• RFA for 2018-2020 (Closed February 17, 2017)
• Cooperative Agreements, 2014 – 2017

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RFA for 2018-2020 (Closed February 17, 2017)

U.S. EPA Cooperative Agreements for the period 2018-2020
Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OAR-ORIA-17-02
Closing Date: Friday, February 17, 2017, 4:00 pm ET

Request for Applications (RFA): “National Indoor Environments Program:  Reducing Public Exposure to Indoor Pollutants”

U.S. EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), Indoor Environments Division (IED) has posted a new RFA (EPA-OAR-ORIA-17-02) here, https://www.epa.gov/grants/air-grants-and-funding, and here, http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=290725.

EPA expects to make between 10-20 awards. The selected indoor environments projects will be funded in the amount of $2-4 million annually, for up to three years (2018-2020). 

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Cooperative Agreements, 2014 – 2017

National Indoor Environments Program: Reducing Public Exposure to Indoor Pollutants

Learn about these funded projects:

• Radon

  Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
  Kansas State University (KSU) is a public, land-grant institution of higher education, and an original member of the EPA-founded Regional Radon Training Centers. KSU will partner with EPA to prevent future lung cancer deaths and reduce exposure to radon by increasing the public’s knowledge of radon and the need to test and mitigate homes and schools, to build new structures to be radon resistant, and to support radon policy implementation. Specifically, the project will operate a radon hotline reaching 12,000 persons annually; sell 6,000 radon test kits annually; and host a website servicing 80,000 unique visitors annually – providing much needed support to state and tribal radon programs in promoting public action.

  Conference of Radiation Control Directors, Frankfort, Kentucky
  The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) is a professional organization dedicated to radiation protection. CRCDP will collaborate with EPA to provide nationwide assistance to state, tribal and local government officials to reduce the American public’s exposure to elevated radon in homes and other buildings and will highlight program success . Specifically, the project will assure that technical assistance, tools and information provided by states and tribes are based on the most current science available, and increase collaboration among organizations to raise radon awareness and reduce risks through mitigation of existing buildings and building new structures radon resistant.

  American Lung Association, Washington, DC
  American Lung Association (ALA) is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. ALA will collaborate with EPA, other federal agencies, non-profit organizations and industry to prevent future lung cancer deaths by expanding support for the federal commitment to the mitigation of existing homes and the construction of new homes with radon-reducing features. This project builds support for the expansion of the Federal Radon Action Plan by education, mobilizing and growing a coalition of national, state and local health and other non-governmental groups.

• Asthma

  America’s Health Insurance Plans, Washington, DC
  America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is the national trade association representing the health insurance industry whose members provide health and supplemental benefits to more than 200 million Americans. AHIP will collaborate with EPA to identify and disseminate promising interventions across health plans, and their provider networks, that help prevent asthma episodes and promote asthma management among culturally diverse populations. Specifically, AHIP will conduct two national assessments to identify emerging asthma care delivery programs that take into account new payment and delivery models. AHIP will host a series of webinars to highlight health plan efforts to incorporate environmental interventions into comprehensive asthma care programs and will convene a leadership roundtable to share best practices.

  American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, Springfield, Illinois
  The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest (ALAUM) is committed to saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through research, education and advocacy. ALAUM will partner with EPA and 18 tribes in 12 states nationwide to implement a proven, sustainable and culturally-specific approach – Tribal Environmental Action for Children’s Health (TEACH) – to build the capacity of tribes to assess and remediate asthma triggers. Specifically, ALAUM will empower 270 or more tribal professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to improve home indoor environments, asthma control, and health outcomes for children in a minimum of 216 homes.

  National Center for Healthy Housing, Columbia, Maryland
  The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is the preeminent national nonprofit dedicated to securing healthy homes for all. Since 1992, NCHH has successfully integrated healthy housing advocacy, research, and capacity building to reduce health disparities nationwide. NCHH and EPA will launch and grow large-scale, evidence-based, sustainable asthma home visiting programs in 30 states. Specifically, NCHH will provide training and technical assistance to help state agencies and other stakeholders design and implement asthma home visiting.

  Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
  The Public Health Institute (PHI) generates and promotes research, leadership and partnerships to build capacity for strong public health programs. The Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), a project of PHI, promotes comprehensive strategies for reducing asthma that include clinical management and environmental protection. PHI will collaborate with EPA to incorporate asthma environmental interventions into the chronic disease management services of 45 school-based health centers across the nation. Specifically, RAMP will develop a guide of evidence-based interventions, conduct national and state training programs, and convene a national learning collaborative.

• Indoor Air Quality

  Environmental Law Institute, Washington, DC
  The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is an internationally recognized, non-partisan research and education center working to strengthen environmental protection by improving law and governance worldwide. The Institute advances innovative and practical solutions to environmental challenges and produces research reports and policy recommendations. The Institute will partner with EPA to convene workshops and hold a series of webinars to expand support of state and local efforts to improve indoor air quality and promote the adoption of best practices and policies. ELI will collect and maintain a database on state/local laws/policies; provide information and analysis of key issues; and conduct outreach and technical assistance.

The Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), Indoor Environments Division (IED) issued a Request for Applications (RFA), EPA-OAR-ORIA -14-03, on March 10, 2014. The RFA was open for 30 days and closed on April 21, 2014. Through a competitive selection process (as outlined in the RFA), eight organizations were selected for funding.

EPA provided $4.5M in funds over the next three years to support organizations that work to reduce risks to public health from indoor air pollutants, such as radon and environmental asthma triggers that are commonly found in homes, schools, offices and other large buildings.

Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, making indoor air quality an important public health issue. For example, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and asthma affects more than 25 million Americans including 7 million children, with poor and minority children suffering a greater burden of the disease.

• Read more about radon and lung cancer.
• Read more about asthma.

Under the Clean Air Act, or CAA, §103, EPA is authorized to conduct, and promote the coordination and acceleration of these activities relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention and control of air pollution:

• research
• investigations
• experiments
• demonstrations
• surveys
• studies and training

Section 103(b) of the CAA authorizes EPA to make grants to public or non-profit private agencies, institutions, organizations and federally recognized tribes to support these activities.

These three-year cooperative agreements were implemented on a national scale to ensure that as many Americans as possible, especially in low-income, minority and tribal communities, are able to reduce their exposure to indoor pollutants and safeguard their family’s health and well-being. EPA collaborated with these organizations to:

• prevent future lung cancer deaths by reducing public exposure to radon through the mitigation of existing homes and schools and by constructing new homes and schools with radon-reducing features;
• prevent asthma attacks, emergency room visits and other poor health outcomes by increasing the number of people, especially children and low income and minority individuals, with asthma taking actions to reduce their exposure to environmental triggers; and
• prevent a range of other poor health outcomes through expanded support of state and local efforts to improve indoor air quality by promoting the adoption of best practices and policies.

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