This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to advance national policy or systems-level change to reduce indoor air risks and yield measurable environmental and public health outcomes. The EPA has identified and characterized significant risks to public health from indoor environmental contaminants that are commonly found in homes, schools, and offices or commercial non-industrial buildings where Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time. Levels of air pollution indoors are often two to five times higher, and occasionally 100 times higher than outdoor levels. Common indoor air contaminants include:

• Radon
• Environmental asthma triggers (e.g., secondhand smoke; cockroaches and other pests; chemical irritants; dust mites; pet dander; nitrogen dioxide; wood smoke; and mold)
• Pathogens transmitted through the air (e.g., SARS-COV-2, Influenza)
• Particulate matter
• Combustion byproducts
• Volatile organic compounds

Estimates of the economic costs in the US associated with adverse health and productivity effects of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) fall between $13 and $32 billion annually. Additionally, the annual sales of IAQ products and services are valued at $18–$30 billion and are associated with approximately 150,000–250,000 current jobs in the US.

Program Goals and Objectives

The EPA is soliciting applications from eligible entities to conduct demonstration, technical assistance, training, education, and/or outreach projects that seek to reduce exposure to indoor air contaminants by advancing national policy and systems-level initiatives.

All applications should clearly: articulate a plan to produce results that have implications and/or benefits on a national level and address one or more of the following EPA Indoor Air Program priority areas:

• Radon,
• Indoor Environmental Asthma Triggers,
• Comprehensive Indoor Air Risk Reduction.

The EPA will not consider any applications under this NOFO that are exclusively designed to conduct scientific research. However, applications may include research components as a foundation for demonstration, technical assistance, training, education, and/or outreach projects. In such cases, applications should clearly articulate this linkage, explain why the research component is necessary for the project’s success, and ensure that such research does not already exist.