EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. A jurisdiction is eligible to participate in NSF EPSCoR if their most recent 5-year level of total NSF funding is equal to or less than 0.75% of the total NSF budget subject to certain exclusions. Jurisdictions above 0.75% but less than 0.80% are allowed to remain EPSCoR-eligible for up to 5 years.  For more details, see: https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/epscor/Eligibility_Tables/FY2021_Eligibility.pdf. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness.

RII Track-2 FEC builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in scientific focus areas consistent with NSF priorities. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or rapidly independently. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) research and education activities should seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of diverse individuals, institutions, and sectors throughout the project. Proposals must describe a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies diversity of all types (individual, institutional, geographic, and disciplinary). The development of diverse early-career faculty is a critical component of this sustainable STEM capacity. For FY 2021, RII Track-2 FEC proposals are invited on a single topic: “Advancing research towards Industries of the Future to ensure economic growth for EPSCoR jurisdictions.”

A single proposal is submitted for a project. Support for non-lead collaborating organizations should be requested as subawards. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not allowed. Each participating EPSCoR jurisdiction must have at least one co-PI on the project. Proposals that do not comply with these requirements will be considered not responsive, and will be returned without review.