EPA Created Office of Applied Science and Solutions
The agency established a new department in 2025 to oversee its research and environmental mission.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Environmental
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In 2025, Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin created the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. This move effectively replaced the agency's existing Office of Research and Development.
Why it matters
The restructuring shifts the agency's internal research focus and organizational hierarchy. It represents a significant consolidation of scientific oversight under new leadership within the federal environmental body.
The transition involved the complete dissolution of the Office of Research and Development to make way for the new entity. All scientific personnel from the previous office were reassigned to the new structure.
The players
Lee Zeldin
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency who initiated the agency's structural reorganization.
Teresa Booeshaghi
The appointed head of the newly formed Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions.
Environmental Protection Agency
The United States federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing environmental regulations.
The details
The Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions now serves as the primary scientific arm reporting directly to EPA head Lee Zeldin. By replacing the Office of Research and Development, the agency has reconfigured its scientific workflow, centralizing oversight for its environmental solutions research under Teresa Booeshaghi.
Timeline
The Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions was created in 2025.
The Tech Race
The shift away from the Office of Research and Development marks a departure from the organizational framework established at the agency's inception. It reconfigures how the EPA manages its scientific output relative to historical research standards.
The transition affects how the agency processes environmental research data and long-term scientific policy. Citizens should watch for changes in public reporting standards and research outputs as the new office assumes its duties.
The takeaway
The dissolution of the Office of Research and Development represents a significant realignment of federal environmental science priorities. Interested parties should monitor the agency's upcoming publications for changes in the scope and methodology of new environmental research reports.
Further reading
For more on shifts in federal regulatory research, see our Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bloomberglaw.
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