Technology for a Sustainable Environment (TSE)

EPA/National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnership for Environmental Research

In 1994, EPA's Office of Research and Development entered into a partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund environmental research jointly as part of its new Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research program. This partnership includes research on green chemistry through a solicitation titled "Technology for a Sustainable Environment," however the program has not received funding recently.

Background

As a nation, we seek long-term economic growth that creates jobs while improving and sustaining the environment. It is increasingly clear that "end-of-pipe" pollution controls for industrial operations are frequently not sufficient to reach these goals. A new generation of cleaner industrial manufacturing and processing technologies is needed that supports pollution avoidance/prevention (at the source), efficient resource use, and industrial ecology. Such a strategy can help companies become more competitive by lowering resource and energy needs, reducing waste and emissions control costs, and fostering sustainable development.

Description

NSF and EPA provide funds for fundamental and applied research in the physical sciences and engineering that will lead to the discovery, development, and evaluation of advanced and novel environmentally benign methods for industrial processing and manufacturing. The competition addresses technological environmental issues of design, synthesis, processing, and the production, use, and ultimate disposition of products in continuous and discrete manufacturing industries. Projects must employ fundamental new approaches, and address, or be relevant to, current national concerns for pollution avoidance/prevention (at the source). Projects that are "on the cutting edge" or are "high-risk/high-payoff" are encouraged. Projects also will be considered that show the potential to change research infrastructure by developing teams, using systems approaches, and introducing new ways of conducting research.

Research Areas

The general areas of the solicitation cover Chemistry and Chemical Reaction-based Engineering for Pollution Avoidance or Prevention; Non-reaction-based Engineering for Pollution Avoidance and Prevention; and Green Design, Manufacturing, and Industrial Ecology for Sustainable Product/Services Realization.

Submitting a Proposal

Research proposals are invited that advance the development and use of innovative manufacturing and processing technologies and approaches directed at avoiding or minimizing the generation of hazardous substances at the source. Other than those aspects that pertain to materials flows and reuse, this competition is not intended to address issues related to waste monitoring, treatment, remediation, recycling, or containment. Research in the areas of remediation and treatment of hazardous materials, while very important, is supported by other program activities in both agencies.

Grant Amounts

The total number of grants awarded for this activity depends upon the technical merit of the proposals (determined by external peer review), their relation to the agencies' missions, and the financial support available to both EPA and NSF for this program. Projects selected for support may be funded individually either by EPA or NSF, or jointly by both agencies. This is at the option of the agencies, not the grantee.

Grant History

In fiscal years 1995 through 2000, EPA and NSF awarded over $47 million for 164 research projects under the Technologies for a Sustainable Environment solicitation, most of which addressed green chemistry and processing. Award amounts average $120,000 per award per year, and award durations are typically three years.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include academic and nonprofit institutions located in the United States, and state or local governments. Individuals or groups that may collaborate with eligible applicants include personnel in profit-making firms functioning as nonfunded coinvestigators, personnel in profit-making firms sub-contracting with an awardee institution, personnel participating as coinvestigators with eligible institutions and who are associated with entities such as national laboratories and federally-funded research development consortia, and non-EPA employees (certain limits apply). Ineligible applicants include profit-making firms and federal agencies and federal employees seeking to increase their agency's appropriations.

Additional Information

For more information about the TSE program and upcoming solicitations, visit the NFS's TSE Web site . Questions about the Technology for a Sustainable Environment solicitation should be directed to Steve Lingle at (202) 564-6821 or Barbara Karn at (202) 564-6824 of EPA's Office of Research and Development. Additional information about the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Program is also available from Richard Engler (engler.richard@epa.gov) of EPA's Industrial Chemistry Branch at 202-564-8740 or from EPA's Pollution Prevention Clearinghouse (ppic@epa.gov) at (202) 566-0799.

Download:
Subvenciones para la Investigación (en Español) (PDF) (2 pp., 100 KB, About PDF)