Notice Number: NOT-ES-06-003

Key Dates
Release Date: October 27, 2005

Issued by
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/)

On August 24, 2005, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a Request for Application entitled, RFA-ES-05-004, Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research . This Notice is to inform the scientific community that the NIH is amending RFA-ES-05-004, Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research as follows:

The paragraph in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description, entitled Goals, Expected Outcomes and Output , located in the paragraph prior to the Research Areas of Interest should contain the following:

Insert:

The primary EPA Strategic Goal, Objective and Sub-objective that relates to this solicitation includes: Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems, Objective 4.5: Enhance Science and Research, Sub-objective 4.5.2: Conduct Relevant Research. This research will facilitate the collection of human behavioral and other data and thus vastly improve the ability of risk assessors and risk managers to evaluate the contribution of various exposure sources and pathways to the aggregate exposure of individuals and populations to toxic chemicals and the potential and/or resultant adverse health effects that can occur. The desired outcomes of this research are that the data collected will provide scientists and managers in industry, academia and all levels of government with tools valuable for assessing environmental risks in children as required under the Food Quality Protection Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. This includes pesticide registrants, regional risk assessors, local environmental and health officials, and scientists developing exposure and effects assessment models and software.

The paragraph in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description, entitled Research Areas of Interest should include the following:

Insert:

Proposals involving intentional dosing of human subjects will not be considered for award.

Applicants must study an environmental agent/chemical/stressor to which there is human exposure and the potential for in utero exposure. This includes any endocrine active chemical(s) or organic solvents, particulate matter (PMs), pesticides, nutritional supplements, phytochemicals or metals. Nutrition, social and cultural factors cannot be considered alone.

The paragraph in Section III. Eligibility Information entitled Other Special Eligibility Criteria should include the following:

Insert:

Proposals involving intentional dosing of human subjects will not be considered for award.

The paragraph in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, entitled Application Processing should include the following:

Insert:

For EPA, disputes related to this assistance agreement competition will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in 70 Federal Register 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm. Questions regarding disputes may be referred to the EPA Financial/Grants Management Contact identified below. More information about EPA's policy on disputes can be found at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-GENERAL/2005/January/Day-26/g1371.htm.

Nonprofit applicants recommended for funding under this announcement will be subject to a preaward administrative capability review consistent with sections 8.b, 8.c, and 9.d of EPA Order 5700.8, EPA Policy on Assessing Capabilities of Non-Profit Applicants for Managing Assistance Award (refer to http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/regulations.htm)

The paragraph in Section V. Application Review Information, entitled Additional Review Criteria should be deleted and replaced with the following:

Delete:

Applications receiving high scores in the review of scientific and technical merit (peer review process) will then undergo a programmatic review conducted by technical experts from the EPA, including individuals from the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and program and regional offices involved with the science or engineering proposed. The internal programmatic review panel considers the relevance of the proposed science to EPA research priorities, program balance, the applicant's past performance and reporting, organizational experience, and available program funds from within EPA.

Replace with:

Applications receiving high scores in the review of scientific and technical merit (peer review process) will then undergo a programmatic review conducted by technical experts from the EPA, including individuals from the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and program and regional offices involved with the science proposed. The internal programmatic review panel considers:

• the relevance of the proposed science to EPA research priorities,
• the applicant's past performance and reporting, and
• organizational experience.

The purpose of the programmatic review is to assure an integrated research portfolio for the Agency and help determine which applications to recommend for award. In conducting the programmatic review, the EPA will consider information provided by the applicant and may consider information from other sources including agency files.

Final funding decisions will be made jointly by NIEHS and the Director of EPA's National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) based on the results of the merit review and internal reviews. In addition, in making the final EPA funding decisions, the NCER Director may also consider program balance, available funds, and the Congressionally-mandated Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR) (see http://es.epa.gov/ncer/other/).

The last paragraph of Section VII. Agency Contact(s), entitled Financial or Grants Management Contacts should be deleted and replaced with the following:

Delete:

Mr. Jack Puzak
Deputy Director
National Center for Environmental Research
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (8701R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington , DC 20460
Telephone: 202-564-6825
Fax: 202-565-2444
E-mail: [email protected]

Replace with:

Mr. Thomas Barnwell
Senior Advisor
National Center for Environmental Research
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (8701F)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington , DC 20460
Telephone: 202-343-9862
E-mail: [email protected]