[Watersheds] FW: 2016 Healthy Communities Grant Program

[Panciera, Ernie (DEM)]

From: Kiernan, Sue (DEM)
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2016 9:26 AM
To: Scott, Elizabeth (DEM) <elizabeth.scott at dem.ri.gov>; Panciera, Ernie (DEM) <ernie.panciera at dem.ri.gov>; Dake, Betsy (DEM) <betsy.dake at dem.ri.gov>
Cc: Good, Alicia (DEM) <alicia.good at dem.ri.gov>
Subject: FW: 2016 Healthy Communities Grant Program
Importance: High

FYI - if you aren't already aware, EPA Healthy Communities Grant program is soliciting.

Ernie - this announcement would be a good one to distribute via the watershed list serve.

Sue Kiernan

From: Brownell, Sandra [mailto:Brownell.Sandra at epa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2016 1:51 PM
Subject: 2016 Healthy Communities Grant Program

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England's main grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks in order to protect and improve human health and the quality of life, advance resilience, and preserve/restore important ecosystems.  The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve these goals through identifying and funding projects that:

*           Target resources to benefit communities at risk [areas at risk from climate change impacts, environmental justice areas of potential concern, sensitive populations (e.g. children, elderly, tribes, urban/rural residents, and others at increased risk), and/or Southeast New England coastal watersheds].
*           Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks.
*           Increase collaboration through partnerships and community-based projects.
*           Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.
*           Advance emergency preparedness and ecosystem resilience.
*           Reduce pollution at the source.
*           Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.

EPA plans to award a total of approximately 10 cooperative agreements, each up to a maximum of $25,000.  To qualify as eligible projects under the Healthy Communities Grant Program, proposed projects must: (1) be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the 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 Target Program Areas.

In 2016, Target Investment Areas include: Areas at Risk from Climate Change Impacts, Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern, Making a Visible Difference Communities, and/or Sensitive Populations. Target Program Areas include: Clean, Green, and Healthy Schools; Community and Water Resource Resilience; Healthy Indoor Environments; Healthy Outdoor Environments; and/or Tribal Youth Environmental Programs. A description of these target areas can be found in the 2016 Application Guidance.

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is currently accepting initial proposals for projects that will benefit one or more of the New England states.  Eligible applicants include State and Local governments, public nonprofit institutions/organizations, private nonprofit institutions/organizations, quasi-public nonprofit institutions/organizations, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, K-12 schools or school districts; and non-profit organizations (e.g. grassroots and/or community-based organizations).

There is a two-step process for selecting projects to receive funding.  The program requires the submission of an initial proposal (SF424 and Project Summary) as a first step; then applicants with the highest scoring initial proposals will be invited to submit full proposals for consideration.  The deadline to submit an Initial Proposal is April 8, 2016.  Initial proposals must be submitted using www.grants.gov<http://www.grants.gov>.

The 2016 Application Guidance can be found at http://www3.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/pdfs/HC2016RFP.pdf.

To help answer questions from prospective applicants, the Healthy Communities Grant Program will host three conference calls before the Initial Project Summary is due.  The information sessions are being offered on March 15, 17, and 23, 2016.  These information sessions are optional, but RSVP's are required.  A registration form can be found in the Application Guidance.

For more information, please contact me at 617-918-1797 or brownell.sandra at epa.gov<mailto:brownell.sandra at epa.gov>.

Thank you,
Sandy Brownell
EPA New England

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