EPA Created Office of Applied Science

The EPA established a new office in 2025 to centralize scientific research and environmental solutions.

Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Environmental

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The Environmental Protection Agency has launched the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions to centralize research efforts under new leadership. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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In 2025, Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin created the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. This new entity replaced the agency's previous Office of Research and Development.

Why it matters

The transition represents a structural reorganization of how the Environmental Protection Agency manages scientific research and environmental oversight under current leadership.

The transition involved the complete dissolution of the Office of Research and Development, with all previously assigned scientists transferred to the newly formed Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions.

The players

Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin serves as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Teresa Booeshaghi

Teresa Booeshaghi serves as the head of the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions.

The details

The newly established office operates under the direct oversight of EPA head Lee Zeldin, with Teresa Booeshaghi appointed to lead the unit. The restructuring process included the formal reassignment of all staff members from the former research department.

Timeline

  1. The Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions was created in 2025.

The Big Picture

The creation of this office marks a departure from the historical organizational structure of the Office of Research and Development. It fundamentally shifts the agency's internal reporting lines and operational priorities regarding scientific application.

The reorganization shifts how the EPA approaches environmental research and potential policy development. Future regulatory or scientific standards may reflect the new office's focus on applied solutions.

The takeaway

Agency-wide reorganizations frequently alter how scientific data is processed and applied to national policy. Readers should monitor future EPA reports for signs of changes in research output or regulatory focus.

Further reading

Learn more about federal agency updates on the Environmental section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Bloomberglaw.

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