US EPA requests applications for the NPIC cooperative agreement

The US EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is announcing the availability of funds and soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement to support the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), a program intended to advance the provision of objective, science-based information on a wide variety of pesticide-related subjects to anyone within the United States and its Territories, while collecting data on potential pesticide incidents to more fully support national pesticide surveillance systems.

The intent of the NPIC program is to respond to inquiries regarding pesticide related issues such as pesticide product usage, pest identification, health effects, and enforcement contacts. This program will provide unbiased, accurate information and response to these inquiries through multiple avenues including a toll-free telephone service, an extensive website, outreach and training. General pesticide-related inquiries, including questions on the risks associated with a pesticide, usage restrictions, and local contact information for enforcement of pesticide regulations will be addressed by trained experts in toxicology, environmental health and science, public health and veterinary medicine. Callers contacting the program regarding medical or veterinary emergencies will be provided any needed information and promptly relayed to appropriate poison control programs for emergency medical assistance. Suspected non-emergency cases of a potentially adverse affect from pesticide exposures will be offered a rapid response, including risk mitigation information and enforcement contacts when appropriate.

As a secondary activity, the program will also provide a route for veterinarians, clinicians, state environmental, agricultural and public health offices, consumers, parents, researchers and members of the public to report suspected pesticide incidents to a national database. The NPIC program will provide data and analysis of informational inquiries and potential incidents, for EPA and other stakeholders, supporting national pesticide surveillance efforts, enforcement priority setting and EPA risk assessment analysis.

The total award amount for this funding opportunity is estimated to be $5 million dependent on availability of funds. EPA anticipates awarding one award for FY14, for $1 million. At the conclusion of the first one year period of performance, incremental funding of up to $1million may be made available for each additional year allowing the project to continue for a total of five years depending on Agency priorities, available funding levels, and satisfactory performance of the recipient. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards.  

The applications must be submitted before Sep 30, 2013.

The details can be found here.