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EPA Grants Available to Improve Health in New England Communities

Release Date: 04/07/2011
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – April 7, 2011) – EPA is making grant money available for projects that will address environmental health concerns in the six New England states.

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England’s main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life.  The program is currently accepting initial proposals for projects that will benefit one or more of the New England states. EPA plans to award a total of 10-20 cooperative agreements, ranging from $5,000 to $40,000, based on availability of funding.  Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, local government, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, state or regional agencies, K-12 schools or school districts and tribes.

The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that:

• Target resources to benefit communities at risk.
• Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks.
• Increase collaboration through community-based projects.
• Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.
• Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.

In order to qualify as eligible projects under the Healthy Communities Grant Program, proposed projects must meet several criteria including: (1) Be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the four Target Investment Areas; and (2) Identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the six Target Program Areas. 

In 2011, Target Investment Areas include Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern, Sensitive Populations, Narragansett Bay Watershed (R.I. & Mass.), and Urban Areas.  Target Program Areas include:  Asthma, Capacity-Building on Environmental and Public Health Issues, Healthy Indoor/Outdoor Environments, Healthy Schools, Narragansett Bay Watershed-Based Water Quality Management, and Urban Natural Resources.  A description of these target areas can be found in the Application Guidance.

There is a two step process for selecting proposals.  The program requires the submission of an Initial Project Summary as a first step; then applicants with the highest quality proposals will be invited to submit full proposals for consideration.  The deadline to submit an Initial Project Summary is May 2, 2011.

To help answer questions from prospective applicants, the Healthy Communities Grant Program will sponsor four conference calls before the Initial Project Summary is due.  The information sessions are being offered on April 14, 20, and 26, 2011.  These information sessions are optional, but RSVP’s are required.  A registration form can be found in the Application Guidance.

More information on EPA New England Healthy Community Grants (https://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/grants_2011hc.html)

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