Grants Frequently Asked Questions
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These FAQs apply only to competitions sponsored by EPA's National Center for Environmental Economics (NCEE). This page will be updated as we receive questions regarding grants. We are not able to answer a question if the answer involves individual advice to a potential applicant.
This page was
most recently updated on Wednesday, November 26, 2008.
Q1. Are indirect (overhead) costs allowable costs to include in the budget of the application?
A1. Yes, indirect costs are allowable costs. For more detailed information on policies concerning the definition and treatment of indirect costs for assistance agreement awards, visit the Grants Management website of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_circulars.html. 
Q2. Where do I add details explaining the basis for the budget calculations of indicated sums?
A2. On the SF-424A form, applicants are directed to use box 23, "Remarks," to provide details on budget calculations (e.g., Travel: N trips, each at $X). The 'supplemental page(s)' referred to in Section IV(B)(3)of the solicitation will then be a part of your file for this form. Please be aware for applicants using the fill-and-save PDF version of SF-424A, box 23 will not automatically be resized to show all the details you are able to enter using the software. Should an applicant need to enter more than two lines of text in this box, the information will still be visible to reviewers reading the file, but materials contained after the first two lines will not appear when the document is printed. Therefore we ask applicants submitting text in excess of two lines in this box to please alert us by indicating this in the box (e.g., adding the phrase 'continued' in the first two lines of visible text). Applicants using the WordPerfect or Word versions of the forms will not experience this, as the boxes will automatically be resized to accommodate additional lines of text. The required justification of costs is to be included as part of the Project Description, Budget Justification and Evaluation Criteria Discussion" file described in Section IV(B)(2)of the announcement. The information contained in box 23 of SF-424A should only include material necessary to explain the basis for the budget calculations; NCEE will not consider any justification information located here in evaluating the adequacy of the proposer's budget.
Q3. Is cost sharing crucial?
A3. As the solicitation notes (Section III.B), there is no match or cost-sharing requirements. However, costs are a critical component of the evaluation criteria and thus cost-sharing, as it pertains to cost effectiveness, will be considered.
Q4. Can grant funds be used to pay travel expenses, including overseas travel?
A4. Travel expenses are a legitimate cost, and may be covered as noted in another question on costs (above). However, payments for federal government employees' travel is prohibited.
Q5. What happens if I submit an application after the 11:59pm EST on December 5, 2008 deadline?
A5. It will not be reviewed.
Q6. What happens if my proposal is longer than the specified page limit?
A6. We will only consider the pages up to and including the last allowable page.
Q7. How can I determine whether the subject matter addressed in my proposal is covered under the statutory authority the EPA is using to provide the means for funding of assistance agreements covered under this solicitation?
A7. The EPA is given authority in its authorizing statutes to issue assistance agreements in support of economic studies addressing a variety of environmental issues and conditions. The specific citations introduced in the solicitation can be found in the United States Code. Links to the four sections included in the solicitation are provided below.
Clean Air Act, as amended, Section 103 http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00007403----000-.html
Clean Water Act, as amended, Section 104 http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode33/usc_sec_33_00001254----000-.html
Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, Section 8001. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00006981----000-.html
Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, Section 1442 http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00000300---j001-.html
Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, 15 U.S.C. 2609 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/2609.html
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, 7 U.S.C. 136r http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/7/136r.html
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, Section 311, 42 U.S.C. 9660 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/42/9660.html
EPA funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the award and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. The applicant is responsible for drawing a clear connection in the application between the subject matter of the research to be performed and the statutory authority given to EPA to address issues that concern this same subject matter. Once proposals are reviewed and final recommendations are prepared, EPA will confirm the statutory authority to be used to fund the projects and may require modifications to the project consistent with the applicable statute.
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Q8. Will the indirect cost rate that is applicable to projects funded under this announcement be our institution’s standard negotiated indirect cost rate for federal grants and contracts, or another rate such as a lower indirect cost rate negotiated under alternative programs supporting issuance of cooperative agreements? If another rate is applicable, what is that rate, or how will it be determined?
A8. Current EPA policy is to forward indirect cost rate proposals to cost negotiators at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) who, through an interagency agreement, negotiate rates on behalf of EPA. The cost negotiators conduct the reviews, and negotiate rates with the recipients. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has an online database which posts rate agreements negotiated by various federal agencies. The weblink for this database is http://rates.psc.gov/fms/dca/new_search.html.
Negotiated agreements for indirect cost rates are generally good for a 12-month period. However, if a recipient submits data covering more than one 12-month period in their indirect cost rate proposal, and is requesting rates for the additional year(s), then the cost negotiators may establish a rate(s) for the additional 12-month period(s). A rate agreement may also cover less than a 12-month period.
No special documentation is required during the application phase; documentation is required only after the grant is awarded. At that point an EPA grant specialist is responsible for determining if the recipient has an approved indirect cost rate agreement. The EPA grant specialist can (1) ask the recipient to provide a copy of the current indirect cost rate agreement; or (2) check the above online database and other databases managed within the EPA to verify the existence of an agreement.
EPA will reimburse indirect costs if the recipient has a current approved indirect cost rate. The EPA grant specialist must verify that a current rate is in place. However, indirect costs that are listed in the recipient’s budget for a period not covered by the current negotiated rate agreement are not eligible for a full reimbursement; unless the recipient submits an indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant federal agency (EPA, if applicable) for the period in which those costs were incurred.
Q9. Are other federal agencies and federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDC) eligible to participate in this solicitation?
A9. National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. The institution, organization, or governance receiving the award may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research. However, salaries for permanent FFRDC employees may not be provided through this mechanism.
Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on a assistance agreement, and may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations in other ways through awards made under this program.
The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector. Examples are purchase of satellite data, census data tapes, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.
Q10. Does the applicant need to complete the information on the SF-424 form that asks for the "Federal Entity Identifier" and the "Federal Award Identifier"?
A10. No. Both of these fields can be left blank by applicants, whether filling out the form using grants.gov or using one of the other methods to file an application.
Q11. Can I request advice on whether my proposal falls within the scope of the RFP? Can I request feedback on whether the EPA is interested in my proposal? Can you give me any suggestions on how to improve the proposal?
A11. No - in accordance with EPA's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy (EPA Order 5700.5A1), EPA staff will not meet with individual applicants to discuss draft proposals, provide informal comments on draft proposals, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to ranking criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of their applications/proposals. Proposals will be reviewed in accordance with the criteria set out in Section V of the RFP and the scope of the requested proposals is described in Section II. EPA cannot provide further information on these areas.
However, consistent with the provisions in the announcement, EPA will respond to questions from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification about the announcement.
The scope of research requested for both areas of the solicitation is intentionally broad in order to solicit creative and potentially groundbreaking research.
Q12. For Area 2. "Data Gathering for Dissertation and Early Career Research on the Pollution Control Aspects of Environmental Economics," the solicitation reads: "The applicant's principal investigator or at least one major co-investigator for proposals under area (2) must be either a Ph.D. student or have received their Ph.D. no earlier than January 1, 2005. The proposals should involve data primarily intended for use in a research project being prepared by this investigator. This investigator may request minimal EPA funds for their time spent on the project. Other researchers, such as Ph.D. advisors and committee members, senior faculty, and other colleagues are encouraged to collaborate in the research proposal,however, no EPA funds should be allocated for time spent by these other researchers. The bulk of funds in the proposed budget should cover the data gathering involved." (page 6)
In this context what does minimal mean? Does this mean that the bulk of the money cannot be spent on tuition or stipend for a graduate student?
A12. “Minimal“ should be no more than two weeks time or the smallest unit of time that can be billed by your organization, whichever is larger.
The bulk of the money cannot be spent on a stipend for a graduate student unless that student is otherwise unsupported and the time is directly related to the data collection. The grant may not be charged for time in excess of the time necessary to perform the data collection. Tuition may only be charged if tuition remission is a necessary component of graduate student support needed to perform the data collection.
Q13. Do I need to stress in the narrative proposal that I am a young faculty member or would it be sufficient to attach a resume or curriculum vita that shows dissertation dates?
A13. We suggest that applicants respond directly to the criteria and make it clear that they are at a stage in their career where they meet the eligibility criteria, and not leave that interpretation only to readers of their resume or curriculum vita included in the application.
Q14. Is it necessary to have an economist on the team?
A14. No, having an economist on the team is not a threshold criterion, but the evaluation criteria in Section V. broadly, and sometimes specifically, emphasize the subject of environmental economics. For example, one of the criteria for Area 2. "Data Gathering for Dissertation and Early Career Research on the Pollution Control Aspects of Environmental Economics," concerns "Likely credibility of the proposed data to the environmental economics research community." It is ultimately the responsibility of the applicant to address these criteria (see Section IV.B.3).
Q15. What are suggested start and end dates for projects? What are eligible lengths of times for a project?
A15. According to Section VI.A (page 26), "EPA expects to announce successful awards no later than May 2009, and according to Section II (page 7), "Assistance agreements may be awarded for project periods of up to 5 years where appropriate." The proposed projects should therefore plan to start around May 2009, and the end date would be contingent on the nature of the project, but would be no later than five years.
Q16. Are the citations and reference to the literature included in the "Narrative Section" of the application subject to the page count limitations included in the directions to the solicitation?
A16. The solicitation asks that the "Narrative Section" include citations or references to other literature (page 11, Section IV.B.3 of the solicitation). Therefore, the 15-page limitations included in the directions include pages used for citations and literature references.
New Question posted November 25, 2008
Q17. Can you clarify what a "reasonable time period" is in context of the Data Plan described in Section IV.B.3.d (page 12) and referenced again later in Section VI.G. (page 29) of the solicitation?
A. 17 The intention of using the phrase a "reasonable time period" attempts to communicate the idea that recipients may choose to have first exclusive rights to use the data, and this feature won't necessarily adversely affect their ratings when applying the criteria in the solicitation under Section V.B.2. that addresses the cost-effectiveness of the data gathering effort. The data plan will figure into the review of the proposals as described in the evaluation criteria, and the panel assembled to review the proposals will be expected to apply a consistent approach to rating proposals on this criteria. As a result, we are unable to describe a fixed time period applicable to all data plans, since each proposal's data plan will depend on the specifics of the rest of the proposal. Where data plan provisions are included in solicitations of this type, it is not uncommon to gauge a "reasonable time period" as providing sufficient time until the first journal publication using the data is released, or perhaps two years after the closeout of the awarded grant - but these are only examples, and are not sure to be applicable in reviewing proposals submitted to this solicitation.
New Question posted November 26, 2008
Q18. What forms should be filed with a proposal package should there be subcontracting of services included in the proposal? The application instructions state that a separate budget must be provided for each subcontract (Section IV.B.4, page 11). Does this need to be done using an SF-424A form, or is a budget spreadsheet for each subcontract sufficient? Also, where should the separate subcontract budgets be included as part of a Grants.gov application package?
A18. Subcontractors are considered to be "subawardees" for purposes of filing an application, and as such, they do not have to supply their own SF-424A form detailing their own budget information. For applications submitted electronically through Grants.gov, information on subawardees, including such items as a budget spreadsheet, can be included in the application package as an attachment using the "Other Attachments Form" in the "Optional Documents" box.