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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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A Review of the
Environmental Protection
Agency’s
Science to Achieve Results
Research Program

Committee on the Review of Environmental Protection Agency’s
Science to Achieve Results’ Research Grants Program

Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
Division on Earth and Life Studies

A Consensus Study Report of

images

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by Contract EP-C-14-005 with the US Environmental Protection Agency. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

Additional copies of this publication are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-45857-3
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-45857-9
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/24757

Copyright 2017 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/24757.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×

Image

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C.D. Mote, Jr., is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×

Image

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×

COMMITTEE ON THE REVIEW OF EPA’S SCIENCE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM

Members

MARK J. UTELL (Chair), University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY

PRAVEEN K. AMAR, Independent Consultant, Lexington, MA

MARIAN R. CHERTOW, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT

SUSAN E. COZZENS, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

BART E. CROES, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento, CA

ANA V. DIEZ ROUX, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA

KIMBERLY A. GRAY, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

PHILIP K. HOPKE, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY

KIMBERLY L. JONES, Howard University, Washington, DC

HAROLD A. MOONEY, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

MARTIN A. PHILBERT, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI

JOSHUA M. SHARFSTEIN, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD

MITCHELL J. SMALL, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

CLIFFORD P. WEISEL, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ

Staff

ELIZABETH B. BOYLE, Study Director

RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Scholar and Director of Environmental Studies

MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Manager, Technical Information Center

RADIAH ROSE, Manager, Editorial Projects

ORIN LUKE, Senior Program Assistant

Sponsor

US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×

BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY

Members

WILLIAM H. FARLAND (Chair), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

RICHARD A. BECKER, American Chemistry Council, Washington, DC

E. WILLIAM COLGLAZIER, AAAS, Washington, DC

DOMINIC M. DITORO, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

DAVID C. DORMAN, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

CHARLES T. DRISCOLL, JR., Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

ANNE FAIRBROTHER, Exponent, Inc., Philomath, OR

GEORGE GRAY, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

STEVEN P. HAMBURG, Environmental Defense Fund, New York, NY

ROBERT A. HIATT, University of California, San Francisco, CA

SAMUEL KACEW, University of Ottawa, Ontario

H. SCOTT MATTHEWS, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

ROBERT PERCIASEPE, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Arlington, VA

R. CRAIG POSTLEWAITE, Department of Defense, Burke, VA

MARK A. RATNER, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

JOAN B. ROSE, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

GINA M. SOLOMON, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA

ROBERT M. SUSSMAN, Sussman and Associates, Washington, DC

DEBORAH L. SWACKHAMER, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

PETER S. THORNE, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Staff

TERESA A. FRYBERGER, Director

ELLEN K. MANTUS, Scholar and Director of Risk Assessment

RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Scholar and Director of Environmental Studies

SUSAN N.J. MARTEL, Senior Program Officer for Toxicology

ELIZABETH B. BOYLE, Program Officer

TAMARA DAWSON, Program Associate

IVORY CLARKE, Research Assistant

BERNIDEAN WILLIAMS-SMITH, Financial Associate

SUZANNE THILENIUS, Administrative Coordinator

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×

Preface

Environmental research plays a crucial role in protecting human health and the environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been supporting environmental research in academic and nonprofit institutions through a program known as Science to Achieve Results, or STAR. STAR aims to support research projects that are chosen through a competitive process of independent peer review that focuses on research in environmental and human health problems. STAR research is intended to provide the underlying scientific and engineering knowledge needed to address environmental and human health issues and to improve decision-making, problem detection, and problem-solving.

The EPA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to conduct an independent assessment of the STAR program. In response, the NASEM established the Committee on the Review of EPA’s Science to Achieve Results. In this report, the committee analyzes information provided by EPA, and other sources to assess the program’s scientific merit, benefits to the public, and overall contributions in the context of other relevant research. The committee also compares some of the procedural aspects of the STAR program with those of other extramural research programs.

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Craig Benson, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Nicole Deziel, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Gretchen Jordan, 360 Innovation, Pacific Grove, California; Paul Gilman, Convanta Energy; Julia Melkers, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia; D. Warner North, NorthWorks, San Francisco, California; Donald Pfaff, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York; Patrick Ryan, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio; Jerald Schnoor, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; and Kathleen Weathers, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Edwin Clark, Clean Sites Environmental Services, Inc. and Dave Dzombak, Carnegie Mellon University, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

The committee gratefully acknowledges the following for making presentations to it: Tina Bahadori, Thomas Burke, Daniel Costa, James Johnson, Michael Slimak, John Vandenberg, and, Suzanne van Drunick, EPA; Steven Hamburg, Environmental Defense Fund; Daniel Greenbaum, Health Effects Institute; Christina Drew, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Marina Volkov, National Institutes of Health; Mary Ann Feldman and Thomas Torgersen, National Science Foundation; and Paul Anastas, Yale University. We are also grateful to the many EPA National Center for Environmental Research staff members who invested extensive time and effort in responding to all the committee’s requests for information.

The committee is grateful in addition for the assistance of the National Academies staff in preparing this report: Elizabeth Boyle, project director; James Reisa (until January 3, 2017) and Teresa Fryberger (after January 3, 2017), directors of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Raymond Wassel, scholar; and Orin Luke, senior program assistant. Norman Grossblatt served as the report editor.

Finally, I thank the members of the committee for their dedicated efforts throughout the development of this report.

Mark Utell
Chair, Committee to Review EPA’s Science to Achieve Results Research Grants Program

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results Research Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24757.
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Environmental research has driven landmark improvements that led to the protection of human and ecosystem health. Recognizing the value of knowledge generated by environmental research and the ingenuity within academic and nonprofit institutions, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a program known as Science to Achieve Results, or STAR, in 1995. STAR is EPA’s primary competitive extramural grants program.

A Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science to Achieve Results Research Program assesses the program’s scientific merit, public benefits, and overall contributions in the context of other relevant research and recommends ways to enhance those aspects of the program. This report also considers the conclusions and recommendations of a prior National Research Council review of the STAR program (2003), the STAR program’s research priorities in light of the nation’s environmental challenges, and the effects of recent STAR funding trends on obtaining scientific information needed to protect public health and the environment.

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