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Research Effort Program in that it provides the regions with near-term research
support on high-priority, region-specific science needs and improves collabora-
tion between regions and ORD laboratories and centers (EPA 2008). An exam-
ple is EPA Region 8, where scientists used support from the Regional Methods
Program to collaborate with EPA in developing a vitellogenin gene-induction
method to produce a marker of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals
(Keteles 2011). The Regional Research Partnership Program provides short-term
training opportunities (up to 6 months) for regional technical staff to work di-
rectly with ORD scientists in ORD laboratories and centers. Regional Science
Topic Workshops are held on high-priority topics, including green chemistry,
water reuse, and children's environmental exposures. The workshops are in-
tended to identify research needs, initiate research partnerships, and improve
information-sharing and coordination of existing research efforts. Through the
Regional Research Partnership Program, OSP provides travel and relocation
expenses for 10 regional scientists a year to be detailed to specific ORD labora-
tories for 4 to 12 weeks to work on high-priority research projects in direct col-
laboration with ORD scientists. The committee concludes that the Regional Sci-
ence Program could improve the effectiveness of its delivery of ORD and
program-office research to regional programs through additional liaisons with
specific responsibility in this regard.
ORD is beginning to use social networking and information technology
tools, as noted in Chapters 3 and 4 and Appendix D, to promote the development
of science communities that cross internal organizational boundaries and extend
outside the agency. For example, EPA SAB (2012b) found various electronic
sources that are considered useful by the program and regional offices, including
the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Responses CLU-IN Web site (which
provides a platform for training, seminars, and podcasts); a variety of forums
sponsored by the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Responses that support
the Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs; the
Economics Forum, hosted by EPA's National Center for Environmental Eco-
nomics (NCEE), to keep the agency and other interested parties informed about
research; and the Environmental Science Connector, a Web-based tool designed
for project management and information-sharing with EPA researchers and ex-
ternal collaborators. ORD is also experimenting with a Web-based collaborative
platform called IdeaScale that allows its scientists and engineers to engage in an
open, interactive conversation. Staff can share their ideas, then harness the input
of their peers through online discussions and ranking tools to refine them. EPA
is also developing IdeaScale sites for research programs, engaging both internal
and external stakeholders to help in preparing new research frameworks. It is an
interesting new approach, but there is little evidence that it has worked effec-
tively to date, having had few users.
Despite the variety of efforts to support and coordinate science within the
agency more effectively, the efforts focus on one-way interaction between ORD
and program offices or regions and, as noted in several reviews, are not thor-
oughly coordinated. EPA SAB (2012b, p.7) noted, “ORD principally focuses on
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