The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued Fordham University a $50 million grant to support environmental justice programs.
With the funds, Fordham will award subgrants to community-based groups across EPA Region 2, which encompasses New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight Indian Nations, and uplift faculty-led environmental research, the EPA said on Wednesday.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the grant program is a response to a call for the U.S. government to focus on environmental justice concerns. The agency, he said, is addressing these issues by “removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America.”
The goal of the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program is to provide underserved communities with pathways to access federal funds they can use to tackle climate-based issues. As a grantmaker on the initiative, Fordham will review applications for subgrants from community organizations that may consider local clean ups, emergency preparedness, environmental workforce development and air quality, among other matters.
Of the funding, $10 million will go to Fordham’s own research activities and $40 million will be split between subgrants valued at up to $350,000. In total, the program is valued at $550 million, and 11 universities were selected as grantmakers.
Lisa Garcia, administrator of EPA Region 2, said Fordham’s selection “will be the start of a fruitful relationship” that leverages the agency’s environmental justice work and the university’s “promise of equity and environmental stewardship.”
To issue the subgrants, Fordham will cooperate with the agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Awards are set to become available by summer 2024.