EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement
Agency: National Science Foundation
Posted: 2023-05-13 | Closing date: 2024-08-13
Estimated total program funding: 31500000
Award ceiling: 11500000
Award floor: 7000000
Cost sharing or matching requirement: No

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) fulfills the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. NSF EPSCoR facilitates the establishment of partnerships among academic institutions, government, industry, and non-profit sectors that are designed to promote sustainable improvements in the research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and R&D competitiveness of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions (i.e., states, territories, and commonwealths). The E-RISE RII program supports the incubation of research teams and products in a scientific topical area that links to research priorities identified in the submitting jurisdiction’s approved Science and Technology (S&T) Plan. E-RISE RII invites innovative proposals that will lead to development and implementation of sustainable broad networks of individuals, institutions, and organizations that will transform the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research capacity and competitiveness in a jurisdiction within the chosen field of research. E-RISE RII projects must be designed to incubate (i) areas of research capacity building within a chosen research topic; (ii) development of a skilled workforce that is relevant to the project and its outcomes; (iii) promotion of diversity, equity, access, and a culture of inclusion of different types of academic institutions (see below) and non-academic sectors (e.g., industry and government); (iv) integration of the research with societal impacts in a timebound manner; and (v) sustainability of a clear pathway towards preserving the resulting research incubator's team and products beyond E-RISE RII funding.

Eligibility: *Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:   -<ul type="disc">  <li>Institutions or organizations in jurisdictions that meet the EPSCoR<a href="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-06/EPSCoR%20Eligibility%20Table%20Fiscal%20Year%202023.pdf">eligibility</a>criteria and that are without a collaborating role in a current or potentially pending EPSCoR RII Track-1 award unless the current EPSCoR RII Track-1 award is in its final year, or have an awarded or pending EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems (E-CORE RII) proposal from any eligible entity within the jurisdiction.  <ul type="circle">  <li>Institutions of higher education (PhD-granting and non-PhD-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories, or possessions. Distinct academic campuses within multi-campus systems (e.g., campuses that award their own degrees and have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, and alumni associations) qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions. Campuses that plan to submit a proposal through the Sponsored Projects Office of other campuses or organizations should contact NSF EPSCoR to discuss eligibility as early as possible and at least six weeks before submitting such a proposal.</li>  <li>Non-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation&rsquo;s research or educational activities. These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an office of sponsored research) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.</li>  <li>Tribal Governments with the governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a, et seq.) or Indigenous communities that are not recognized by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a, et seq.).</li>  </ul>  </li>  </ul>   E-RISE RII submissions should be multi-institutional or multi-organizational, with a lead institution/organization and additional collaborating partner(s), which may include academic and non-academic organizations. E-RISE RII collaborations must be indicative of building an inclusive jurisdiction-wide network of expertise in the chosen research topic.    It is encouraged that the lead institution/organization or at least one collaborative partner be an institution from one of the categories below:   <ul type="disc">  <li>Emerging Research Institutions as defined in <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section18901&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim">42 &sect;USC 18901</a> as institutions of higher education with an established undergraduate or graduate program that have less than $50,000,000 in Federal research expenditures;</li>  <li>Minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and other institutions that enroll a significant percentage of students from underrepresented populations as<a title="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html" href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html">defined</a>by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., Alaska Native-se