Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2017 STAR A1
The Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms funding opportunity (EPA G2017 STAR A1) is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. It is focused on supporting research that can improve how the United States understands and responds to freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs), with an emphasis on practical scientific advances that can strengthen prediction and management. The competition invites proposals from both regular investigators and early career applicants, signaling that EPA is looking to fund a mix of established research capacity and newer investigators who can bring fresh approaches to the problem.
At the core of the solicitation is a call for innovative research spanning the full HAB management spectrum: prediction, prevention, control, and mitigation. In practice, that means EPA is interested in work that can help forecast where and when blooms will occur, identify interventions that reduce bloom likelihood, evaluate methods to control blooms once they form, and develop strategies to lessen impacts on ecosystems, drinking water, recreation, and public health. While traditional HAB research often concentrates on well-known bloom-forming cyanobacteria and common toxins, this opportunity also explicitly encourages studies on less-common, less-studied, and emerging freshwater HAB species and toxins. That part of the scope is important because it pushes applicants to address gaps where monitoring programs and risk frameworks may lag behind changing bloom conditions, evolving species distributions, and newly recognized toxic compounds.
The research themes highlighted by EPA include understanding drivers and life cycle patterns, along with the fate and effects of HAB organisms and their toxins. "Drivers" typically covers environmental and watershed factors that influence bloom development, such as nutrient loading, hydrology, temperature, stratification and mixing, light availability, land use, and climate-related shifts. "Life cycle patterns" points to work that clarifies how HAB organisms persist and re-emerge (for example, overwintering strategies, sediment interactions, dormancy or resting stages, and seasonal succession), which directly supports better prediction and prevention. The focus on "fate and effects" indicates interest in what happens to toxins and biomass after they are produced and released, including transport through water bodies, transformation or degradation, accumulation in food webs, exposure pathways, and ecological and human health outcomes. Taken together, these priorities suggest EPA wants research that links mechanistic understanding to actionable monitoring and management tools, rather than purely descriptive studies.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under the Environment funding activity area and is associated with CFDA number 66.509. Awards are grants, with an award ceiling of $760,000. EPA anticipated making about 4 awards under this announcement, which implies a competitive process with a relatively small number of funded projects. The opportunity was created on October 28, 2016, and the original closing date was January 4, 2017, with the note that applicants should consult the full announcement (especially Section IV) for detailed submission requirements and instructions. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification provided in the announcement text, meaning applicants would need to check the specific eligible applicant types and any restrictions or conditions spelled out in the full solicitation.
Overall, this STAR solicitation is best understood as a targeted research investment aimed at improving the scientific foundation for anticipating and reducing freshwater HAB risks, while also expanding the field beyond the most commonly studied organisms and toxins to include emerging threats that may not yet be well characterized in routine monitoring and management programs.Apply for EPA G2017 STAR A1
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms" 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 28, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 04, 2017 Please see the announcement including Section IV for additional submission 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 $760,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms (EPA G2017 STAR A1) - FAQs
1. What is the Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms funding opportunity (EPA G2017 STAR A1)?
This opportunity is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. It supports research intended to improve how the United States understands, predicts, and responds to freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs), with an emphasis on practical scientific advances that strengthen prediction and management.
2. Who is sponsoring and administering this grant competition?
The competition is sponsored and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the STAR program.
3. What is the main purpose of this solicitation?
The solicitation aims to fund innovative research that improves understanding of freshwater HABs and produces science that can better support real-world forecasting, prevention, control, and mitigation of blooms and their impacts.
4. What types of research does EPA want to fund under this opportunity?
EPA is calling for innovative research spanning the full HAB management spectrum, including prediction, prevention, control, and mitigation. The emphasis is on work that links mechanistic understanding to actionable monitoring and management tools, rather than research that is only descriptive.
5. What does "prediction" research mean in the context of this opportunity?
Prediction research refers to studies that improve the ability to forecast where and when freshwater HABs will occur. This could include advances that strengthen early warning, forecasting approaches, or other scientific methods that support bloom prediction.
6. What does "prevention" research mean in the context of this opportunity?
Prevention research refers to studies that identify interventions or conditions that reduce the likelihood of blooms forming in the first place, including work that improves understanding of factors and processes that lead to bloom development.
7. What does "control" research mean in the context of this opportunity?
Control research refers to evaluating methods to manage blooms once they form, including approaches that may reduce bloom intensity, duration, or extent after bloom initiation.
8. What does "mitigation" research mean in the context of this opportunity?
Mitigation research focuses on strategies to lessen the impacts of blooms on ecosystems, drinking water, recreation, and public health, including understanding exposure pathways and outcomes that can inform risk reduction.
9. Are proposals limited to well-known cyanobacteria and common toxins?
No. While traditional HAB research often focuses on well-known bloom-forming cyanobacteria and common toxins, this opportunity explicitly encourages studies on less-common, less-studied, and emerging freshwater HAB species and toxins.
10. Why does the solicitation emphasize emerging or less-studied HAB species and toxins?
That emphasis is meant to address gaps where monitoring programs and risk frameworks may lag behind changing bloom conditions, evolving species distributions, and newly recognized toxic compounds.
11. What research themes are specifically highlighted by EPA?
EPA highlights research themes that include understanding drivers and life cycle patterns, as well as the fate and effects of HAB organisms and their toxins.
12. What does EPA mean by "drivers" of harmful algal blooms?
"Drivers" generally refers to environmental and watershed factors that influence bloom development. Examples described in the opportunity include nutrient loading, hydrology, temperature, stratification and mixing, light availability, land use, and climate-related shifts.
13. What does EPA mean by "life cycle patterns" in HAB research?
"Life cycle patterns" refers to research that clarifies how HAB organisms persist and re-emerge, such as overwintering strategies, sediment interactions, dormancy or resting stages, and seasonal succession. This knowledge can directly support improved prediction and prevention.
14. What does "fate and effects" cover for HAB organisms and toxins?
"Fate and effects" points to what happens to toxins and biomass after they are produced and released. The opportunity references topics such as transport through water bodies, transformation or degradation, accumulation in food webs, exposure pathways, and ecological and human health outcomes.
15. What kinds of impacts is the research intended to help address?
The solicitation describes impacts on ecosystems, drinking water, recreation, and public health, and seeks research that supports better management responses to reduce these risks.
16. Does EPA want purely descriptive HAB studies?
The description suggests EPA is prioritizing research that connects mechanistic understanding to actionable monitoring and management tools, rather than work that is purely descriptive.
17. Who can apply: regular investigators, early career applicants, or both?
Both. The competition invites proposals from regular investigators and early career applicants, indicating that EPA is seeking a mix of established research capacity and newer investigators with fresh approaches.
18. What is the funding instrument for awards under this announcement?
Awards under this opportunity are grants.
19. What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 66.509.
20. What is the funding activity area for this grant?
The opportunity is categorized under the Environment funding activity area.
21. What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $760,000.
22. How many awards did EPA anticipate making?
EPA anticipated making about 4 awards under this announcement.
23. What does the anticipated number of awards imply about competitiveness?
Because the announcement anticipated about 4 awards, it implies a competitive process with a relatively small number of funded projects.
24. When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on October 28, 2016.
25. What was the original closing date for applications?
The original closing date was January 4, 2017.
26. Where should applicants look for detailed submission requirements and instructions?
Applicants are directed to consult the full announcement, especially Section IV, for detailed submission requirements and instructions.
27. What is listed for eligibility, and what does it mean?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification provided in the announcement text. This indicates applicants need to check the full solicitation for specific eligible applicant types and any restrictions or conditions.
28. What is the overall focus of this STAR solicitation?
Overall, it is described as a targeted research investment to improve the scientific foundation for anticipating and reducing freshwater HAB risks, while expanding beyond commonly studied organisms and toxins to include emerging threats that may not yet be well characterized in routine monitoring and management programs.
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