The  Science and Technological Achievement Awards (STAA) review program is a long-standing partnership between the Agency and the EPA Science Advisory Board. Each year since 1980, Agency scientists and engineers have submitted nominated scientific and technological papers through an internal Agency review process managed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD).

The SAB convenes an experienced interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers to evaluate the nominations. The SAB review panel produces a set of award recommendations which ORD uses to prepare the actual awards.

Recognition of the authors of the award-winning papers helps establish publication in peer reviewed journals as normative. Beginning in 2003, the Agency has honored those EPA authors receiving the highest level of awards at the annual Science Forum. In response to an SAB review panel recommendation in 2005, the Agency now lists the non-EPA co-authors of the STAA winning papers beside their EPA counterparts. This is one way the Agency can acknowledge these scientists and engineers whose scientific and technological contribution resulted in peer reviewed publications that received an award for its quality.

Publicity about the STAA program encourages employees to participate, adds luster to the awards, and makes the general public more aware of the quality and depth of EPA science. Making the public aware of the quality of EPA science and its publication in the peer reviewed literature improves the credibility of the science underpinning Agency decisions on important scientific issues of specific importance to EPA.

The EPA's STAA program promotes and recognizes scientific and technological achievement by EPA employees. STAA is among the most prestigious of EPAs scientific awards programs.

WHAT IS STAA? The STAA program is an agency-wide competition sponsored by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) that recognizes outstanding scientific and technological papers published by EPA employees. Each year since 1980, EPA scientists and engineers have submitted their publications to be evaluated by a panel convened by EPAs Science Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB convenes an experienced group of scientists and engineers who review and evaluate the nominations. The SAB review panel then produces a set of recommendations that ORD uses to select the actual awards.

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY? To be eligible, the nominated research must be published in a peer-reviewed journal, initiate or revise a scientific principle or procedure, and be recognized as a major achievement within its field of study. Publication date limits are set each year at the time of the formal announcement. The competition is EPA-wide and only EPA employees are eligible. Each award cycle identifies several categories to recognize for that particular year. In the past, categories have included:

• Control Systems and Technology
• Ecological Research
• Health Effects Research and Human Health Risk Assessment
• Monitoring and Measurement Methods
• Transport and Fate
• Review Articles
• Risk Management and Ecosystem Restoration
• Integrated Risk Assessment
• Social Sciences
• Environmental Futures
• Environmental Statistics

HOW DOES STAA WORK? Four award levels are granted in each research category:

• Level I: $10,000, a congratulatory plaque, a letter of appreciation, and a certificate.
• Level II: $5,000, a letter of appreciation, and a certificate.
• Level III: $2,000, a letter of appreciation, and a certificate.
• Honorable Mention: a letter of appreciation and a certificate.

Monetary awards are distributed according to each authors contribution to the total effort.

HOW TO APPLY: Application procedures and materials are undergoing review and will be added to this site in the near future

CONTACT: Benjamin Packard (packard.benjamin@epa.gov), U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC; Telephone: (703) 347-8087.