RFA 23-2, Assessing Changes in Exposures and Health Outcomes in Historically Marginalized and Environmentally Overburdened Communities from Air Quality Actions, Programs, or Other Interventions

APPLICATIONS CLOSED. RFA 23-2 seeks to fund studies that assess the effects of actions, programs, or other interventions on ambient or indoor air pollution exposure, health outcomes, or both in historically marginalized and environmentally overburdened urban or rural communities (hereafter referred to as “historically marginalized communities”) in the United States.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of RFA 23-2 is to fund studies that evaluate actions, programs, or other interventions in the United States at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that have affected or have the potential to affect air quality, exposure, or health outcomes in historically marginalized communities. Areas of interest include the following:

1. Studies that evaluate past or current actions, programs, other interventions at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that were specifically designed and implemented to reduce exposures to ambient or indoor air pollutants and improve health in historically marginalized communities.
2. Studies that evaluate past or current actions, programs, or other interventions at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that were specifically designed and implemented to reduce exposures to ambient or indoor air pollutants and improve health in the general population  that might have benefited historically marginalized communities, had an inequitable distribution of benefits among communities, or worsened conditions in historically marginalized communities (e.g., have had unintended consequences).
3. Studies that evaluate past, current, or proposed actions, programs, or other interventions at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that were or are designed or implemented to achieve goals other than decreasing air pollution exposures but indirectly affect exposures to ambient or indoor air in the general population.  The actions might have benefited historically marginalized communities, had an inequitable distribution of benefits among communities, or worsened conditions in historically marginalized communities.
4. Studies that prospectively evaluate the expected health or exposure changes in relation to proposed actions, programs, or other interventions at the national, tribal, state, or local level that are intended to reduce inequities in exposures or have the potential to affect inequities in exposures to air pollutants in historically marginalized communities. Studies should be designed to directly inform development and implementation of the proposed action under study.

STUDY DURATION AND BUDGET GUIDELINES

Between $2 and $3 million will be available for this RFA. HEI expects to fund a small number of studies (2 to 3 years in duration).