Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

NIEHS Superfund Hazardous Substances_Basic Research and Education (93.143)

Also known as NIEHS Superfund Research Program

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$250 million
• Grant awards90
• Typical award$1.1 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$49.3 million
• Size rank556 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants

Key findings

• Annual funding was roughly flat, $50.4 million in fiscal 2021 and $49.3 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 556th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 79% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 28 states and territories.

What the program funds

The NIEHS Superfund Basic Research and Training Program is authorized through the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. This includes the following research and training areas directed towards understanding and attenuating the public health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances: (1) advanced techniques for the detection, assessment, and evaluation of the effect on human health of hazardous substances; (2) methods to assess the risks to human health presented by hazardous substances; (3) methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; and (4) basic biological, chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open and forecast opportunities

• NIH, CDC and FDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Optional)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires April 5, 2027
• Emergency Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Awards (Emergency Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires April 18, 2027
• Successor-in-Interest (Type 6 Parent Clinical Trial Optional)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires July 17, 2027
• NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires January 7, 2028 · up to $50,000
• NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires January 7, 2028
• NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires January 7, 2028
• NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires January 7, 2028
• NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires January 7, 2028
• Limited Competition: Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42 Clinical Trial Optional)
  Open · Closes September 25, 2028 (688 days left) · up to $1.8 million
• Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires November 30, 2028
• SBIR/STTR Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program (Parent SB1 Clinical Trial Optional)
  Open · Due dates in the notice, expires April 5, 2029
• Small Business Transition Grant for New Entrepreneurs (Parent R43/R44 Clinical Trial Optional)
  Forecast · Expected deadline January 5, 2027

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

An accredited institution of higher education, as defined in the Higher Education Act, 20 U.S.C. (annotated) 3381, may submit an application and receive a grant for support of research by a named principal investigator. Subcontracts may be made with public and private organizations, including: 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 State, local and Tribal governments. Nonprofit organizations which are incorporated under 501(c)(4) are prohibited from receiving grants. Organizations applying for a grant under the SBIR/STTR programs must qualify as a U.S.-owned Small Business Concern (SBC).

What the money can and cannot pay for

Research grants are intended to support the direct costs of a project, in accordance with an approved budget, plus an appropriate amount for indirect costs. Grants made under this program are for university-based programs, and the objective is to establish and maintain coordinated research efforts that link basic biomedical research with related engineering, hydrogeological and ecological studies. In addition, the Superfund Research Program supports small business research through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. The award and use of funds are subject to applicable provisions of basic statutory authorities, appropriations acts, pertinent regulations, and operating policies of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range: $10,800 to $2,494,228 Average: $771,683

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 89% of the money, nonprofits 4.9% and small businesses 4.2%.

By state

24 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.