Interim Report of the Committee on Research and Peer Review in EPA (1995) / Chapter Skim
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THE COMMITTEE'S INITIAL ASSESSMENT
THE COMMITTEE'S INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Pages 13-34
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From page 13... ...
Although both types of research are intended to advance scientific knowledge, the report explained, basic research envisions no applications, whereas all EPA research must be relevant to the agency's statutory responsibilities. The 1993 report described four major categories of activity in ORD: .
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From page 14... ...
Finally, the report described how ORD's resources have changed each year since 1980, noting that its extramural budget has more than doubled since its low point in 1983, but the total personnel level in ORD has remained fairly constant since the mid-19SOs (Figure 2~. The research program described in Fundamental and Applied Research at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 1993)
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From page 15... ...
Surface clean-up Bioremediation Human Health Risk Assessment Human exposure Health effects Risk assessment methods Innovative Technology and Outreach Pollution prevention Innovative technologies Environmental education International and national technology transfer Exploratory Research and Special Environmental Problems Environmental review of new chemicals Lead and other heavy metals Anticipatory research on emerging environmental problems Exploratory grants & centers Infrastructure Infrastructure Cross Program Cross program began in 1993 with a decision by the administrator, at the request of Congress and in connection with the vice president's National Performance Review, to evaluate all of EPA's laboratories in comparison with the agency's scientific and technical needs. The evaluation began with a study by the MITRE Corporation, working with a team of EPA officials, EPA's Science Advisory Board, and the National Academy of Public Administration.
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From page 16... ...
EMAP~ Global Climate Change Ecological Resources Health Risk Assessment Technology & Outreach Waste Management Drinking Water Cross Program Infrastructure | 3 $ Millions Research Staff (1922 FTEs) FTEs Figure 1.
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From page 17... ...
In Interim Report Extramural Resources for Research and Development 1 98~1 991 400 350 300 250 o -200 6~ 150 100 50 O2500 2000 1 500 1 000 500 O I ' ~3 0 ~cot co ~Lo ~0 ~0 0 0 co ~Do Do 0 0 0 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a, o, ~ a, ~_ _ ~ FTE Resources for Research and Development 198~1991 a ]
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From page 18... ...
for laboratory organization, but it argued that management improvements were needed in ORD before reorganization should occur. The SAB report expressed strong concern about the current demands for EPA laboratory scientists to devote much of their time as contract managers.
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From page 19... ...
for ORD. So-called mission statements for EPA and ORD have appeared from time to time in various EPA documents, but those statements have reflected the changing visions of successive EPA officials, not statutory mandates.
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From page 20... ...
in September 1994, ORD formed a research coordination council, involving EPA regulatory and regional offices, to develop recommendations for research priorities and strategic planning. A new high-level position, 20
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From page 21... ...
ORD's new national laboratories and centers. 21 Mission: Develop scientific information and assessment tools to improve the Agency's exposure /risk assessments Identify sources of environmental stressors Understand the transfer and transformation of environmental stressors Develop multimedia exposure models
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From page 22... ...
The Rollers} of ORD Historically, ORD has struggled to balance two primary roles: a research role mainly involving long-term fundamental and anticipatory research that is largely, but by no means entirely, investigator-initiated and a technical assistance role of directed support and shortterm applied projects for EPA's regulatory and regional offices. Some agency officials have maintained that ORD's dual roles have been mutually reinforcing and generally advantageous, but the difficulties of serving multiple regulatory-office clients while trying to sustain a fundamental and anticipatory research program have posed challenges to ORD throughout its history.
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From page 23... ...
The closer that ORD is tied to the regulatory programs, the greater is the risk that ORD will to some extent be working on outdated problems or with outdated approaches waging the last war instead of preparing for the next one. On the other hand, using ORD for short-term scientific assistance to regulatory and regional offices has some undeniably important benefits.
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From page 24... ...
ORD's technical assistance provides the regulatory offices with competent scientific help, and it enables the ORD research scientists to keep abreast of regulatory and policy developments elsewhere in EPA. Until recently, roughly 30% of ORD's total resources have been devoted to long-term fundamental and anticipatory research.
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From page 25... ...
Based upon the 1992 report and subsequent related developments, this committee recommends that EPA adopt an alternative recommendation from the 1992 Credible Science report; EPA should broaden and strengthen the role of the assistant administrator for research and development to include the agencywide aspects of the science adviser position envisaged by the Credible Science panel. The committee believes that this individual must be a qualified scientist or engineer.
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From page 26... ...
recommended that ORD's laboratories, field stations, and assessment centers be consolidated and restructured along scientific disciplinary lines. Subsequent reports from the MITRE Corporation (1994)
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From page 27... ...
Many ORD laboratory scientists have been required to perform dual roles as hands-on researchers and contract managers. This raises questions about the desired or optimum role of EPA laboratory scientists.
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From page 28... ...
The Carnegie report suggested a number of mechanisms for doing this. To further such interactions, the committee also recommends that ORD consider increasing sabbatical assignments for ORD researchers to gain experience in other scientific organizations, as well as bringing more scientists from universities, other government agencies, and private organizations to ORD laboratories and centers for visiting appointments.
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From page 29... ...
January 6, 1995, Assistant Administrator Huggett discussed the need for ORD's grants program to find ways to improve the reliability of multiyear grant funding and to become more streamlined administratively. The committee strongly concurs with both of these goals and believes they will be very important factors in ORD's efforts to form new partnerships and leverage the academic community more effectively.
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From page 30... ...
The committee concurs with this plan and recommends that an appropriate set of peer-review procedures be developed and applied essentially to all intramural and extramural research projects and programs. This includes the research conducted by EPA scientists and engineers at ORD laboratories and centers, as well as the extramural research conducted by others (or cooperatively with others)
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From page 31... ...
For completed research work products, the committee encourages ORD to continue and to expand its longstanding practice of urging the research scientists it supports to publish their research in peer-reviewed journals that meet international standards of scientific quality. To the extent possible, intramural and extramural research supported by EPA should be published in peer-reviewed journals that are open to scientific and public scrutiny.
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From page 32... ...
These periodic reviews should be made by panels that include some scientists from outside the EPA laboratory or center in which the research is conducted and should include reviews of ongoing research as well as evaluation of completed research products. The Fellowships Program ORD has initiated a national program of 100 graduate student fellowships in fiscal year 1995 and plans to increase the number to 300 by fiscal year 1997.
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From page 33... ...
Some EPA regulatory programs and regional offices will probably see a reduction in immediate payoff as ORD shifts to more long-term research at the expense of short-term applied projects and technical assistance. Some EPA laboratory scientists and contractors will probably see reductions in budgets for in-house and contract work as ORD redirects some of those resources to increase the extramural grants program.
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