DAQ-2024-011898

AGENCY:Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ)
TITLE:Science for Solutions Research Grant -FY 2026
ACTION:Request for Proposals (RFP)
DATES:
The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions are February 14,2025,11:59
p.m.,Mountain Time (MT).Proposal packages must be submitted electronically to UDAQ via
email to [e-mail] by February 14,2025,11:59 p.m.,MT in order to be considered for
funding.Proposals received after the closing date and time will not be considered.
SUMMARY:
This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals for projects designed to
assist UDAQ in improving its scientific understanding in areas deemed important towards
improving Utah’s air quality and meeting federal air quality standards.Proposals must meet at
least one of the goals and priorities defined in this RFP announcement (see Goals and Priorities
section).
FUNDING/AWARDS:
The total estimated available funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $500,000.
UDAQ anticipates awarding any number of grants from this announcement,subject to the
availability of funds,the quality of proposals received,and other applicable considerations.
Applicants are limited to three proposal submissions per funding cycle.Previously submitted
proposals that were not funded are eligible for resubmission.
ELIGIBILITY:
Competition under this announcement is being limited to a subset of eligible applicants.Eligible
applicants include research institutions (including private companies),federal/state/local/tribal
government agencies,and public/private universities.
Table of Contents
A.Background.............................................................................................................................4
B.Goals and Priorities................................................................................................................5
C.Proposal Requirements..........................................................................................................7
Summary Information Page.....................................................................................................7
Scope of Work.........................................................................................................................7
Budget.....................................................................................................................................8
Personnel Roles and Responsibilities.....................................................................................9
D.Awardee Requirements........................................................................................................10
Quarterly Reports..................................................................................................................10
Final Report...........................................................................................................................10
Conference Presentation.......................................................................................................11
Data Sharing..........................................................................................................................11
E.Award Information.................................................................................................................12
F.Scoring Criteria......................................................................................................................14
G.Important Calendar Dates....................................................................................................14
H.Submitting a Proposal..........................................................................................................14
I.Contact Information................................................................................................................15
A.Background
The Science for Solutions applied research grant was established to solicit help from the
research community in understanding and addressing important Utah air quality problems.
Broad topics of concern for UDAQ are the following:
1.High summertime ozone along the Wasatch Front
2.High wintertime ozone in the Uinta Basin
3.Dust from the exposed lakebed around the Great Salt Lake (GSL)
The atmospheric chemistry,meteorology,and emissions sources that contribute to these
concerns in Utah is complicated.To enhance UDAQ’s ability to guide effective regulatory policy,
UDAQ is soliciting air quality project proposals through this grant opportunity.
The following flowchart provides an overview of the process used in allocating Science for
Solutions research funding:
Step 1:UDAQ develops a list of goal and priority topics.This list will be re-evaluated each year
and will change based on the specific research needs at that particular time.
Step 2:An RFP will be developed based on the annual Goals and Priorities list developed in
Step 1.The RFP will be posted on UDAQ’s webpage here.
Step 3:A UDAQ panel will use the grant scoring criteria documented in the RFP to review,
score,and ultimately select project proposals to fund.If needed,consultation with individual
subject matter experts will occur prior to award selection.
Step 3b:The UDAQ panel may request slight modifications to project proposals.Budget
modifications may also be necessary to ensure adequate funding for all selected projects.
Step 4:Each project that UDAQ decides to fund will need to go through the necessary state
contracting process.July 1,2025 is the earliest funds will be available.
B.Goals and Priorities
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to obtain data and information that improves or/and
informs DAQ’s policy,rulemaking,State Implementation Plan (SIP)modeling efforts,and/or
emerging areas of concern.One focus of our agency is summertime ozone pollution in the
Northern Wasatch Front.Results that can be readily applied to our work are appreciated.A link
to our recently developed Moderate Area Ozone SIP is provided below:
https://deq.utah.gov/air-quality/moderate-area-ozone-state-implementation-plan-sip-developmen
t
Additional air quality concerns relevant to DAQ are listed in the following goals and priorities.To
be considered for funding under this RFP,each project proposal must address at least one of
the following topics:
1.Summertime Ozone Chemistry and Sources
The Wasatch Front often experiences exceedances of the national ambient air quality
standard for ozone during the summer.Regulating locally-formed ozone to reach
attainment is complicated by the fact that ozone has a mix of different sources and its
formation can be limited by NOx,VOCs or both.To help establish control strategies,
more measurements and photochemical modeling is needed to identify and characterize
summertime ozone formation.The following topics are directly relevant for UDAQ
modeling and policy goals:
a.Measurement and/or modeling of:biogenic VOCs (2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO),
formaldehyde,isoprene,terpenes,etc.),soil NOx,oxygenated VOCs.
b.Measurement and/or modeling of O3-NOx-VOC sensitivity
c.Utah-specific validation of remote sensing/satellite products
d.Assessment of factors contributing to increasing monitored ozone and model
uncertainty,including topics like:changes in population,hotter and drier
summers,changes in ozone chemical regimes,and “background”
(international/regional)ozone and ozone precursors.
e.Simplified machine-learning or box models to assess changing chemical regimes
using recent observations.Ideally,simplified models will easily adapt to various
emission scenarios to aid in rulemaking development.
2.Emissions Inventory Improvements
Recent studies along the Wasatch Front highlight discrepancies between inventory
estimates and measurements of several key precursors to the formation of ozone and
PM2.5.These include carbonyls,hydrocarbons,alcohols,halogens and ammonia,
among others.Reconciling differences between inventory estimates and observations is
needed for improved modeling of ozone and PM2.5.Improved representation of
emission sources and their estimated activity,spatio-temporal distribution and chemical
speciation is particularly needed.For the Wasatch Front,this entails a better
characterization of:
a.Source-specific emission rates estimates for VOCs/volatile chemical products
(VCPs)
b.Composition of emissions and emission rates from tank farms at Wasatch Front
refineries
c.Emission factors,activity and spatial allocation of major ammonia sources,
including animal husbandry,landfills,composting facilities,livestock and
agriculture
d.Emission rates and emission spatial allocation for long-haul and short haul trucks
e.Emission rates for halogens and biogenics from the Great Salt Lake
f.Estimation of prevalence of electric lawn &garden equipment by county
g.Magnitude and composition of PM emissions associated with tire and brake wear
from electric vehicles and heavy duty vehicles
h.Wildfire emission inventory improvements,applicable to multiple years
(especially UDAQ’s 2017 modeling base year)
3.Meteorology-Chemistry Coupling
Air mass exchanges are important meteorological processes affecting the transport and
formation of air pollutants.Measurements and models to better characterize the complex
meteorological features,chemical mechanisms and physical processes associated with
wintertime and summertime air pollution episodes are needed.
a.Vertical oxidants exchange
b.Canyon,slope,and valley flows
c.Snow and cloud cover representation
d.Lake breeze and its impact on boundary layer evolution and pollutant transport
e.Top-down turbulent erosion,PCAPS inversion depth and strength
f.Snow surface chemistry
g.Improvement to regional boundary conditions from global models
4.Great Salt Lake Dust
Reduced levels of the Great Salt Lake increases the exposure of contaminant-containing
sediments which could impact public health and regional levels of particulate matter.This
evolving PM source is commingled with historic natural and anthropogenic dust sources,
such as Lake Sevier and Bonneville dry lakes,quarries,and mine tailings.Better
understanding of local dust source regions,source compositions,how sources change
over time,and what populated areas are most impacted is critical for improved
monitoring and planning.
a.Dust event modeling
b.Composition measurements
c.Analysis of historic trends and/or future scenarios
d.Community impact assessments
5.Uinta Basin
Wintertime ozone formation in the Uinta Basin remains a concern.Oil and gas
production in the Uinta Basin has evolved greatly since the early 2010’s.Modeling and
measurements of important emission sources require updates to reflect this new regime.
a.Uinta Basin emissions inventory improvements:
i.Characterization of fugitive and missing emission sources (e.g.gathering
pipelines,pigging,produced water tank emissions,solvents)
ii.NOx emissions associated with short and long-haul trucking,drilling,and
engines
iii.Parameterization of super-emitters,incidents,and leaks not currently in
the inventory
b.Photochemical and/or wintertime inversion meteorological modeling
improvements
c.Measurement and/or modeling of O3-NOx-VOC sensitivity during peak ozone
events in the wintertime
d.Top-down measurement of basin-wide emissions
Note:Previous performance and compliance with reporting requirements may influence the evaluation
and scoring of the proposal.
C.Proposal Requirements
All proposals must meet at least one of the goals and priorities defined in this RFP
announcement (see Goals and Priorities section).Proposals must include a summary
information page,a detailed scope of work (SOW),detailed budget,timeline,and a list of key
personnel and their roles and responsibilities.Proposals need to be submitted as a PDF and not
exceed 15 pages in length.Letters of support are not factored into the 15-page limit of the
proposal.However,references are included in the 15-page limit.
Summary Information Page
The summary information page must include the following information:
I.Project Title
II.Applicant Information -Include applicant (organization)name,remittance
address,principal investigator (PI),phone number,and email address.
A.Please note that we only request a remittance address.Listing other
addresses (e.g.,office,home)could delay funding.
III.Sponsored Projects/Research Office Information (only required for university
applicants).Please include your contact name,address,phone number,and
email address.
IV.Funding Requested -Specify the total amount of funding you are requesting from
UDAQ.Please also list matching funds (as a percent of total project cost),if
applicable.
V.Project Period -Provide the beginning and ending dates of the project.(The
earliest that funds will be available is July 1,2025).
Scope of Work
The applicant’s scope of work (SOW)must include the following information:
Abstract -Provide a brief overview of the project,summarizing the problem/topic of
focus,the rationale,key issues,previous work related to the proposed research topic,
and goals addressed.
Basis and Rationale -Outline the nature of the problem or science question(s)that this
research will address.UDAQ will evaluate projects based on whether the proposed
project meets at least one of the goals and priorities defined in this RFP announcement
(see Goals and Priorities section).Specifically identify the goals and priorities met.
Technical Approach -Describe how the proposed project will be completed by outlining
the specific tasks that will be performed.Include the methods and technology that will be
used to reach specific objectives.If the proposed project includes more than one
research group,the role of each group must be described.If applicable,describe the
data analysis plan including how the data analysis will be performed and how the data
will be used.Provide statistical methods,software tools,and any analytical methods that
will be utilized.Outline a plan for quality control and quality assurance.
Expected Outputs and Outcomes -Describe the expected quantitative and qualitative
outcomes and outputs of the proposed project,and how the results of the project will be
evaluated.
Deliverables -Describe the deliverables you plan to provide to UDAQ.Required
deliverables include:reports (quarterly and final),data sharing,and Air Quality:Science
for Solutions conference participation.This section must include a data sharing plan
describing how the awardee will satisfy the data sharing requirement.See Awardee
Requirements section for descriptions of required deliverables,including data sharing,
as well as formatting guidance for quarterly and final reports.
Other deliverables may be project dependent.For example,additional deliverables may
include model code or implementation,data and/or data analysis,and/or interim findings.
UDAQ may request that any additional deliverables be explicitly included in a revised
proposal.
Schedule -The anticipated project completion date must be provided in the proposal.
Include a timeframe and approximate start date for each proposed task (as outlined in
the “Technical Approach”section of the SOW).It should be noted that there is some
flexibility within the overall time frame of a particular project.UDAQ may accept projects
that are either shorter or longer than one year.However,the project timeline must not
exceed three years.Please note that the earliest date at which funds are available is
July 1,2025.
Budget
Provide a detailed budget,including the following information:
I.Personnel costs,including time and rates (e.g.environmental scientist for x hrs
@ y $/hr).
II.Costs for specific equipment,materials/supplies,fringe benefits,including details
of how these costs were calculated.
III.Travel costs,including a brief description of travel needs.
IV.Indirect costs,including details of how these costs were calculated.
V.Any additional costs,including as much detail as possible to ensure spending is
transparent and accounted for.
VI.Line item costs that directly sum to the total costs (no rounding)
Any pass-through funding must be detailed in the same manner as the main budget.
Note:Relating to overhead and indirect costs,UDAQ prefers that no overhead (indirect costs)
are included in the project.However,if overhead costs are necessary,UDAQ requires that
overhead costs not exceed 10%of the total cost of the project.
It is important to note that UDAQ will evaluate proposal budgets for the following:
1.The budget’s appropriateness,including the amount allocated to each goal or task,and
its adequacy to support and complete the proposed work.
2.Whether the budget includes specific amounts for each proposed task (as outlined in the
“Technical Approach”section of the SOW).
3.The completeness and detail of the budget.
Budgets should be tabulated,similar to the example shown below:
Personnel Roles and Responsibilities
Applicants must include a summarized list of the qualifications of the project manager or PI and
other key personnel,as well as a description of the main roles and responsibilities of each of the
noted personnel.This description must include the names,positions,and roles of all who are
involved in the project.For example,“Jane Doe,field technician,will collect field samples and
provide equipment maintenance as needed.”
Important Note:Using Utah DAQ Resources for your Proposed Project
If your project requires Utah DAQ resources (e.g.,labor,sampling media,equipment),
then please contact Chris Pennell ([e-mail])prior to submitting your proposal.
Please do not contact other UDAQ employees directly.
D.Awardee Requirements
Quarterly Reports
Award recipients of this grant opportunity are required to provide UDAQ with quarterly reports
relating to project progress.For context,a quarterly report template is provided at the end of this
document.Quarterly reports should be sent to [e-mail].
Quarterly reports are due every quarter until project completion.UDAQ has created a template
for completing quarterly reports.UDAQ will provide the quarterly report template to awardees
upon or after July 1,2025.The first quarterly report will be due three months after the project’s
start date.Subsequent quarterly reports will be due every three months afterwards until the draft
final report is received by UDAQ.
Final Report
A draft final report is due to UDAQ 90 days after project completion.Final reports (draft and
revised)should be sent to [e-mail].
UDAQ will have up to one month to review the draft final report and send comments and
suggestions to the project’s principal investigator.After receiving UDAQ’s comments and
suggestions,the principal investigator will have one additional month to submit a revised final
report to UDAQ.The draft final report will not be published by UDAQ,but should still be
considered publicly available.All final reports will be posted and made publicly accessible via
UDAQ’s website.
The draft final project report,which is due 90 days after the completion of the project,must
include a narrative including the following components:
Title Page:Include the title of the project,PI and team members,organization,dates of
the project,and the date of submission of the report.
Abstract or Executive Summary:Provide a brief overview of the project,summarizing
the problem/topic of focus,the rationale,key issues,and goals addressed.
Background and Significance:Provide a description of background,context,settings,
participants,and significance.
Objective:Explain the main purpose of the study.Summarize the project’s specific
goals and objectives as stated in the original request for funding.
Methods:Provide a description of the study design including specific methods used to
approach the project’s aim.Include data sources/collection,measures,and limitations.
Results and Implications:Present the major results/findings/outcomes and their
implications for air quality in Utah including conclusions and significance of the findings.
Recommendations:Include recommendations for future research.
Data Management:Describe where data from the study will be housed or shared.
Bibliography:Cite references.
Conference Presentation
Grant recipients are required to give a presentation about the results or progress of their funded
project at an Air Quality:Science for Solutions conference (oral or poster presentation assigned
by the conference committee).The presentation can be given either while the project is being
completed or immediately following the completion of the project.The conference is typically
held in Spring (late March or early April).
Air Quality:Science for Solutions is an annual conference coordinated between UDAQ,
University of Utah,Utah State University,Weber State University,and Brigham Young
University.The location of the conference changes within Utah every year,but the conference
may be conducted virtually to accommodate social distancing requirements.Please see the
following website for conference details:http://airqualityscience.org
Data Sharing
The grantee is required to share processed/finalized data with UDAQ as appropriate and make
data publicly accessible within 8 months of project completion.This timeline is meant to enable
grantees to publish results and data in peer-reviewed journals without conflict.Data can be
shared via the UDAQ website or via the grantee’s organization webpage.Modifications to this
default data sharing policy must be discussed with and approved by UDAQ.Data must be
publicly available for at least 10 years after completion of the awarded project.The grantee
must provide detail of how they plan to fulfill this data sharing requirement in their project
proposal.
Science for Solutions Grant Requirements Checklist
Requirement
❏Quarterly Reports (4 reports for a 1 year project)
❏Final Report
❏Conference Presentation
❏Data Sharing
❏Additional Deliverables (if applicable)
E.Award Information
Please read this section carefully as this section includes new information for the
upcoming year.Failure to not consider these points could cause contracting
complications and result in a project’s start date to be delayed.
What is the amount of funding available?
The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive
opportunity is nearly $500,000.
Partial Funding
UDAQ will not award less than the funds asked for in the project proposal without prior
discussion with the PI of the selected project.
How many awards will UDAQ allocate?
UDAQ anticipates allocating any number of awards under this announcement,subject to the
availability of funds,quality of evaluated proposals,and other applicable considerations.UDAQ
also reserves the right to create additional awards under this announcement if additional funding
becomes available after the original selections.
What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?
UDAQ may award projects that are either shorter or longer than one year.However,the time
limit from the disbursement of funds to project completion is a maximum of three years.A
specific project period will be defined in each individual project contract.
Multiyear Awards
UDAQ generally will not support awards that require funding from multiple fiscal years,as the
agency’s goals and priorities may change from year to year.However,projects spanning more
than one fiscal year will be considered if:
●Funding for the entire project is allocated from a single fiscal year’s budget,and
●UDAQ’s remaining budget for that fiscal year complies with allowable carryover limits
(the maximum funds that can be carried forward to the next fiscal year).
Matching Funds
Matching funds are not required under this competition.However,some preference is given for
projects that bring in additional funding from other sources.If matching funds are part of the
proposed project budget,PIs are still responsible for deliverables to UDAQ regardless if
matching funds were successfully obtained or not.
Monthly reimbursements on actual costs
By default,the contract’s terms and conditions will state that monthly payments by UDAQ will be
made on received invoices reflecting actual costs.Please inquire if another payment scheme or
invoice calendar is desired.One-time (“lump sum”)payment requests will not be considered.
Indirect Costs (for in-state public universities)
Indirect costs can only be up-to 10%of the total cost of the project.
Indirect Costs (for out-of-state universities,private universities,and contractors)
Applicants are encouraged to keep indirect costs low.UDAQ reserves the right to refuse an
award based on the applicant’s budget apportionment for indirect costs.
Pass-through funding
Each institution listed on the grant application can charge indirect costs on their portion of the
funding.No indirect costs can be charged by the primary institution on pass-through funds.Only
the institution receiving the pass-through funds may charge indirect costs on these funds.
Remittance address
Awardees must provide their institution’s IRS W-9 form to UDAQ upon award selection.If an
institution wants UDAQ to send payments to an address different than what is listed on their
W-9,then UDAQ will require a signed letter on the institution's official letterhead clearly stating
the requested remittance address.Otherwise,payments will be sent to the address listed on
their institution’s W-9 form.
Funding limits for projects
Funding limits for projects will be discussed on a case by case basis.Keeping in mind this
opportunity’s $500,000 funding cap,a project may not necessarily be excluded for being too
expensive.UDAQ may request budget adjustments from a PI after the project selection
process.
Project Start Date
UDAQ will not agree to a project start date that occurs prior to the Utah Department of
Environmental Quality (UDEQ)Deputy Director’s signature on the contract.The contract’s terms
and conditions will state that the contract starts upon the signature of the UDEQ Deputy
Director.If there is a delay beyond the start date proposed in the applicant’s SOW,then UDAQ
and the project PI will work together on determining new deliverable dates.
Can a previously submitted,but un-awarded proposal,be resubmitted?
Yes.UDAQ priorities may change year-to-year,so researchers are welcome to resubmit a past
proposal as long as the project proposal targets at least one of UDAQ’s Goals and Priorities.
F.Scoring Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by a UDAQ committee in terms of 1)proposal quality,and 2)agency
priority.Possible ratings for proposal quality will include:Excellent,Very Good,Good,Fair,and
Poor.Please see the Proposal Requirements section for information on how UDAQ will be
assessing proposal quality.
Proposals will also be scored in terms of how the proposed project helps UDAQ meet agency
priorities (High Priority,Medium Priority,and Low Priority).Agency priorities are discussed in the
Goals and Priorities section of this RFP,but may be reassessed at any point prior to award.
Previous performance and compliance with reporting requirements may influence the evaluation
and scoring of the proposal.
G.Important Calendar Dates
The following dates and deadlines are directly related to this RFP announcement.Please note
these dates as you prepare your proposal:
●RFP Announcement:December 6,2024
●Proposal due to UDAQ:February 14,2025
●Final awardees selected and announced:May 9,2025
●Earliest that funds are disbursed:July 1,2025
H.Submitting a Proposal
●Proposals must comply with the proposal submission instructions and content
requirements set forth in this RFP or else they will not be reviewed.
●In addition,proposals must be submitted via email to [e-mail] on or before
the proposal submission deadline.Applicants are responsible for following the
submission instructions of this announcement to ensure that their proposal is timely
submitted.
●To submit proposals,send your complete proposal application package via email to
[e-mail] subject heading should include the project title and the
applicant (organization)name,and “FY2026”.
●Proposals submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed
ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that
it was late due to UDAQ mishandling or because of technical problems associated with
the state email system used for submission.
●Applicants affiliated with universities must submit their proposals through their specific
sponsored projects/research office.
I.Contact Information
Please contact UDAQ Technical Analysis Program Manager,Chris Pennell
([e-mail]),for questions related to this RFP.
Quarterly Report
Principal Investigator (PI):
Email:
Date:
Project Title:
Complete this report by providing descriptive responses to each question,below.Please email
the completed report to [e-mail].
Q:Briefly restate the project’s goals and objectives.
A:
Q:What did you accomplish this quarter toward completing the project’s goals and
objectives?
A:
Q:Did you encounter any problems?If so,how did (or will)you solve them?
A:
Q:If applicable,please list any changes you’re making to the project?(Project changes
should be discussed with Utah DAQ prior to your report submission)
A:
Q:If applicable,please provide an updated project schedule.
A:
Q:How much has been spent so far on this project?
A: