Estimating Children’s Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science Request for Applications (RFA) and Informational Webinar

COVID-19 Update: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the Estimating Children’s Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science RFA. As part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, EPA is asking the scientific community to propose transdisciplinary research to develop or apply innovative approaches and methods to improve the estimates, better characterize the variability, and reduce the uncertainty of soil and dust ingestion rates for children aged six months through six years.

URL: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/estimating-childrens-soil-and-dust-ingestion-rates-exposure-science

 Open: May 21, 2020
 Close: August 5, 2020

 Informational Webinar: https://soil_dust_rfa_informational_webinar.eventbrite.com

Background:

Ingestion of soil and dust is a potential route of exposure for environmental chemicals. Young children may ingest significant quantities of soil and dust because they often play on the ground and put their hands and other objects that can have dust or soil on them into their mouths. Accurate and reliable data for distributional estimates of soil and dust ingestion for all lifestages are important for exposure assessment, dose model input, and risk assessment. These, in turn, support evidence-based decisions for the remediation of contaminated media and help reduce risk posed by pollutants in the environment. When scientifically verified and accurate data on ingestion rates of soil and dust for specific age groups are combined with other relevant individual, environmental, social and cultural data, more accurate exposure and dose estimates and risk assessments may be possible.

Applications should address the following Research Area:

Innovative approaches/methods to estimate children’s soil and dust ingestion rates: Develop or apply innovative methods to estimate soil and dust ingestion. These can include improving and enhancing existing ingestion rate methodologies or developing new methodologies, such as the non-targeted analysis approach. 

The goal of EPA's STAR Program is to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. It is a competitive, peer-reviewed, extramural research program that provides access to the nation’s best scientists and engineers in academic and other nonprofit research institutions. STAR funds research on the environmental and public health effects of air quality, environmental changes, water quality and quantity, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides.

How to Apply: Estimating Children’s Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science 

Learn more about the SHC Program.

Learn more about EPA Research Grants.

Informational Webinar for applicants

Date: June 18, 2020

Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Join us for an informational webinar on the Estimating Children’s Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science RFA. The webinar will cover application information and provide an overview of the RFA. 

Webinar Objectives:

• Share general information and information on RFA research areas for the EPA RFA Estimating Children’s Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science RFA (EPA Project Officer)
• Learn about the administrative, submission, eligibility and peer review processes (EPA Eligibility, Submission, and Peer Review Officers)
• Questions & Answer Session

A copy of the webinar presentation will be available at https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/estimating-childrens-soil-and-dust-ingestion-rates-exposure-science for those unable to participate in the scheduled webinar.

For information on eligibility, project specifications or how to apply, go to https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/estimating-childrens-soil-and-dust-ingestion-rates-exposure-science

To join the informational webinar: https://soil_dust_rfa_informational_webinar.eventbrite.com