Greetings,
We are excited to share this limited submission opportunity from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Harvard may put forward one application from its University area and the Wyss Institute for this funding opportunity. More information about the award and the internal selection process can be found in the synopsis and links below. For a full list of currently open opportunities that have been announced through our office, please visit our new Current Opportunities web page. As a reminder, our Research Development team is available to provide proposal development support to FAS ladder faculty.
- Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: July 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
- OSP Deadline, if selected: September 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET
Departments or areas may require additional time for proposal review and submission. Please discuss a timeline with your departmental or FORA grants administrator.
- Sponsor Deadline, if selected: September 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET
- Award Amount: Up to $1.75 million dollars in direct costs per year for a maximum of 5 years
Program Overview
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites include manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining sites. In response to the risks these sites posed to human health and the environment, Congress established the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980. CERCLA is informally called Superfund. The NIEHS Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (Superfund Research Program [SRP]) funds university-based and small business grants on basic biological, environmental, and engineering processes to find real and practical solutions to exposures to hazardous substances. These activities complement the work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and other federal and state agencies. The SRP provides grants to support problem-based, solution-oriented Centers which conduct innovative research and training in areas including:
- advanced techniques for the detection, assessment, and evaluation of the effects of hazardous substances on human health;
- methods to assess the risks to human health presented by hazardous substances;
- methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; and
- basic biological, chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances.
The complex problems related to sites impacted by hazardous substances requires the expertise of both biomedical research (BMR) and environmental science and engineering (ESE) disciplines. Applicants responding to this Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) are expected to design a research Center that integrates BMR (e.g., toxicology, epidemiology, mechanistic studies) with ESE (e.g., remediation, geosciences, ecological sciences). Given SRP’s broad mandates, it is important for interdisciplinary teams to work together to foster research that addresses Superfund-relevant exposure pathways. Applicants should assemble teams that consider multiple vantage points to address research challenges within a given mandate area, contaminant, or exposure scenario that may have the greatest potential for supporting the SRP's goal of protecting human health and the environment from the impact of hazardous substances.
Centers consist of multiple, integrated projects representing disciplines in both biomedical research (1-2 projects) and environmental science and engineering (1-2 projects); as well as cores tasked with administrative functions (including Center leadership, data management, and training); translational research and engagement; and an optional research support core. At least one ESE project should support SRP’s fourth mandate: “basic biological, chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances.” SRPs require that Center Directors commit a minimum of 1.8 person months to managing their Center.
Priority Areas
- For a listing of research areas of interest to the SRP and its stakeholders and end-users, please refer to the Suggested Research and Activities document found on the SRP website. Applicants are also encouraged to propose research that fills gaps or needs not currently addressed within the SRP.
- The SRP will place priority on research with a clear connection to understanding health effects relevant to populations living near or affected by sites impacted by hazardous substances.
- The applicants should refer to the SRP's list of hazardous substances (listed on pages 5-6), including emerging contaminants, that have been suggested for study by SRP end-users/stakeholders. SRP encourages investigations on understudied chemicals found at Superfund sites to gain an understanding their health effects.
- The SRP is not a site-specific program; research activities proposed by the Center are not required to take place on Superfund or hazardous waste sites. However, whether through research project or core activity(ies), Centers are strongly encouraged to seek opportunities for interactions at Superfund sites, managed hazardous waste sites, and facilities where hazardous substances are located, which greatly increases the positive impact of SRP research and its utility to end-users.
Harvard Pre-Proposal Materials
- The internal application asks for the following:
- PI name, title, email address
- Co-PI(s) name, title, affiliation
- Collaborator(s) name, title, affiliation
- Name and email address of PI's grant administrator
- Proposal title
- Proposal type (new, renewal, resubmission)
- Total funding requested
- Project period
- Table of end-users, stakeholders, and field sites
- Project summary/abstract (2 page maximum, 11 point font minimum, references and/or graphics should be placed on blank pages and are not included in the page limit)
Limited Submission Details
This is a limited submission opportunity and each of Harvard’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) defined areas may submit one proposal in response to this call. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research is facilitating an internal application process for applicants from Harvard’s University area and the Wyss Institute. To be considered for this Harvard nomination, potential applicants must submit an internal pre-proposal by 11:59 PM on July 12, 2026, via the link above. Applicants who hold a Primary Appointment at a school in the Longwood Medical Area are asked to follow up with the Research Development team at their school.
Additional Information and Resources
Applicants are encouraged to review the list of current SRP grant recipients. Additional resources on the SRP website include examples of tables, NIEHS program contacts, as well as a recorded informational webinar and the slides presented at the session. Applicants may also register for an upcoming webinar on July 16, 2026 from 3:00-5:00 PM ET with current grantees who will discuss their research in progress.
Because of the complexity of the P42 application, applicants are highly encouraged to consult with SRP staff listed in the NOFO to discuss the theme/focus of the proposed Center application as they are developing their P42 grant proposal.
The earliest start date for successful proposals is July 2027. Up to 10 awards are anticipated.
Questions from FAS or SEAS faculty about this opportunity may be directed to research_development@fas.harvard.edu.
Requests for support related to the application portal may be directed to vpr@harvard.edu. |
