To
support projects to design, demonstrate, or disseminate practices,
methods, or techniques related to environmental education and training.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Grant
funds shall be used to establish an education and training program
which shall include, at a minimum: 1. Design, demonstration, or
dissemination of environmental curricula, including development
of educational tools and materials; 2. design and demonstration
of field methods, practices, and techniques, including assessment
of environmental and ecological conditions and analysis of environmental
and pollution problems; 3. projects to understand and assess a specific
environmental issue or a specific environmental problem; 4. provision
of training or related education for teachers, faculty, or related
personnel in a specific geographic area or region; and 5. design
and demonstration of projects to foster international cooperation
in addressing environmental issues and problems involving the United
States and Canada or Mexico. Priority will be given to those projects
which will develop; 1. A new or significantly improved environmental
education practice, method, or technique; 2. an environmental education
practice, method, or technique which may have wide application;
3. an environmental education practice, method, or technique which
addresses skill or scientific field identified as a priority in
the report developed by the National Environmental Education Advisory
Councils; and 4. an environmental education practice, method, or
technique which addresses an environmental issue which, in the judgment
of the Administrator, is of a high priority. Priorities are specified
in the annual Solicitation Notice. No funds made available for this
program shall be used for the acquisition of real property (including
buildings) or the construction or substantial modification of any
building.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Local or Tribal education agency,
college or university, State education agency or environmental agency,
not-for- profit organization, or noncommercial educational broadcasting
entity.
Pre-application
Coordination: Standard application form SF 424
and 424A must be used for this program. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application
Procedure: Application receipts will occur
annually during early winter. Potential applicants may submit
an application package to their respective Regional Grants Management
Offices for grants $25,000 or less and to the EPA Headquarters
for grants greater than $25,000.
Award
Procedure: Applications for a Federal share
of $25,000 or less are to be submitted to the respective Regional
Offices. Applications for a Federal share of greater than $25,000
are to be submitted to the Office of Environmental Education (1704A),
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. This program
is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.
Deadlines:
For fiscal year 2002 submittal of the completed preapplication
package must be postmarked by November 15. The targeted period
for the awarding of grants is in the Summer of 2002.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Approximately
180 days.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Grants proposals are evaluated annually on a competitive basis.
Therefore, applicants should not plan for renewals.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Federal funds for
any project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the
total cost of such project. For the purposes of this section, the
nonfederal share of project costs may be provided by in- kind contributions
and other noncash support. The project has a 25 percent nonfederal
match required by statutory formula.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: The Environmental
Education program grant may be requested for a 12-month period.
However, flexibility is possible depending upon the nature of
the project. Activities must be completed within the time frame
of the budget period. Concurrent grants to the same organization
during the second year are not allowed.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Recipients of grants are expected to submit an original and a copy
of the final report for EPA approval prior to receipt of the balance
of grant funds. Recipients of grants greater than $25,000 are expected
to report on semi-annual progress, as well as final project completion.
Audits:
Projects are subject to inspection and audit by representatives
of the Comptroller General of the United States and EPA or any
authorized representative. In accordance with the provisions of
OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments,
and Nonprofit Organizations. The Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments,
and Non-Profit Organizations," was published in the Federal Register
on June 30, 1997. The Circular implements the Single Audit Act
amendments of 1996. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular
No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments,
and Nonprofit 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 Circular No. A-133.
Records:
Financial records, including all documents to support entries
on accounting records and to substantiate changes to each assistance
agreement must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine
EPA assistance accounts. All records must be maintained until
the expiration of three years from the date of submission of the
final expenditure report. If questions still remain, such as those
raised as the result of an audit, related records should be retained
until the matter is completely resolved.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 68-0108-0-1-304.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $2,400,000; FY 02 est $2,400,000; and FY 03 est
Not available. NOTE: Most grants under Section 6 for this program
do not exceed $25,000 and very few are over $100,000. Twenty-
five percent of all funds obligated under this Section in a fiscal
year are for grants of not more than $5,000.)
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance: Not applicable.
Each year Headquarters awards about 12 grants, and the 10 EPA Regional
Offices award over 20 each for a total of over 200 grants.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
40 CFR Parts 7, 12, 30, 31, 32, 32-(F), 33, 47; and Federal Register
(Solicitation Notice, September 22, 1999); Public Law 101-619.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Contact the appropriate EPA
Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters
Office: Diane Berger, Environmental Education
Grant Program, Mail Code 1704A, Environmental Protection Agency,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Telephone:
(202) 260- 8619.
Web
Site Address: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
See www.epa.gov/enviroed for a complete list with descriptions.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Bases and priorities for selecting proposals are listed in Section
6 of Public Law 101-619, National Environmental Education Act and
in the annual Solicitation Notice which can be accessed at www.epa.gov/enviroed
on the internet.
