ACS Urges House Leadership to Fully Fund the EPA's S&T Account

Dear Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Pingree:

We, the undersigned academic institutions, research organizations, scientific societies, and stakeholders in environmental science, thank the Subcommittee for its continued bipartisan support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science and Technology (S&T) account. As you develop the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we respectfully request $876 million for EPA’s S&T account, including $40 million for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program.

EPA’s S&T account is essential to ensuring that environmental decision-making is grounded sound science that protects public health while supporting economic growth and regulatory certainty for American businesses. EPA-supported research improves air and water quality, advances pollution control technologies, and provides the scientific foundation that allows industry to innovate and compete under clear, consistent standards. Through partnerships with universities and non-profit research institutions, the S&T account also expands national research capacity and helps develop the next generation of environmental health scientists and engineers.

Robust funding for EPA research is especially important as the agency transitions from the Office of Research and Development (ORD) to the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES). This organizational change presents an opportunity to strengthen EPA’s engagement with external researchers and to modernize how the agency supports applied science and innovation. Congressional support through stable funding and clear direction will help ensure that EPA maintains strong external partnerships and preserves avenues to seek scientific capacity necessary to address emerging environmental and public health challenges.

Sustained investment is needed at a time when EPA research resources have declined. S&T funding has decreased from $846 million in FY 2010 to $744.2 million in FY 2026, and STAR program funding has fallen from $138 million in FY 2012 to $28.6 million in recent years. Despite these reductions, EPA-supported research continues to deliver significant returns. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have recognized EPA’s research enterprise for advancing innovation, supporting academic collaboration, and developing solutions that improve environmental outcomes while helping reduce compliance costs for regulated entities. EPA’s partnerships with outside research institutions are critical to: bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, expand agency research capacity, and contribute to better health outcomes, and lower regulatory costs.

Within the requested funding level, we urge the Subcommittee to prioritize revitalization of the STAR program and provide direction to EPA to strengthen its impact. Specifically, we recommend that EPA:

• Support principal investigator–initiated research opportunities. Complementing EPA-prioritized solicitations with investigator-driven proposals would broaden participation, encourage innovative approaches, and allow external experts to contribute emerging ideas aligned with EPA’s mission.
• Reestablish the STAR Graduate Fellowship program. The STAR Graduate Fellowship program served as a unique federal workforce pipeline supporting graduate training in environmental science and public health. The National Academies has noted that no comparable program has replaced it. Restoring fellowships would help rebuild the environmental research workforce and strengthen connections between EPA and future scientific leaders.

These actions would enhance EPA’s ability to leverage external expertise, accelerate innovation, and ensure a strong workforce pipeline while maximizing the impact of federal research investments. Investment in EPA’s Science and Technology account is a cost-effective means of protecting public health, strengthening U.S. competitiveness, and supporting science-based policymaking. We respectfully urge the Subcommittee to fund EPA’s S&T account at $876 million, including $40 million for the STAR program, in the FY 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Thank you for your leadership and consideration of this request. We look forward to working with the Subcommittee and stand ready to serve as a resource.

Sincerely,

American Chemical Society

American Geophysical Union

American Industrial Hygiene Association

American Institute of Biological Sciences

American Society for Microbiology

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Boston University

Carnegie Mellon University

Ecological Society of America

Entomological Society of America

Paleontological Society

Society for Freshwater Science

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry of North America

The Geological Society of America

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Denver

University of Denver

University of Oregon

University of Vermont

University of Virginia

Washington University in St. Louis