FEDERAL AGENCY:

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AUTHORIZATION:

Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, Title I, Section III, and Title II, Section 209, Public Law 99- 499, as amended; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, Section 311(a), Public Law 96-510; Public Health Service Act, Section 301, Public Law 78-410, as amended; Public Law 99-500.

OBJECTIVES:

To establish a unique program linking biomedical research with engineering, geoscience, and ecological research. The goals of the program are to establish and support an innovative program of basic research and training consisting of multi-project, interdisciplinary efforts that may include each of the following: (1) Methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; (2) advance techniques for the detection, assessment, and evaluation of the effects of hazardous substances on humans; (3) methods to assess the risks to human health presented by hazardous substances; and (4) and basic biological, chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances. It is intended to integrate advanced or graduate training into the multi-disciplinary research program to provide for training in: (1) Environmental and occupational health and safety; (2) the engineering aspects of hazardous waste control; and (3) graduate training in the geosciences (including hydrogenology geological engineering, geophysics, geochemistry, and related fields).

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Research grants are intended to support the direct costs of a project, in accordance with an approved budget, plus an appropriate amount for indirect costs. Grants made under this program are for university-based programs, and the objective is to establish and maintain coordinated, multi-component, interdisciplinary programs that link basic biomedical research with related engineering, hydrogenological and ecological studies. No single-project applications will be accepted. The award and use of funds are subject to applicable provisions of basic statutory authorities, appropriations acts, pertinent regulations, and operating policies of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   An accredited institution of higher education, as defined in the Higher Education Act, 20 U.S.C. (annotated) 3381, may submit an application and receive a grant for support of research by a named principal investigator. Subcontracts may be made with public and private organizations, including: generators of hazardous wastes; persons involved in the detection, assessment, evaluation, and treatment of hazardous substances; owners and operators of facilities at which hazardous substances are located; and State and local governments. Nonprofit organizations which are incorporated under 501(c)(4) are prohibited from receiving grants.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Any accredited institution of higher education engaged in biomedical research and/or engineering and ecological research.

Credentials/Documentation:   Applications must be signed by appropriate officials of the submitting institution. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-87 for State and local governments, A-21 for universities, and A-122 for private nonprofit other than universities. For-profit organizations, costs are determined in accordance with 48 CFR, Subpart 31.2 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. For other grantees, costs will be determined by HHS Regulations 45 CFR 74, Subpart Q.

Pre-application Coordination:   Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   Application forms and instructions for submission are available from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Education, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910. Telephone (301)435-0714; e-mail: ASKNIH@odrockml.od.nih.gov and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (MD 3-01), P.O. Box 12233, 104 Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. The standard application forms, as furnished by PHS and required by 45 CFR 92, must be used for this program by those applicants that are State and local units of government. This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR 92 for State and local governments and OMB Circular No. A-110 for nonprofit organizations.

Award Procedure:   Grants are made on the basis of a dual review of an investigator-prepared application. The reviews are made by peer groups: the first by a study Section for scientific merit; the second by an advisory council for program relevance. The final approval of these recommendations and decisions concerning funding is made by the Director, NIEHS.

Deadlines:   Contact Headquarters Office for deadlines information.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   From 8 to 9 months.

Appeals:   A principal investigator (P.I.) may question the substantive or procedural aspects of the review of his/her application by communicating with the staff of the Institute. A description of the NIH Peer Review Appeal procedures is available on the NIH home page www.nih.gov/grants/guide/1997/97.11.21/n2.html.

Renewals:   Renewal requests are subject to the same criteria as new applications.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Research Grants may be awarded for up to 5 years, generally in 12-month budget periods. Currently the program is operating under a 1-year authorization, no commitment of funds can be made for budget periods beginning after fiscal year 1996. Funds are released primarily on the basis of an Electronic Transfer System.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Annual and final progress reports and financial status reports are required.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants are subject to inspection and audits by DHHS and other Federal officials.

Records:   Expenditure and other financial and program records must be retained for 3 years from the day on which the grantee submits the final financial status report for the report period.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   75-0862-0-1-552.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $37,800,000; FY 02 est $42,454,000; and FY 03 est $48,936,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
Range: $5,000 to $3,068,913 Average: $793,000.

During fiscal year 2001, the Superfund Basic Research Program made 19 non-competing awards to grantees supporting multi-disciplinary approaches in advancing the understanding of human health effects of environmental exposures to hazardous substances and in developing innovative technologies for remediating these contaminants. Research included developing biomarkers to assess reproductive health, novel approaches using trees to remediate contaminated sites and the assessment of neurobehavioral effects of childhood exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls. Over 500 articles were published in peer reviewed journals and grantees sponsored 14 research conferences on behalf of the Program. The Program was recompeted during fiscal year 1999. From this recompetition, seventeen competing awards were funded in fiscal year 2000. It is expected that 19 non-competing awards will be made in fiscal year 2002 and fiscal year 2003.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

42 CFR 74; NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts; PHS Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000 (Rev.) April 1, 1994. Other publications and application kits are available from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, and NIEHS (MD 3-01), Division of Extramural Research and Training, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  
None. Program Contact: Dr. William Suk, Director, Superfund Hazardous Substance Basic Research and Training Program, Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. E-mail suk@niehs.nih.gov , Telephone: (919) 541-0797. Grants Management Contact: Mr. George Tucker, Chief, Grants Management Officer, Grants Management Branch, e-mail: george.tucker@nih.gov . Telephone: (919) 541-2749.

Headquarters Office:  
Benny Encarnacion 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 Email: encarna1@niehs.nih.gov Phone: (919) 541-5147.

Web Site Address:  
https://www.nih.gov/

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

The Superfund Basic Research Program is university-based basic research and training program consisting of coordinated, multi-component interdisciplinary programs that link basic biomedical research with related engineering, hydrogenological epidemiological, and ecological studies. This interdisciplinary program supports basic research in the following: (1) Development and use of methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; (2) development of advanced techniques for the detection, assessment, and evaluation of the effects of human health of hazardous substances; (3) development of methods to assess the risk to human health presented by hazardous substances; and (4) the development and use of basic biological, chemical, and physical methods and technologies to reduce the amount of toxicity of hazardous substances.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Major factors considered in the evaluation of responsive applications include: (1) Scientific merit of each proposed project, including the novelty, originality, and feasibility of the approach and the adequacy of the experimental design; (2) technical merit and justification of each core unit; (3) competence of the investigators to accomplish the proposed research goals, their commitments, and the amount of time they will devote to the program; (4) scope of the overall effort in relation to the objective of the program to create unique interdisciplinary programs to eventually include not only biomedical components but also engineering, ecological and/or hydrogenological components; (5) adequacy of the facilities to perform the proposed research; (6) integration of the various projects and core units into an effective program and plans for interactions among investigators; (7) adequacy and commitment of institutional resources to administer an integrated, collaborative program; (8) appropriateness of the budget for the proposed program; (9) relevance of proposed research to problems associated with hazardous waste substances; and (10) progress of program to date for completing renewal applications.