Limited Competition: Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42 Clinical Trial Optional)
NIEHS will fund multi-project Superfund Research Program Centers at accredited U.S. institutes of higher education to conduct integrated hazardous substance research, training, and translation related to Superfund problems.
⚑ Limited competition: eligible applicants are restricted by statute to accredited institutes of higher education · Foreign organizations, foreign components, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not allowed · Center structure requires multiple integrated projects plus cores for administration, data management, training, translational research, and research support · Applications may include subcontracts with other organizations, but the lead applicant must be an eligible higher-education institution
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 80 strong | technical depth: central; funds basic research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | portfolio topics: environment, public_health (primary); signature methods: community engaged; social/behavioral work is minor; funds basic research; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 15 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is announcing the continuation of the Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program, referred to as Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers. SRP Center grants will support problem-based, solution-oriented research Centers that consist of multiple, integrated projects representing both the biomedical and environmental science and engineering disciplines; as well as cores tasked with administrative (which includes Center leadership, data management, and training); translational research and engagement; and research support functions. The scope of the SRP Centers is taken directly from the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, which limits competition for this program to accredited institutes of higher education.Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding.
Eligibility
Based on 42 USC 9660(a)(3) eligible applicants are limited to accredited institutes of higher education. Eligible applicants are permitted under the law, and encouraged by NIEHS, to subcontract as appropriate with other organizations as necessary to conduct portions of the research. Examples of other organizations may include generators of hazardous wastes; persons involved in the detection, assessment, evaluation, and treatment of hazardous substances; owners and operators of facilities at which hazardous substances are located; and/or State and local governments. Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organization) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: National Institutes of Health <National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences NOFO.Information@niehs.nih.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · National Institutes of Health conventions SEE AN NIH EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — National Institutes of Health's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.
Legacy IPPRA LLM assessment (v2.0, for comparison)
55/100 · gpt-5.4-mini · 2026-07-06
This is a research-centered environmental health program with integrated biomedical, environmental science/engineering, data, and translational cores, so a public R1 university like OU is eligible and could participate directly. The fit for IPPRA is partial rather than core: there is room for community engagement, risk communication, and evaluation around hazardous substance exposure and health protection, but the program is still predominantly technical/toxicological rather than centered on public policy or social-behavioral research.
Legacy scoring history
| 2026-07-06 | 55 | gpt-5.4-mini | This is a research-centered environmental health program with integrated biomedical, environmental science/engineering, data, and translational cores, so a public R1 university like OU is eligible and could participate directly. The fit for IPPRA is partial rather than core: there is room for community engagement, risk communication, and evaluation around hazardous substance exposure and health protection, but the program is still predominantly technical/toxicological rather than centered on public policy or social-behavioral research. |
| 2026-07-06 | 55 | gpt-5.4-mini | This is a strong interdisciplinary environmental health opportunity for a public R1 university, with explicit eligibility for accredited institutes of higher education and room for subcontracting/community engagement. The fit is only partial for IPPRA because the core is biomedical and environmental science/engineering around hazardous substances, but the translational, training, and community engagement components could support policy-relevant work on risk communication, environmental justice, and health protection. |