Discuss the application process and required elements for the Air Pollution Monitoring for Communities RFA. EPA is seeking applications that create knowledge to empower communities and individuals to take action to avoid air pollution exposure, using low-cost portable air pollution sensors. Specifically of interest is research on using low-cost portable sensors to understand and avoid air pollution exposure, on the ways communities and individuals interact with air pollution sensors and their data, on methods for understanding and managing the quality of data from air pollution sensors, and on how sensors and sensor networks compare to existing state-of-the-art air quality monitoring methods.

Research areas for this solicitation include:

• Identifying how low-cost portable air pollution sensors can be used by communities to understand and reduce the pollutant concentrations to which they are exposed, in outdoor and/or indoor environments.
• Understanding how communities and individuals interact with low-cost portable air pollution sensors; assessing effective distribution methodologies, training programs, design features, data products, and dissemination of information; and evaluating the sensors’ effectiveness in helping communities understand their exposure environment.
• Identifying effective methods for understanding, quantifying, or managing data quality from these sensors; quantifying how their accuracy and measurement precision compare to traditional monitoring techniques; and demonstrating how sustained real-world use affects performance.
• Addressing how spatiotemporal coverage or chemical species coverage enabled by portable sensors compare to that of existing monitoring methods.

Learning objectives include:

• Reviewing major research elements of the RFA
• Reviewing administrative, electronic filing, eligibility, and peer review concerns
• Answering attendee questions and FAQs

John Dawson (dawson.john@epa.gov); 703-347-8109