Renaming of EPSCoR Section to RCC Section
The U.S. National Science Foundation is pleased to announce that effective January 30, 2024, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Section in the Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) has been renamed the Research Capacity and Competitiveness (RCC) Section. The section name change has no anticipated adverse impact on its programs, investments, budgetary structure, personnel, or stakeholder communities.
The RCC Section will continue to house two key NSF critical, cross-cutting initiatives and programs:
- NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Excellence in Research (HBCU - EiR)
While the EPSCoR and HBCU-EiR investment strategies, programmatic goals, programs, and websites remain unchanged, the newly named section enables NSF to further enhance its commitment to research and training capacity building programs. Dr. Alicia Knoedler, OIA Office Head, said “The expertise housed within the EPSCoR community is being leveraged to serve as a foundational model for research capacity building across the nation. RCC reinforces our commitment within NSF to create opportunities everywhere for everyone, including minority-serving institutions and emerging research institutions.”
RCC is committed to building knowledge, awareness, and understanding of its programs both across NSF and within the broader research enterprise. Additionally, the section will support the research enterprise in building capacity and competitiveness via collaborations among institutions of all characteristics. “This name change reflects an effort to more deeply integrate research capacity building across NSF, as was recommended in the Envisioning the Future of EPSCoR Report (2022) developed for NSF by the EPSCoR community. RCC provides broader visibility, cross-cutting opportunities, and expanded participation for its programs and stakeholder communities" said RCC Section Head, Dr. Sandra Richardson.