The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications for cooperative agreements to support the data, reporting, and evidence-building capacity of program beneficiaries, which include, recipients of grant funding from EPA as direct recipients of EPA funding and subrecipients who can participate in the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water programs, particularly for those representing small, underserved, and/or tribal communities that are applying for or receiving EPA grant funding.

The project goals are to support communities that receive EPA grant funding, specifically to address their capacity for implementing requirements for data and reporting as part of their grant commitments to EPA and as outlined by federal policies and regulations. Often, small, underserved, and tribal communities focus on collecting data solely for the purpose of reporting to EPA (and other funders) and they do not have the capacity to use the data collected or the process for reporting to EPA as means for their own learning and program improvement. Therefore, another project goal is to provide communities that receive EPA grant funding with tools and strategies for evidence-building that leverages data and reporting requirements. Communities understandably focus on data and reporting required by funders such as EPA, but this can unintentionally limit their ability to engage in evidence-building, i.e., to produce high-quality and timely quantitative and qualitative information that help improve outcomes and results for their communities. Proposals for awards under this Cooperative Agreement are expected to target capacity issues found in small, underserved, and/or tribal communities. Also, proposals for awards under this Cooperative Agreement are expected to consider issues related to the relative lack of experience with data collection, data management, and post-award reporting among the smaller/newer grant recipients compared to larger/more established grant recipients.

Additionally, proposals for awards under this Cooperative Agreement are expected to incorporate qualitative data such as community voices, alternative sources of knowledge, indigenous knowledge (IK) and lived experiences as components of the overall picture. Applicants that incorporate the aforementioned methodologies (but are not limited to) demonstrate an adherence to cultural competency that should be prioritized and reflected in work with communities, specifically disadvantaged, rural, and/or tribal communities. By working together to build capacity, and combining multiple sources of data alongside technical assistance, greater inclusivity can be achieved while maintaining focus on the overall mission and deliverables.