Learn the Issues
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If our Indirect Cost Rate is applied by state fiscal year which runs from July to June, must submit the following year's rate?
Yes, we require that the indirect cost rate submitted with your application be valid until September 30th of the calendar year of the application cycle. So, if you rate expires in June, you will need to provide next year's rate. If you are a Tribal applicant, please see FAQ titled…
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What if my agency does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement or our rate is expired?
If you have not submitted a proposal for an indirect cost rate (IDC) agreement you may choose one of the following options for including indirect costs in your proposed budget: (1) Select the EPA 15% Default Indirect Cost Rate for the life of the agreement, or (2) choose not to…
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How does the EN support Tribal environmental management?
The EN can help Tribal partners to: Increase capacity to collect, analyze, manage, and share data. Increase access to environmental and health related information to assist the Tribe with planning, decision-making, and addressing environmental issues more broadly. Improve ability to characterize environmental conditions on Tribal land and identify resources needed…
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How should we amend our budget if we anticipate the project will take less than the standard period of performance of 3 years?
Our program recommends, in cases where you predict the work will be completed faster than 3 years, estimating your total personnel cost over the project and then distributing that amount over 3 years (and then applying the fringe rate/costs). See the ‘ We are not sure if our project will…
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What's New in the FY25 Solicitation Notice?
Potential applicants are encouraged to review the new FY25 Solicitation Notice (SN) in full, as significant updates have been made throughout the document. Please see the EN website’s SN Section for an overview of changes in the FY25 SN.
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Can I set up a call with EN grant program staff to address questions while writing my EN grant application?
Applicants with questions about general information and/or eligibility can contact EN Grant Program Manager Erin McGown ( ENGrantProgram@epa.gov). As this is a competitive grant program, EPA staff are unable to meet with potential applicants during the open application period (the time between the publication of the SN and the application…
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How can I find IT Component Resources that are available for reuse in my EN grant project application?
Searchable IT Component and Project Registration Forms: This web area, created in FY23, provides a table of prior EN assistance agreements which met the EN term and condition to complete an ‘IT Component and Project Registration Form’ at the time of grant close-out (see Section 4D). These forms help to…
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Can EN grant funds be added to a PPG or CG?
Funds for a grant awarded under this opportunity may be included in a PPG or CG; see SN Section 2B(1) for more information.
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Is it possible to add our awarded EN grant funds to a current PPG that has a shorter period of performance than the EN’s three years?
Here is the EN Grant Program’s suggestion in this scenario: (1) Please be sure that your project narrative, workplan, and associated documents should reflect the three-year standard period of performance, as this is a requirement of our program. (2) Clearly state in both your cover letter and the project narrative…
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When and how is this grant advertised to interested parties?
The Solicitation Notice is posted annual to grants.gov and grant cycle updates are regularly posted to the Exchange Network website, so that is an excellent resource for updates on the EN grant program. Exchange Network Alerts are also sent out to registered participants about important EN news throughout the year…
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Where can I find information on past Exchange Network grant projects?
Please visit the Previous Exchange Network Grant Projects page for an overview of previously awarded Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) grant projects, including recipient name, project description, award amount, and award date. Appendix D of the Solicitation Notice also provides an overview of resources which applicants may find useful for…
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How do I apply for an EN grant?
Those interested in applying for an EN grant should download the Solicitation Notice (SN) from the grants.gov listing (see the SN section of the EN website for link). The SN identifies EPA's grant funding areas and the types of assistance agreements that are available, provides application instructions, optional templates, and…
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For developing software, how detailed does each proposal need to be as far as scope? Can it generally explain what it's supposed to do?
It is important to provide as much detail as possible, so that reviewers and EPA can understand what is being proposed and assess the applicant’s ability to carry out the proposed work. Additional information, in terms of how project narrative details are scored, can be found in the Solicitation Notice’s…
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In the context of the EN’s Commitment to Reuse, does something like the use of the EPA WQX Web Services API for flowing data count?
Yes, the reuse of EPA services such as the EPA WQX Web Services API counts in the context of the EN’s commitment to reuse existing resources. Applicants are encouraged to review the Solicitation Notice’s Evaluation Criteria (see Solicitation Notice Section 6B) and the overview of the project narrative in Appendix…
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How have Tribes used EN Grants in the past?
Tribes use EN grants to develop the Information Technology (IT), Information Management (IM), and sharing capabilities needed by their Tribe to support and improve environmental decision-making. Find out more about the types of activities in which states, Tribes and territories are involved by reviewing Previous Exchange Network Grant Projects that…
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Which Tribal entities are eligible to apply for EN grant funds?
Please see the eligibility FAQ " Who is eligible to apply for a FY24 Exchange Network grant?".
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If EPA has requested that we fix something within an implemented system, and we are applying for a grant to do so, would it be beneficial for us to include that information?
Yes; this information should be included in the project description section of your project narrative (section 1), where we ask for background information and details about why the proposed project is necessary. As the EN grant program has an express restriction on both duplicative funding and Operations and Maintenance (O&M)…
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We are applying as a partnership; do we need to decide which organization will host our dataset, or is this something that we can determine after consulting with stakeholders?
This is dependent on the project and the expected outputs/outcomes and should be decided by the participating organizations (with a goal to best meet the business needs of all). And it is fair that there might be some specifics of the project that aren’t figured out yet, and will be…
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How can a Tribe get involved in the EN?
There are many ways for Tribes to get involved in the Exchange Network. Tribes in any stage of information management program maturity may apply for Exchange Network grants to build the Tribe's capacity to share environmental information with EPA, other EN partners, and the public. Tribes can apply for individual…
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Is it expected that we would have fully analyzed reused components before applying?
As outlined in the Solicitation Notice and reflected in our evaluation criteria (Section 6B), applicants must research and consider available technologies and IT components prior to submitting a project proposal. Applicants must then either: (1) explicitly identify which EN data and technology management resources as developed by prior EN grantees…