Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2022 STAR C1
This EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant opportunity focuses on building practical, defensible life-cycle and cost-benefit decision support for Enhanced Aquifer Recharge (EAR), a water management approach that stores water underground to improve supply reliability and resilience. The core aim is to help communities and water managers evaluate when and how EAR can be implemented in a way that is both cost-effective and protective of human health and the environment. Rather than funding routine implementation projects, the solicitation is oriented toward research that produces usable tools and frameworks that decision-makers can apply across different sites, hydrogeologic conditions, and recharge methods.
The solicitation lays out two main research thrusts. First, applicants are expected to identify priority research and development needs that must be addressed to support broader, safer, and more efficient EAR deployment. This can include gaps that limit confident adoption, such as uncertainties in long-term water quality outcomes, monitoring strategies, risk communication, regulatory hurdles, operational challenges, or economic tradeoffs across alternative recharge designs. The intent is to create a clear, evidence-based roadmap of where research and development efforts will deliver the most value for utilities, states, tribes, and other stakeholders considering EAR.
Second, and most central, the project must develop tools, models, and frameworks that support EAR implementation. In practice, that means producing methods that can compare costs and benefits over the full life cycle of EAR systems, not just upfront construction costs. Life-cycle style tools typically account for planning and siting, capital construction, energy and operations, monitoring and maintenance, treatment needs (if any), replacement and rehabilitation, and end-of-life or decommissioning considerations. On the benefits side, tools may address improved drought resilience, reduced surface water impacts, avoided costs from shortages, potential water quality improvements through subsurface treatment processes, and other public or ecosystem benefits. EPA is explicitly looking for research outputs that translate complex technical factors into structured decision support that can help select among design options and identify conditions under which EAR is viable, safe, and financially sensible.
Administratively, this is a discretionary EPA opportunity issued under a cooperative agreement, which usually implies more substantial federal involvement during the project compared with a standard grant. The funding opportunity number is EPA G2022 STAR C1, and it sits within the environmental funding activity category under CFDA 66.509. The award ceiling is $2,000,000, with EPA indicating it expects to make one award, suggesting a single, relatively large research effort rather than multiple smaller projects. The announcement was created on October 27, 2021, with an original closing date of January 13, 2022 (with the reminder to consult the solicitation for any details or updates on deadlines).
The solicitation also highlights human subjects research compliance requirements, which matters if the proposed research includes surveys, interviews, community studies, behavioral research, or other activities involving people. Any human subjects work funded by EPA must comply with EPA’s protections at 40 CFR Part 26. This incorporates the Common Rule requirements and includes additional restrictions and protections for pregnant women and fetuses, nursing women, and children. The announcement specifically notes that intentional exposure research, as defined in the regulation, is prohibited for pregnant women, nursing women, and children, and that observational research involving pregnant women/fetuses or children triggers additional safeguards. Every application must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS), and proposals involving human subjects research receive an additional level of review before funding decisions are finalized. The practical takeaway is that applicants need to plan early for ethics and compliance, clearly describe whether human subjects are involved, and build appropriate protections and review steps into their project design.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as EPA funding a flagship research effort to strengthen the economic and life-cycle evidence base for Enhanced Aquifer Recharge. The expected deliverables are not just academic findings, but structured, transferable decision-support resources such as models, screening tools, or frameworks that help real-world implementers compare options, quantify tradeoffs, and move toward EAR projects that are both protective and cost-effective over the long term.Apply for EPA G2022 STAR C1
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT COSTEFFECTIVE ENHANCED AQUIFER RECHARAGE" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.509.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 27, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 13, 2022 See Section IV of funding opportunity announcement for close date information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the main goal of this EPA STAR grant opportunity?
The opportunity supports research that builds practical, defensible decision-support for Enhanced Aquifer Recharge (EAR). The goal is to help communities and water managers evaluate when and how EAR can be implemented in a way that is cost-effective and protective of human health and the environment, using tools that can be applied across different sites and conditions.
What is Enhanced Aquifer Recharge (EAR) in this context?
EAR is described as a water management approach that stores water underground to improve supply reliability and resilience. The solicitation is focused on how to evaluate and support EAR decisions, not on routine construction or implementation.
Is this funding meant for building or operating an EAR project?
No. The solicitation emphasizes research that produces usable tools, models, and frameworks for decision-makers. It is not oriented toward routine implementation projects.
What types of outputs is EPA looking for?
EPA is looking for structured, transferable decision-support resources such as tools, models, screening tools, or frameworks. These outputs should translate technical factors into usable methods that help compare options, quantify tradeoffs, and determine when EAR is viable, safe, and financially sensible.
What are the two main research thrusts in the solicitation?
First, applicants are expected to identify priority research and development needs that must be addressed to support broader, safer, and more efficient EAR deployment. Second, the project must develop tools, models, and frameworks that support EAR implementation decisions, especially life-cycle and cost-benefit decision support.
What does "identifying priority research and development needs" mean here?
It means defining an evidence-based roadmap of the most important gaps that limit confident EAR adoption and where research would deliver the most value for stakeholders considering EAR. Examples mentioned include uncertainties in long-term water quality outcomes, monitoring strategies, risk communication, regulatory hurdles, operational challenges, and economic tradeoffs across recharge designs.
What does EPA mean by "life-cycle" decision support for EAR?
Life-cycle decision support refers to methods that compare costs and benefits across the full life of an EAR system, not just upfront construction. The solicitation notes that life-cycle tools typically account for planning and siting, capital construction, energy and operations, monitoring and maintenance, treatment needs (if any), replacement and rehabilitation, and end-of-life or decommissioning considerations.
What kinds of benefits should the tools consider?
The solicitation suggests benefits may include improved drought resilience, reduced surface water impacts, avoided costs from shortages, potential water quality improvements through subsurface treatment processes, and other public or ecosystem benefits.
Do the proposed tools need to work across different locations and EAR approaches?
Yes. A central theme is that the research should produce usable tools and frameworks that decision-makers can apply across different sites, hydrogeologic conditions, and recharge methods.
What types of tradeoffs is EPA expecting applicants to address?
The opportunity is aimed at helping decision-makers compare costs and benefits over time and across options, including economic tradeoffs among alternative recharge designs, as well as safety and environmental protection considerations (such as water quality outcomes and monitoring needs).
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued as a discretionary EPA cooperative agreement, which typically implies more substantial federal involvement during the project compared with a standard grant.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is EPA G2022 STAR C1.
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 66.509 within the environmental funding activity category.
How much funding is available?
The award ceiling is $2,000,000.
How many awards does EPA expect to make?
EPA indicates it expects to make one award, which suggests a single, relatively large research effort rather than multiple smaller projects.
When was the opportunity announced and when did it originally close?
The announcement was created on October 27, 2021, and the original closing date was January 13, 2022. The solicitation advises applicants to consult the official documents for any updates or deadline details.
What are the human subjects research requirements?
If the project includes activities involving people (such as surveys, interviews, community studies, or behavioral research), it must comply with EPA human subjects protections at 40 CFR Part 26. The solicitation notes these requirements incorporate the Common Rule and include additional restrictions and protections for pregnant women and fetuses, nursing women, and children.
Is any type of human exposure research prohibited?
Yes. The announcement states that intentional exposure research, as defined in 40 CFR Part 26, is prohibited for pregnant women, nursing women, and children.
Are there additional safeguards for observational research involving certain populations?
Yes. The announcement notes that observational research involving pregnant women/fetuses or children triggers additional safeguards.
Do all applications need to address human subjects research, even if none is planned?
Yes. Every application must include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS) describing whether human subjects are involved and how compliance will be handled if applicable.
Does human subjects research affect the review process?
Yes. Proposals involving human subjects research receive an additional level of review before funding decisions are finalized.
What practical planning steps does the solicitation imply for projects involving human subjects?
The solicitation’s takeaway is to plan early for ethics and compliance, clearly describe whether human subjects are involved, and build appropriate protections and review steps into the project design.
How should this opportunity be understood overall?
It is positioned as EPA funding a flagship research effort to strengthen the economic and life-cycle evidence base for EAR, with deliverables that are intended to be directly usable by real-world decision-makers rather than purely academic results.
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