Trump EPA Celebrates One Year of the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions with 100 Gold Standard Science Wins

WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) marks the one-year anniversary of the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES), celebrating the agency's historic structural modernization to better integrate science into agency actions and meet our statutory obligations. One year ago, EPA finalized a comprehensive set of organizational improvements that refocused its work on the agency’s core mission of providing clean air, land, and water for communities across the nation. These cross-agency shifts are expected to deliver more than $300 million annually for the American people. 

OASES has driven a pivotal transformation in how scientific research is conducted and applied within EPA. Since its inception, OASES has prioritized practical, solution-oriented projects that align directly with the immediate needs, goals, and requirements of EPA program and regional offices to respond effectively to emerging issues and regulatory needs. Over the past year, this structural alignment has allowed the agency to center its scientific enterprise on real-world solutions that protect human health and the environment while continuing to safely advance the American economy. 

“OASES’s actionable commitment to gold standard science is a foundation of our ongoing efforts to build a more efficient agency. Every day, Americans can see the real-world impact that this office has on their lives,” said EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi. “Over the past year, this office energized our EPA labs across the country, produced cutting-edge science, and gave our state partners and stakeholders the technical assistance they need to help us grow our nation’s economy while ensuring that all Americans have clean air, clean water, and clean land.” 

  Here are 100 gold standard science actions OASES has taken since October 2025:   

1. Completed groundbreaking work on PFAS emissions and destruction, providing the first demonstration that a municipal waste combustor may effectively destroy PFAS in municipal solid waste and directly supporting EPA’s PFAS disposal and destruction guidance.
2. Used geospatial intelligence tools and Super Intelligence (SI) image processing tools from the Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center to review and analyze imagery focused on transboundary flow events of untreated wastewater, trash, and sediment into the Tijuana River watershed and Pacific Ocean. 
3. Operationalized a new lead service line identification test bed at the Edison, New Jersey laboratory to improve minimally invasive methods for locating and classifying lead service lines in communities, enabling utilities to make decisions on service line replacement.
4. Supported agency emergency response efforts through the mobile water treatment system, the WOW Cart, which has been deployed following a number of disasters to deliver potable water during emergencies.  
5. Supported the Office of Water in the development of EPA’s August 2025 Protocol for Developing the Fluoride Human Health Toxicity Assessment
6. Led the development of the beta version of the PFAS-Decide web tool, which will enable public water systems to compare PFAS treatment options and estimate capital and operating costs.
7. Supported the National Coastal Condition Assessment by analyzing and submitting Enterococcus quantitative PCR data to advance national evaluations of coastal and estuarine water quality. 
8. Supported the National Coastal Condition Assessment by analyzing survey samples from 1,119 sites across 22 coastal states for alkalinity trends impacting shellfish. 
9. Developed an EPA-approved Most Probable Number calculator in support of the Clean Water Act that improves the accuracy and efficiency of bacterial measurements and supports approval of alternative testing protocols.
10. Expanded EPA’s Experimental Stream Facility’s capabilities by developing and validating artificial river water that replicates natural U.S. waters and enables controlled testing of emerging environmental methods.
11. Led the release of a pilot study using Sentinel-2-derived chlorophyll data to expand harmful algal bloom monitoring to more than 270,000 smaller lakes and reservoirs while potentially avoiding $42 million in costs.
12. Supporting a new agency-wide study using non-targeted analysis to understand the occurrence of emergency contaminants like microplastics that will support future Contaminant Candidate List cycles and strengthen EPA’s human health decision-making.
13. Advanced and continuing research on jarosite as a novel approach for remediating metals in soil, offering a rapid, durable, and more affordable alternative for remediating contaminated sites.
14. Established foundational policies and processes central to operations for EPA’s science enterprise.
15. Collaborated with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to understand state challenges and opportunities related to lead and children’s health and worked with EPA Regions to fund six projects that address state needs. 
16. Worked with EPA Regions to fund six projects that address state children’s health needs in order to inform state decisions. 
17. Released a Lead and Children’s Health StoryMap to highlight information on national trends on lead and help ensure families stay healthy and safe.   
18. Released an Asthma and Children’s Health StoryMap to provide information on how environmental factors, such as air quality, affect health outcomes like asthma rates and other conditions.  
19. Updated the America’s Children and the Environment (ACE) data and trends tool to better present children’s environmental health data to non-technical audiences. 
20. Updated the Children’s Unique Vulnerabilities to Environmental Hazards resource to include exposure examples across life stages and provides a more comprehensive picture of children’s health issues through life stages and windows of susceptibility.
21. Updated the Children’s Environmental Health Facts resource to provide key facts and statistics and highlight trends and economic impacts of childhood health concerns.  
22. Released a resource for parents about how to protect children from elemental mercury, What to Do If You Find or Spill Mercury.  
23. Updated Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments to address common areas of environmental health concerns in schools and provide information about existing low-cost or no-cost measures, programs, and resources that are available to help prevent, reduce, and resolve hazards.  
24. Highlighted children’s health on EPA’s Research Partner Support Stories, including science-based information to communities, families, caretakers, and school decision makers to protect children’s health and reduce environmental exposures to harmful contaminants. 
25. Provided children’s health science expertise to program offices on over 20 major rulemakings, risk and other assessments.    
26. Continue to co-lead with HHS the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, the focal point for coordinating federal government efforts to explore, understand, and act together to improve children’s environmental health and safety.
27. Led the completion of a Federal Lead Resources Guide for use by partners and the public, in particular with other federal departments and agencies.  
28. Published a mapping blueprint for identifying locations in the United States for focusing high-impact interventions to reduce childhood lead exposure. 
29. Supported the Public Health Institute and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to ensure Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) provide effective clinical services and advice to families, communities, and health care practitioners. 
30. Coordinated lead-related activities across EPA program offices and regions, aligning priorities, and advancing EPA’s priorities for cooperative federalism, risk communication, and private sector innovation.
31. Processed and analyzed hundreds of samples, including over 350 fish tissue samples to help determine PFAS bioaccumulation, and conducted weekly analyses of water samples for PFAS total oxidizable precursor research, supporting the Office of Water and Office of Land and Emergency Management.   
32. Completed and released 16 million water quality observations from 14 National Estuary Programs in partnership with Office of Water. 
33. Supported the Office of Water in publishing the most recent National Nutrient Inventory with three decades of data, helping to manage nutrients and support clean air, land, and water across the U.S.    
34. Advanced Superfund remediation through geophysical site characterization and field testing at mine sites, including biochar treatment for copper toxicity and mercury remediation.
35. Delivered resources to partners supporting Superfund remediation decisions across National Priorities List sites.
36. Completed a three-week Lake Superior survey aboard the Lake Explorer II as part of the 2026 Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative for the Great Lakes, sampling 42 stations to advance research on nutrients and phytoplankton, PFAS and Hg contaminants; microplastics; eDNA; lower food webs; isotope analysis; and general water quality. 
37. Hosted the Oregon Postfire Research and Monitoring Collaborative conference in Corvallis, OR, with representatives from more than 20 organizations from the public and private sectors to advance understanding of wildfire impacts and trends. 
38. Advanced research on remediation of Pb contaminated soil with engineered biochar, demonstrating reductions in Pb in the soil and supporting cleanup efforts. 
39. Assisted NOAA with diving efforts to conduct coral and fish surveys in FL and TX at hundreds of sites across the Gulf, resulting in establishment of critical baseline data for future long-term monitoring and identification of at-risk ecosystems. 
40. Advanced the Bay Ecosystem Time Series (BETS) effort, conducting field water quality monitoring and sediment sampling, and processing more than 275 water samples to help translate long-term monitoring into actionable information for regional decision-making in Narragansett Bay.  
41. Analyzed over 150 water samples and delivered critical science in support of a major estuarine restoration efforts in the San Juan Bay Estuary.  
42. Leveraged more than 30 years of monitoring data to develop metrics to understand near-shore conditions in the Great Lakes. 
43. Awarded $3 million to Clemson University to scale up a mobile microwave technology that destroys PFAS, with testing at three water treatment plants.
44. Awarded $2 million to the Oregon Water Resources Department to build monitoring wells that track nitrate pollution in groundwater in the Lower Umatilla Basin.
45. Awarded $700,000 to Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility to study possible radiation health effects on nearby residents as the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is shut down and dismantled.
46. Awarded $400,000 to the STRIDE Center for PFAS Solutions in Delaware to monitor PFAS and other emerging contaminants at wastewater treatment plants.
47. Awarded $178,000 to the Chesapeake Bay Trust to turn ten years of Bay restoration research into practical tools that decision makers can use.
48. Awarded $1,000,000 Innovative Water Technology grant to Cornell University to develop new materials that pull trace pollutants out of drinking water, testing them at a water treatment plant in Raleigh, North Carolina.
49. Awarded $1 million Innovative Water Technology grant to Texas Tech University to develop affordable filters that remove pharmaceuticals and hormone-disrupting chemicals from drinking water, testing them at treatment plants in Southern Nevada.
50. Awarded $400,000 to Page Technologies in Boulder, CO, to develop a real-time, low-cost nitrate sensor platform for water quality monitoring.   
51. Awarded $400,000 to AxNano, Inc in Greensboro, NC, to develop a technology to treat and reclaim PFAS-impacted biosolids.  
52. Awarded $400,000 to ENF Products LLC in Edmond, OK, to develop a nanofiber filter to capture indoor air toxins and pathogens.   
53. Awarded $400,000 to EcoaTEX, LLC in Athens, GA, to transform agricultural waste into high-performance, PFAS-free, and degradable fibers and yarns.    
54. Awarded $400,000 to Green Options, PBC, dba Bold Reuse, in Portland, OR, to develop a Circular Inventory Platform to reduce plastic waste in hospitals.  
55. Awarded $400,000 to Pacific Reclaimed Lumber & Supply, SPC, in Sebastopol, CA, to scale reclaimed lumber sales and procurement through web, SI, and application-based technologies.  
56. Awarded $400,000 to Acadian Research & Development, LLC, in Laramie, WY, to develop biochar-derived graphene products that provide increased concrete strength and sustainability.   
57. Awarded $400,000 to KLAW Industries, LLC, in Binghamton, NY to develop a low embodied carbon alternative for stabilization and full-depth reclamation utilizing waste glass. 
58. Awarded $400,000 Prospect to Growth, Inc, in Newton, MA, to optimize and commercialize a nanoparticle phosphorus fertilizer.  
59. Awarded $100,000 to Fourth State LLC and Valis Insights, Inc. to support commercialization of innovative technologies addressing PFAS destruction and Super Intelligence (SI) -powered recycling. 
60. Released an EPA Small Business Innovation Research 2026 Phase I Solicitation to fund innovative technologies developed by American small businesses that protect human health and the environment. 
61. Published EPA’s inaugural Report on Gold Standard Science in response to Executive Order 14303 Restoring Gold Standard Science. 
62. Illustrated EPA’s continued commitment to Gold Standard Science through the publication of EPA’s second annual report in response to Executive Order 14303 Restoring Gold Standard Science.
63. Published EPA’s public website on Gold Standard Science, emphasizing EPA’s continued commitment to implementing the tenants.
64. Developed the Office of the Administrator’s new Quality Management Plan in record time ensuring all environmental information research is in alignment with Executive Order 14303 Restoring Gold Standard Science.
65. Stood up a new EPA Institutional Review Board (IRB) and transferred all human subjects research protocols from the previous contract to the new EPA IRB saving the agency $750K in IRB contract services. 
66. Completed patent license agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection enabling use of OASES technology for microbial source tracking of groundwater contamination.
67. Completed a patent license agreement with King County, Washington, supporting water treatment professionals in identifying contamination sources and selecting effective remediation approaches.
68. Executed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Blueprint Biosecurity to evaluate air-cleaning and treatment technologies against airborne viruses and bacteria in indoor environments.
69. Executed a Material Transfer Agreement with PETA Science Consortium International to transfer in vitro human airway epithelial tissue models in support of a surfactant screening study.
70. Completed a Date Use Agreement with PurpleAir, LLC and the U.S. Forest Service to support the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
71. Hosted monthly EPA Tools & Resources seminars to share EPA research, tools, and resources with states, Tribes, territories, local governments, and communities, reaching over 12,500 attendees and issuing more than 7,000 certificates of attendance to support training, data access, and technical capacity.
72. Signed a five-year Memorandum of Agreement with the Environmental Council of the States and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to advance collaboration on environmental health projects and strengthen cooperative federalism.
73. Funded applied research projects to support high-priority regional, state, and Tribal science needs in alignment with EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment and deliver science solutions that serve the American people.
74. Used existing Agency tools to streamline a cumbersome grant review process, replacing a $1 million-per-year interagency agreement to save taxpayer dollars.
75. Transitioned SBIR proposal, award, and reporting functions to an EPA internal system, improving efficiency, strengthening data management, and saving more than $120,000 annually. 
76. Partnered with EPA regions to evaluate PFAS treatment options for small drinking water systems in West Virginia. 
77. Collaborated with EPA regions to develop a screening tool for states to identify likely causes of biological impairment in streams and rivers. 
78. Measured concentrations of over 400 pesticides detected in water and/or sediment samples to explore possible causes of mayfly decline. Created tools to analyze air sensor network performance and improve understanding of local air quality. 
79. Presented findings to Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on public drinking water systems at highest risk of harmful algal bloom impacts. 
80. EPA SBIR support led to Bridger Phonotics’ launch of Bridger Benchmarking, a new emissions peer comparison platform built on source-level measurement. 
81. EPA SBIR support helped Prospect Growth, Inc. earn finalist recognition in the Grow-NY Global Food and Agriculture Business Competition. 
82. EPA SBIR support helped Cyclopure, Inc. secure investment from Kurita Water Industries to accelerate PFAS remediation. 
83. Rechartered the Human Subjects Review Board, a congressionally mandated Federal Advisory Committee.  
84. EPA-funded researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Texas A&M University developed a faster, safer, and more sensitive way to measure PFAS in the air in real time, giving air programs a better tool to track where PFAS comes from and how it spreads. 
85. EPA-funded researchers at Old Dominion University created a durable, reusable material that efficiently pulls lithium from geothermal brines, opening a cleaner path to domestic lithium for batteries.
86. EPA-funded researchers at the University of Maine tested blood from 173 moose across Maine and the Penobscot Nation in the largest study of its kind and found PFAS levels were generally very low, giving state and Tribal wildlife managers solid data to guide their decisions. 
87. Met with state environmental agencies including the Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS) to strengthen state engagement and share EPA science priorities and research efforts. 
88. Advanced research and modeling to inform EPA’s approval of Alaska’s air quality plan for Fairbanks’ winter PM2.5 problem. 
89. Co-led cross-Agency meeting of human subjects research leaders to create a harmonized approach to evaluating programmatic risk management for federal human subject protection programs. 
90. Led Consortium to Advance Effective Research Ethics Oversight (AEREO) meetings to collaboratively advance the agenda to improve the effectiveness of human subject research oversight within the federal and non-federal enterprises.  
91. Presented at the Department of War Seminar on Human Subject Research Ethics for Responsible Innovation using Federal Funds (SHERIFF), a meeting for federal departments and agencies to discuss the critical role of Human Research Protection Programs.  
92. Converted meeting support and related contract-funded functions from long-term contractor support to EPA staff, saving approximately $175,000 annually and preserving mission-critical Tribal partnership activities.
93. Provided expertise to multiple EPA programs and regions on using citizen science approaches to engage the public in the agency’s scientific activities. 
94. Developing $6.5 million funding opportunity for research on how breathing everyday levels of soot, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide affects people's health, including in areas that already meet air quality standards.
95. Developing $6.6 million funding opportunity for research on cheaper, cleaner ways to recover rare earth elements and critical minerals from waste, so America relies less on foreign supplies.
96. Developing $9.5 million funding opportunity for research on reliable ways to find and measure tiny plastic particles in drinking water, and on how much is in water systems across the country.
97. Developing $6.5 million funding opportunity for research on moving proven PFAS destruction technologies out of the lab and into use at landfills, contaminated sites, and water treatment plants.
98. Developing $9 million funding opportunity for research on practical tools that help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities keep PFAS out of their land, water, and food.
99. Developing $2 million funding opportunity for research on using super intelligence to help small and medium water and wastewater plants run better and catch problems sooner.
100. Developing $14.5 million funding opportunity for research on low-cost ways to refill underground aquifers that rural communities depend on for drinking water.