I get more information about how to design my evaluation plan?

For more information on developing an evaluation plan, please go to “My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant” at http://meera.snre.umich.edu. MEERA provides information on the importance of evaluations, how to develop an evaluation plan, how to find and work with an external evaluator, sample EE evaluations, and more. This on-line resource was developed with funding from U.S. EPA and the U.S. Forest Service.

34. What is a logic model? Where can I get more information about designing a logic model?

A logic model is a diagram that illustrates the rationale behind your program. It graphically displays how program resources and activities lead to outputs and outcomes. In other words, a logic model shows the relationships between the resources you invest, the activities you carry out, the outputs you produce or deliver, and the benefits or outcomes you expect. There are many ways to design a logic model. To see a sample logic model and template used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, go to: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/evaluation/logic.pdf. For more information on developing logic models, go to “My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistance” web site at: http://meera.snre.umich.edu/plan-an-evaluation/plonearticlemultipage.2007-10-30.4643560864/step-2-clarify-program-logic.

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Costs and Use of Grant Funds

35. If the applicant does not have an Indirect Cost Agreement with the Federal government, can an applicant include overhead and other indirect costs in their proposed budget?

Yes. Except for Brownfields assistance agreements, applicants are generally allowed to include indirect costs; such as expenses for rent, supplies and other administrative and office support costs on the "indirect costs" line of their proposed budget. However, organizations without a Federally approved/negotiated indirect cost rate agreement MUST submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant Federal agency (with copy to EPA) for approval within 90 days of being notified that they will receive a grant award. Please note: recipients are not allowed to seek reimbursement for indirect costs until an approved indirect cost rate is obtained.

36. When the application is a consortium of organizations, what indirect cost rate can be used for the applicant (i.e., the lead organization) and for the partners/sub-grantees?

The established indirect cost rate must be applied to the lead organization's direct costs (staff, travel, materials, etc.) in accordance with that organization's federally approved indirect cost rate agreement. The partners/sub-grantees charge their own established indirect cost rates to direct costs those organizations incur under the subgrants. The lead organization may not charge indirect costs on direct or indirect costs the subgrantees incur. However, the lead organization may charge indirect costs on direct costs it incurs for subgrant administration. In cases where they use "Modified Total Direct Costs" as their base, recipients are allowed to apply their indirect cost rate to their "direct costs" minus any distorting factors (i.e., equipment purchases and the portion of subawards or subgrants in excess of $25,000). What this means is that the EPA recipient can only apply their indirect cost rate to their actual direct costs and to the first $25,000 of each subaward/sub grant they issue. The Cost Principles only allows the recipient organization to charge indirect costs on direct costs it incurs and for the direct costs associated with subgrant administration and oversight.

37. Is a non-federal cost-share (i.e., non-federal match) required?

Yes, applicants must provide non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of the total cost of the project.

38. What is a “voluntary” cost share?

Applicants are required to provide non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of the total cost of the project as described Question 36. If the applicant chooses to provide more than a 25% cost share, that portion of the cost-share is referred to as a “voluntary” cost share. If the applicant provides for a “voluntary” cost share (i.e., more than the required 25%) and EPA accepts that offer, the applicant is legally committed to meeting the required amount plus the “voluntary” cost share as a condition of receiving EPA funding.

39. Can an application with a budget that contains less than its Federally-negotiated indirect cost rate claim the rest of that percentage rate as part of its required non-Federal match?

Yes, as long as a written copy of the current negotiated indirect cost rate is submitted along with the application.

40. Do the required non-Federal matching funds have to be in cash or can they be in-kind contributions?

In-kind contributions of services, and other items like equipment, can count toward the required 25% cost match. The match must be for an allowable cost and may be provided by the applicant or a partner institution. The match may be provided in cash or by in-kind contributions and other non-monetary support.

41. Can other Federal funds be used to support this National Training Program?

Yes, you may use other Federal funds to complement the activities under this program. However, it’s important that you keep different sources of funding separate for accountability purposes. If you have already received other Federal funding which you will use to complement this program, you should specify this in your application and include information about those funds in the budget section of the work plan. You may not use any Federal funds to meet any part of the required 25% non-federal match described above, unless specifically authorized by statute. You must also identify the project officer, agency, office, address, phone number, e-mail, and the amount of the Federal funds.

42. When is it allowable to use grant funds to pay for meals?

Generally, when a speaker is provided or other work is being done during breakfast or lunch at a conference or workshop, it is allowable to use grant funds to pay for meals for the participants. It is also generally allowable to use grant funds to pay for light refreshments offered during breaks at conferences or workshops. The specific event at which meals and light refreshments will be provided must be described in the scope of work. Meals and light refreshments provided at a grant recipient's staff meetings are not allowable, nor are refreshments for receptions. Meals and receptions where alcohol is served are not allowable even if the grant funds are not used for the alcohol.

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Subawards and Contracts

43. Do partners in a consortium have to go through a competitive process to receive subawards after the award is made to the lead institution in a consortium?

No, subawards to partners in a consortium do not have to be competed. For more information on sub-awards, go to: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/guide/subaward-policy-part-2.pdf.

44. Do contracts need to be competed under the National Training Program?

Contractors, including consultants, must be selected in compliance with the competitive Procurement Standards in 40 CFR 31.36, as appropriate. This means that contracts must either be competed or that a proper non-competitive sole-source award was made. EPA will consider the qualifications of the contractors when evaluating the application.

45. Where can I get more information about the distinction between subawards and contracts?

For more information, go to: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/guide/subawards-appendix-b.pdf

46. Can a partner or contractor provide any or all of the 25% cost-share requirement?

Yes, provided the costs are allowable under 40 CFR 30.23 or 40 CFR 31.24 for third party contributions. Note that a third party's indirect costs may not be counted toward a cost share.

47. May a Federal agency be a subcontractor under this program?

It depends. In order for a federal agency to provide services to a grantee/recipient the federal agency must have statutory authority to provide services to the private sector on a cost-reimbursement basis. Recipients should obtain written confirmation from the federal agency that will perform the services that it has statutory authority to enter into the transaction. EPA does not require recipients who enter into cost reimbursement agreements with federal agencies to follow the procurement procedures in 40 CFR Part 30 or 40 CFR Part 31. Note that a federal agency is not eligible to be a direct recipient of grants or subgrants under this program. See question 16 for more information on federal agencies as partners under this program.

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More Information

48. Where can I get additional information about the current National Training Program?

Visit EPA’s environmental education web site at http://www.epa.gov/education/eetap.html or the Environmental Education and Training Partnership’s web site at http://www.eetap.org.

49. Where do I get more information about EPA’s Office of Environmental Education?

Visit the Office of Environmental Education’s web site at: http://www.epa.gov/education.

50. Where do I get information about other potential sources of funding for environmental education?

The following links provide more information about other potential sources of funding for educator training programs and environmental education projects.

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