Today is the day! These are the final hours to send in your ideas for the call for presentations and other content for the Environmental Information & Innovations Meeting (E2i). Don’t miss this opportunity to share your work and ideas that are moving environmental protection forward.   

The E2i meeting theme is Reinvigorate, Collaborate, Innovate. We need your help to craft a program that is engaging, informative, and relevant to your work.
 
We are seeking your proposals for content that aligns with that theme and the following key topics:

• Innovations related to the Exchange Network and its data flows;
• Telling environmental protection stories through data visualization;
• Environmental program innovations and policy modernization;
• Improving data management processes and procedures;
• Leveraging geospatial data for environmental management;
• Improving user experience in web applications;
• Using Open Data, APIs and analytics to improve decision-making;
• Applying Artificial Intelligence in environmental protection;
• Adopting cloud technologies and shared platforms to drive efficiencies;
• Improving mobile data entry and fieldwork through technology;
• Building partnerships within and among environmental agencies;
• Examples of cross-agency and cross-partner collaboration; and,
• Finding intersections between data, science, and policy.

Submission Guidelines
You may submit a brief abstract for any of the following formats:

• Lightning Talks
• Podium Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Innovation Videos
• Workshops

If you do not wish to lead a session or presentation, you may also submit an idea for a topic that you would like to see explored at this year’s meeting.
 
More information on E2i
 
E2i will be held on September 17-19, 2024 in Kansas City, MO! E2i is a national meeting for the environmental protection community that creates opportunities to connect with other community members, share your successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection.  
 
E2i builds on a long-standing series of Exchange Network and E-Enterprise national meetings that have convened since the early 2000s. After a long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, we are excited to reinvigorate this meeting with a new name and new opportunities for learning and interaction.   
 
Many more details on the meeting will be coming soon! 
Should you have questions regarding the call for content or need assistance with your submission, please contact Kurt Rakouskas at [email protected].

This is a friendly reminder that you have 5 more days to make a submission under the call for presentations and other content for the Environmental Information & Innovations Meeting (E2i). The deadline is coming up quickly this Friday, April 19! 

The E2i meeting theme is Reinvigorate, Collaborate, Innovate. We need your help to craft a program that is engaging, informative, and relevant to your work.
 
We are seeking your proposals for content that aligns with that theme and the following key topics:

• Innovations related to the Exchange Network and its data flows;
• Telling environmental protection stories through data visualization;
• Environmental program innovations and policy modernization;
• Improving data management processes and procedures;
• Leveraging geospatial data for environmental management;
• Improving user experience in web applications;
• Using Open Data, APIs and analytics to improve decision-making;
• Applying Artificial Intelligence in environmental protection;
• Adopting cloud technologies and shared platforms to drive efficiencies;
• Improving mobile data entry and fieldwork through technology;
• Building partnerships within and among environmental agencies;
• Examples of cross-agency and cross-partner collaboration; and,
• Finding intersections between data, science, and policy.

Submission Guidelines
You may submit a brief abstract for any of the following formats:

• Lightning Talks
• Podium Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Innovation Videos
• Workshops

If you do not wish to lead a session or presentation, you may also submit an idea for a topic that you would like to see explored at this year’s meeting.
 
More information on E2i
 
E2i will be held on September 17-19, 2024 in Kansas City, MO! E2i is a national meeting for the environmental protection community that creates opportunities to connect with other community members, share your successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection.  
 
E2i builds on a long-standing series of Exchange Network and E-Enterprise national meetings that have convened since the early 2000s. After a long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, we are excited to reinvigorate this meeting with a new name and new opportunities for learning and interaction.   
 
Many more details on the meeting will be coming soon! 
Should you have questions regarding the call for content or need assistance with your submission, please contact Kurt Rakouskas at [email protected].

In support of the FY 2024 Exchange Network (EN) Grant cycle, U.S. EPA will host two general informational webinars and one tribal informational webinar to help potential applicants better understand the EN grant program and the requirements for applying for an EN assistance agreement.

The two general webinars will be held on April 25 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM Eastern and April 30 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM Eastern. The Tribal webinar will be held on May 2 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM Eastern. 

Visit EPA’s EN Grants Webpage for complete details on how to join. 

Agenda topics will include notable changes from prior solicitation notices, an overview of available guidance, and common mistakes to avoid. Each session will close with a question-and-answer session to address all participants’ questions. The Q&A and webinar slides will be added to the EN Grant Program website at: https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources following the webinar.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Exchange Network (EN) Grant Program Solicitation Notice (SN) is available on Grants.gov at: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/353216. Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Wednesday, May 22^nd, 2024. Additional guidance tools, including optional fillable templates for the cover letter, project narrative (work plan), and budget narrative attachment form, plus a budget calculation tool, is available through the grants.gov listing and on the EN website at: Exchange Network Grant Program | US EPA.  

For more information, please contact:
Erin McGown
EN Grants Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]
Secondary Email: [email protected]

This is a reminder to join the April 11 installment of the monthly series of Exchange Network Forums. The April call will be held from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern. Use this registration link to register for the entire 2024 series. If you have already registered for the 2024 series you do not need to register again. 

The recording and slides from the March EN Forum are available online.

Discussion Topics

The April Forum agenda will cover the following topics:

• Meet your Exchange Network Regional Coordinator
  • This month: Region 7 Carmen Quizon & Cassandra Krul
     
• Info on the FY24 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice
• Opportunity to share your priority topics and themes to feature at the Environmental Information & Innovations Meeting (E2i)

Contact

For more information about the Exchange Network Forum, please contact Alex O’Neill with EPA’s Office of Information Management.

You asked and we heard you! The call for presentations and other content for the Environmental Information & Innovations Meeting (E2i) has been extended through April 19! Now you have even more time to hone and perfect your ideas. And if you have already submitted your idea–THANK YOU and congrats on being ahead of the game! 

Also, please plan to join the next monthly Exchange Network Forum on Thursday, April 11 from 1:00 – 2:00 Eastern. The Forum will include an open discussion on potential topics and themes to feature at E2i. This will be a great opportunity to help shape the meeting agenda and share the kinds of information and discussions that are most important to you.  

The E2i meeting theme is Reinvigorate, Collaborate, Innovate. We need your help to craft a program that is engaging, informative, and relevant to your work.
 
We are seeking your proposals for content that aligns with that theme and the following key topics:

• Innovations related to the Exchange Network and its data flows;
• Telling environmental protection stories through data visualization;
• Improving data management processes and procedures;
• Leveraging geospatial data for environmental management;
• Improving user experience in web applications;
• Using Open Data, APIs and analytics to improve decision-making;
• Applying Artificial Intelligence in environmental protection;
• Adopting cloud technologies and shared platforms to drive efficiencies;
• Improving mobile data entry and fieldwork through technology;
• Building partnerships within and among environmental agencies;
• Examples of cross-agency and cross-partner collaboration; and,
• Finding intersections between data, science, and policy.

Submission Guidelines
You may submit a brief abstract for any of the following formats:

• Lightning Talks
• Podium Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Innovation Videos
• Workshops

If you do not wish to lead a session or presentation, you may also submit an idea for a topic that you would like to see explored at this year’s meeting.
 
More information on E2i
 
E2i will be held on September 17-19, 2024 in Kansas City, MO! E2i is a national meeting for the environmental protection community that creates opportunities to connect with other community members, share your successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection.  
 
E2i builds on a long-standing series of Exchange Network and E-Enterprise national meetings that have convened since the early 2000s. After a long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, we are excited to reinvigorate this meeting with a new name and new opportunities for learning and interaction.   
 
Many more details on the meeting will be coming soon! 
Should you have questions regarding the call for content or need assistance with your submission, please contact Kurt Rakouskas at [email protected].

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Exchange Network (EN) Grant Program Solicitation Notice (SN) has been published to Grants.gov and is available here: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/353216. Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Wednesday, May 22^nd, 2024. Additional guidance tools, including optional fillable templates for the cover letter, project narrative (work plan), and budget narrative attachment form, plus a budget calculation tool, is available through the grants.gov listing and on the EN website at: Exchange Network Grant Program | US EPA.  Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the new FY24 SN, as updates have been made since the FY23 version. Information on applicant webinars will be provided shortly.

The purpose of the Exchange Network (EN) grant program is to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely, high quality, environmental information. An applicant’s proposed project goals and outputs should align with one or more EN Funding Areas as described in Section I-B of the SN and EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Applicants are encouraged to read the full text of the Strategic Plan at:

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

EPA expects to award 25-35 grants of up to $500,000 each, totaling approximately $10,500,000 in FY24. The exact number of grants awarded will depend on the number of applications submitted to EPA by the application deadline, the amounts of proposed project budgets, and the quality of proposals. Individual applicants may request up to $300,000 and eligible EN partnerships can request up to $500,000. EPA remains committed to awarding tribal assistance agreements equal to at least 20 percent of the appropriated funds.

EPA only accepts project proposals for EN grants submitted electronically through Grants.gov unless applicants have a waiver. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors requiring you to resubmit. EPA anticipates that it will announce selection decisions around July 2024, and tentatively plans to issue awards by September 30^th, 2024.

For more information, please contact:

Erin McGown
EN Grants Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]
Secondary Email: [email protected]

This is a reminder to share your ideas for presentations and other content at the Environmental Information & Innovations Meeting (E2i)! The E2i call for content is open through April 5 and the meeting theme is Reinvigorate, Collaborate, Innovate. We need your help to craft a program that is engaging, informative, and relevant to your work.

We are seeking your proposals for content that aligns with that theme and the following key topics:

• Innovations related to the Exchange Network and its data flows;
• Telling environmental protection stories through data visualization;
• Improving data management processes and procedures;
• Leveraging geospatial data for environmental management;
• Improving user experience in web applications;
• Using Open Data, APIs and analytics to improve decision-making;
• Applying Artificial Intelligence in environmental protection;
• Adopting cloud technologies and shared platforms to drive efficiencies;
• Improving mobile data entry and fieldwork through technology;
• Building partnerships within and among environmental agencies;
• Examples of cross-agency and cross-partner collaboration; and,
• Finding intersections between data, science, and policy.

Submission Guidelines

You may submit a brief abstract for any of the following formats:

• Lightning Talks
• Podium Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Innovation Videos
• Workshops

If you do not wish to lead a session or presentation, you may also submit an idea for a topic that you would like to see explored at this year’s meeting.

More Information on E2i

E2i will be held on September 17-19, 2024 in Kansas City, MO! E2i is a national meeting for the environmental protection community that creates opportunities to connect with other community members, share your successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection.  
 
E2i builds on a long-standing series of Exchange Network and E-Enterprise national meetings that have convened since the early 2000s. After a long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, we are excited to reinvigorate this meeting with a new name and new opportunities for learning and interaction.   

Many more details on the meeting will be coming soon! 

Should you have questions regarding the call for content or need assistance with your submission, please contact Kurt Rakouskas at [email protected].

This is a reminder to join the March 14 installment of the monthly series of Exchange Network Forums. The March call will be held from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern. Use this link to register for the entire 2024 series. If you have already registered for the 2024 series you do not need to register again. 

The recording and slides from the February EN Forum are available online.

Discussion Topics

The March Forum agenda will cover the following topics:

• Environmental Information & Innovations (E2i) Meeting – Hear the latest updates about plans for this national meeting for environmental protection professionals. Learn more about how to submit your ideas for meeting content! 
   
• Combined Air Emissions Reporting System (CAERS) API – We’ll be joined by the EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for a discussion about the Application Programming Interface (API) for CAERS that enables agencies to access emissions information. CAERS is an application that allows industry from subscribed State, Local, or Tribal authorities (SLTs) to report their air emissions. The CAERS API may offer some important lessons learned as the Exchange Network reinvigorates its technology and partnership.

Contact

For more information about the Exchange Network Forum, please contact Alex O’Neill with EPA’s Office of Information Management.

Please save the dates of September 17-19, 2024 for the 2024 Environmental Information & Innovation Meeting (E2i) in Kansas City, MO! E2i is a national meeting for the environmental protection community that creates opportunities to connect with other community members, share your successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection.  
 
E2i builds on a long-standing series of Exchange Network and E-Enterprise national meetings that have convened since the early 2000s. After a long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, we are excited to reinvigorate this meeting with a new name and new opportunities for learning and interaction.   

Many more details on the meeting will be coming soon! In the meantime, we need your help to craft a program that is engaging, informative, and relevant to your work. Please consider submitting an idea for a presentation or other content at the meeting. 
 
The theme of E2i is Reinvigorate, Collaborate, Innovate. We are seeking your proposals for content that aligns with that theme and the following key topics:

• Innovations related to the Exchange Network and its data flows;
• Telling environmental protection stories through data visualization;
• Improving data management processes and procedures;
• Leveraging geospatial data for environmental management;
• Improving user experience in web applications;
• Using Open Data, APIs and analytics to improve decision-making;
• Applying Artificial Intelligence in environmental protection;
• Adopting cloud technologies and shared platforms to drive efficiencies;
• Improving mobile data entry and fieldwork through technology;
• Building partnerships within and among environmental agencies;
• Examples of cross-agency and cross-partner collaboration; and,
• Finding intersections between data, science, and policy.

Submission Guidelines

You are invited to submit a brief abstract on a relevant topic that you would like to present at the 2024 E2i. You can submit your abstract for any of the following formats:

• Lightning Talks
• Podium Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Innovation Videos
• Workshops

If you do not wish to lead a session or presentation, you may also submit an idea for a topic that you would like to see explored at this year’s meeting.

To submit your abstract or idea for E2i, please click here.
 
The call for content will remain open through April 5, 2024.
 
Should you have questions regarding the call for content or need assistance with your submission, please contact Kurt Rakouskas at [email protected].
 
More information on E2i
 
E2i continues the longstanding series of national meetings held by the National Environmental Information Exchange Network and E-Enterprise for the Environment. E2i brings together a broad community of attendees from state, tribal, and local environmental agencies, U.S. EPA, vendors, and other stakeholders with an interest in improving the productivity and responsiveness of the environmental protection enterprise. The meeting will create opportunities for environmental professionals to connect with other community members, share their successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection.
 
Stay tuned for information on meeting registration, lodging, and travel reimbursement opportunities. You can stay in the loop and get the latest updates by subscribing to EN Email Alerts. The program for E2i will be cooperatively developed by a Program Committee made up of representatives from state, tribal, and territorial environmental agencies and U.S. EPA. The Program Committee is chaired by:

• Jennifer Reyher
  Muscogee (Creek) Nation
   
• Eric Cleckler
  Alabama Department of Environmental Management
   
• Dwane Young
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

This is a reminder to register and join the February 8 installment of the monthly series of Exchange Network Forums. The February 8 call will be held from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern. Use the registration link below to register for the entire 2024 series. 

The minutes and recording from the November and January EN Forums are available online.

Discussion Topics

The February Forum agenda will cover the following topics:

• Water Quality Exchange – We’ll be joined by the EPA Office of Water’s Water Quality Exchange (WQX) team who will present on current WQX data flows and hold an open discussion around the data exchange.
• Preliminary plans for a 2024 National Meeting and call for presentations.

Contact

For more information about the Exchange Network Forum, please contact Alex O’Neill with EPA’s Office of Information Management.

Registration is now open for the monthly series of Exchange Network Forums to be held online on the second Thursday of each month throughout 2024. Our next call will be on Thursday, January 11^th, 2024 from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern. Use the registration link below to register for the entire 2024 series 

The minutes and recording from our November EN Forum are available online.

Discussion Topics

Following our kickoff Forum in November, the January agenda will cover:

• Outcomes from the Tribal Exchange Network Engagement Roundtable held at the Penobscot Nation
• Information on Exchange Network Node security considerations 
• Responses to questions posted during the first EN Forum
• Open Forum for questions and feedback

Contact

For more information about the Exchange Network Forum, please contact Alex O’Neill with EPA’s Office of Information Management.

Registration is now open for the first Exchange Network Forum to be held online on Thursday, November 9 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern. The Exchange Network is launching a monthly Open Forum to improve communication among partners in EPA, States, Tribes, and Territories. A recording of the Forum will be made available on the Exchange Network website. 

Discussion Topics

The Exchange Network is planning a reinvigoration and this first Forum will provide an opportunity for partner agencies and programs to hear about the initial phases of this initiative, share valuable feedback with EN leadership, and learn how to get involved.

As the series continues, future EN Forums will provide a venue to discuss how to improve and better use the Exchange Network’s services and partnerships to share information among EPA, States, Tribes, and Territories. Exchange Network partners will be able to:

• Learn about important Exchange Network information and updates;
• Share challenges and opportunities to improve the Exchange Network’s collaborative model, communication channels, and technical framework; and
• Learn about innovative ways EPA, States and Tribes are using the Exchange Network.

Contact

For more information about the Exchange Network Forum, please contact Alex O’Neill with EPA’s Office of Information Management.

Save the Date

Please save the date for the first Exchange Network Forum on Thursday, November 9 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern.

Overview

The Exchange Network is launching a monthly Open Forum to improve communication among partners in EPA, States, Tribes, and Territories. The Exchange Network is a community who works together to improve data sharing, leading to better decision-making to protect people and the environment. Going forward, Exchange Network Forum calls will typically be held on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month.

Purpose

The EN Forum is a venue to discuss how to improve and better use the Exchange Network’s services and partnerships to share information among EPA, States, Tribes, and Territories. The Forum provides an opportunity for Exchange Network partners to:

• Learn about important Exchange Network information and updates;
• Share challenges and opportunities to improve the Exchange Network’s collaborative model, communication channels, and technical framework; and
• Learn about innovative ways EPA, States and Tribes are using the Exchange Network.

Discussion Topics

The Exchange Network is planning a reinvigoration and the Forum will provide an opportunity for partner agencies and programs to share valuable feedback with EN leadership. The following are example discussion topics and the type of work that is envisioned in the first phases of this reinvigoration:

• Finalize the E-Enterprise Digital Strategy and move forward in operationalizing the strategy’s principles.
• Host a meeting with the Tribes, States and EPA to discuss how to improve Tribal Engagement in the Exchange Network.
• Analyze the Exchange Network data flows to understand the current state so the Exchange Network can move to an improved future state.

Meetings

After the initial Forum on November 9^th, we will typically meet on the second Wednesday of every month via Zoom. The meetings are open to all Exchange Network partners in the EPA programs, States, Tribes, and Territories.
A Zoom link will be provided shortly.

Contact

For more information about the Exchange Network Forum, please contact Alex O’Neill with EPA’s Office of Information Management.

In support of the FY 2023 Exchange Network (EN) Grant cycle, the EPA will host a webinar to help potential applicants better understand the EN grant program and the requirements to apply for an EN assistance agreement. The webinar will be held on Thursday, May 18^th from 2:00-3:30PM ET. Agenda topics will include notable changes from prior EN grant cycles, an overview of available guidance, and common mistakes to avoid. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session with participants; the session will end when all questions have been addressed.
 
Notes on Joining the Webinars:

• The webinars will be given through Microsoft Teams, which can be joined by clicking the link below.
• To enter a meeting, click the link below; you will be prompted to ‘choose your video and audio options’. Select your audio preference (e.g., ‘computer audio’), ensure your camera is turned off, mute yourself, and then click ‘join meeting’.
  • During the call, you can unmute yourself to ask a question by clicking on the microphone icon (top of the screen).
  • Questions can also be typed into the TEAMS ‘Meeting Chat’.

 General Webinar Details and Connection Information:

• Date: Thursday May 18th, 2 – 3:30pm ET
• TEAMS Presentation Link (Recommended Format) –https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YjA1YzkxNTUtMTdiNC00N2JiLWFjNzItYjU2MmY0OWE5YWQ3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2288b378b3-6748-4867-acf9-76aacbeca6a7%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%229661eb6a-1eb9-492e-9e70-773c4734909f%22%7d
• Dial-In Option (Audio Only) – Number: 1(202) 991-0477; Conf. ID: 118 046 918#

Please direct any questions to Erin McGown, Exchange Network Grants Acting Program Manager, at [email protected]. The PowerPoint slides from this presentation will posted shortly to the EN website at: https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources.

Although not mandatory, EPA would appreciate pre-registration for webinar sessions by sending an email to Aimee Awad ([email protected]) with the participant name(s), organization, and state, tribe, or territory. Please note that EPA will maintain these records internally and they will not be shared with any third parties.

Applicants to the U.S. EPA’s Exchange Network Grant Program can now find optional templates for the cover letter, project narrative, and budget narrative attachment form at www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources and the FY23 EN grant program’s grants.gov listing. Also available to applicants is an optional self-calculating budget tool, new for FY23. This pre-formatted Excel workbook helps correctly categorize project costs, calculate total cost per budget category, and includes an example of a project budget.

General FAQs and Tribal FAQs that answer frequent and previously asked questions from past EN grant webinars are also available on the EN Grants website. Dates for FY23 Exchange Network webinars will be released shortly; please continue to check the Exchange Network Grants website for more details. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the new FY23 Solicitation Notice, as significant updates have been made since the FY22 version. For a list of some of these changes, please be sure to see the section titled ‘What’s New in the FY23 Solicitation Notice’ as found in the General FAQs.

Please contact [email protected] with questions on accessing or utilizing these optional forms and tools.

As a reminder, EPA only accepts project proposals for Exchange Network grants submitted electronically through Grants.gov, unless applicants have a waiver. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors requiring you to resubmit. EPA anticipates that it will announce selection decisions around August 2023, and tentatively plans to issue awards by October 2023. Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Friday, June 2^nd, 2023.
 
For more information, please contact:
Erin McGown
EN Grants Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]

U.S. EPA has published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Exchange Network (EN) Grant Program Solicitation Notice (SN) to Grants.gov. The SN is available here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=347503. Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Friday, June 2, 2023. Additional guidance tools, including optional fillable templates for the cover letter, project narrative (work plan), and budget narrative attachment form, plus a new budget calculation tool and attachment examples, will soon be made available for applicants on EPA’s Exchange Network Grants website. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the new FY23 SN, as significant updates have been made since the FY22 version. Information on applicant webinars will be provided shortly.

The purpose of the Exchange Network (EN) grant program is to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely, high quality, environmental information. An applicant’s proposed project goals and outputs should align with one or more EN Funding Areas as described in Section I-B of the SN and EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Applicants are encouraged to read the full text of the EPA Strategic Plan at:  https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan. 

EPA expects to award 25-35 grants of up to $500,000 each, totaling approximately $9,500,000 in FY23. The exact number of grants awarded will depend on the number of applications submitted to EPA by the application deadline, the amounts of proposed project budgets, and the quality of proposals. Please be aware: award funding thresholds have increased from prior years by $100,000. Individual applicants can now request up to $300,000 and eligible EN partnerships can request up to $500,000.  

EPA only accepts project proposals for EN grants submitted electronically through Grants.gov, unless applicants have a waiver. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors requiring you to resubmit. EPA anticipates that it will announce selection decisions around August 2023, and tentatively plans to issue awards by October 2023. 

For more information, please contact:
Erin McGown
EN Grants Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recently conducted tests in August and September that impacted some agencies that use U.S. EPA’s Shared CROMERR Services (SCS). During these tests, the W3C redirected all internet traffic to its website to use the HTTPS protocol. While those tests have concluded for the time being, W3C indicates that it will eventually implement the change on a permanent basis. For additional information on the W3C’s recent testing, you may read entries in their blog here and here.
 
How does this impact users of SCS?
 
Some partner agencies experienced difficulties connecting to SCS during the W3C’s recent testing. This is because the Web Service Descriptor Language (WSDL) files for SCS include references to resources that are hosted on the W3C website. These references use the HTTP protocol instead of HTTPS. As a result, connectivity to SCS was interrupted for some agencies when the W3C redirected traffic to use HTTPS.
 
How will this issue be remedied?
 
U.S. EPA has revised the SCS WSDL files to use the HTTPS protocol. Testing indicates that this change resolves the connectivity issues with SCS. The updated WSDL files are available now in the SCS DEVELOPMENT and TEST environments (please see the URLs below). EPA plans to also deploy the changes to the SCS PRODUCTION environment on the evening of October 21, 2022.

• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/IdentityProofingService2?wsdl
• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/MessagingService?wsdl
• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureAndCorService2?wsdl
• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureService2?wsdl
• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/IdentityProofingService?wsdl  (limited support/deprecated)
• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureAndCorService?wsdl (limited support/deprecated)
• https://encromerrdev.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureService?wsdl (limited support/deprecated)
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/IdentityProofingService2?wsdl
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/MessagingService?wsdl
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureAndCorService2?wsdl
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureService2?wsdl
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/IdentityProofingService?wsdl  (limited support/deprecated)
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureAndCorService?wsdl (limited support/deprecated)
• https://encromerrtest.epacdxnode.net/shared-cromerr-ws/services/SignatureService?wsdl (limited support/deprecated)

What do I need to do?
 
U.S. EPA recommends that all agencies using Shared CROMERR Services test their use of the WSDLs and report any issues to either the Node Help Desk or Shared CROMERR Help Desk:
 
Exchange Network Help Desk
[email protected]
888-890-1995 ext 2
 
Shared CROMERR Help Desk:
[email protected]
888-890-1995 ext 2
 
Does this issue impact any other services or the Exchange Network?
 
At this time, there is no indication that other services or the Exchange Network will be impacted. EPA and its partners will continue to monitor and test for possible impacts. If your agency experiences any issues or has questions, please contact the Exchange Network Help Desk to report the problem.
 
Exchange Network Help Desk
[email protected]
888-890-1995 ext 2

Partners from the Exchange Network community are invited to provide comments on a set of draft best practices documents produced by the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC). ITRC is a state-led coalition working to reduce barriers to the use of innovative air, water, waste, and remediation environmental technologies and processes. ITRC produces documents and training that broaden and deepen technical knowledge and expedite quality regulatory decision making while protecting human health and the environment.
 
The ITRC Environmental Data Management (EDM) Best Practices Team was formed in early 2021 to address the need for integration and cohesion of data management across environmental disciplines and programs in states, tribes and industry. The team has been hard at work for over a year producing a set of documents and tutorials that focus on the fundamentals of environmental data management. Topic areas included in the team’s work products include:

• Data Exchange
• Data Management Planning
• Data Quality
• Environmental Data Management Systems
• Field Data Collection
• Geospatial Data
• Public Communications and Data Accessibility
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

The team is now requesting External Review of their work products and the reviews are due to the team by COB of July 1, 2022. They welcome any and all comments, whether it is to review the entire set of documents or focus on specific area(s) of interest and expertise. The team also appreciates any additional outreach to other interested parties through your professional affiliations and contacts as you deem appropriate. Feel free to spread the word!
 
The documents are available at https://connect.itrcweb.org/viewdocument/itrc-edm-best-practices-work-produc.Detailed instructions are provided at the beginning of the PDF draft document bundle.
 
Please send comments to: Team Leaders (Douglas Morrison and Brian Pointer) and Program Advisor (Steve Brauner). Thank you in advance for your attention to this request.

U.S. EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX) will be performing some planned system maintenance on Friday, June 3, 2022 between 7:00 PM –  9:00 PM Eastern time. During that window, users of the Exchange Network, CDX Web, and Shared CROMERR Services may experience intermittent outages.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Exchange Network Help Desk at 1-888-890-1995 or [email protected]

The Exchange Network Grant Program at EPA is happy to report that the technical issues with the mailbox [email protected] have been resolved. Potential applicants and other stakeholders should resume sending their inquiries about the Exchange Network Grant Program directly to this mailbox. Thank you for your patience as this issue was resolved.

Please note that applications for a FY22 Exchange Network (EN) assistance agreement are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Sunday, May 1st, 2022. Visit EPA’s EN Grant Program Website for full details and information.

Best,
The Exchange Network Grant Team