1. Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
Loretta Moore
Head, NSF EPSCoR
August 6, 2018

2. EPSCoR Presentation Outline
EPSCoR Overview
Engagement with CISE
Strategic Planning

3. NSF Organization National Science Board (NSB) Director Deputy Director
Office of
Inspector General
(OIG)
Budget, Finance & Award
Management (BFA)
Information & Resource
Management(IRM)
Office of Diversity & Inclusion
Office of the General
Counsel (OGC)
NSF leadership has two major components. The Director who oversees NSF staff and management and is responsible for program creation and administration, merit review, planning, budget, and day-to-day operations.
National Science Board – 24 member group of eminent individuals who establish overall policies for the Foundation - e.g., cost share, arctic facilities
Biological
Sciences (BIO)
Computer &
Information
Sci. & Eng. (CISE)
Engineering
(ENG)
Education &
Human
Resources (EHR)
Office of Legislative
& Public Affairs (OLPA)
Office of Integrative Activities
(OIA)
Geosciences
(GEO)
Mathematical &
Physical
Sciences (MPS)
Social,
Behavioral &
Economic
Sciences (SBE)
Evaluation and
Assessment
Capability (EAC)
Integrative
Activities
EPSCoR

4. EPSCoR
Enhances research competitiveness of targeted jurisdictions (states, territories, commonwealth) by strengthening STEM capacity and capability
Goals
Catalyze research capability across and among jurisdictions
Establish STEM professional development pathways
Broaden participation of diverse groups and institutions in STEM
Effect engagement in STEM at national and global levels
Impact jurisdictional economic development

5. Current EPSCoR Jurisdictions
Note: Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah are no longer EPSCoR-eligible. New Mexico is only eligible for co-funding and workshop & outreach opportunities (not RII).
A jurisdiction is eligible to participate in the NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Grant Program (RII) if their most recent 3-year level of NSF research support is equal to or less than 0.75% of the total NSF Research and Related Activities (R&RA) budget. Once a jurisdiction is over the eligibility threshold, they cannot compete for new RII grants, but EPSCoR continues to support them with co-funding and outreach for an additional 3 years to help them to maintain their competitiveness.
As of today, no jurisdiction that has gone over the eligibility threshold has ever regained EPSCoR eligibility.

6. EPSCoR Investment Strategies
Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) (79% of EPSCoR budget)
Support physical, human, and cyber infrastructure within academic institutions across each jurisdiction
Co-Funding w/ NSF Directorates & Offices (20% of budget)
Meritorious proposals reviewed in other NSF programs that also satisfy EPSCoR programmatic criteria
Outreach and Workshops (1% of budget)
Interaction among EPSCoR Community and NSF to build mutual awareness and develop areas of potential strength

7. EPSCoR funding represents ~2.7% of NSF’s overall research support
EPSCoR Funding ($M)
EPSCoR funding represents ~2.7% of NSF’s overall research support
Activity
FY13
FY14
FY15
FY16
FY17
RII
116.3
132.2
137.4
130.4
135.8
Co-funding
30.8
25.0
27.6
28.5
24.9
Outreach & Workshops
0.5
1.0
1.1
2.1
Total
147.6
158.2
165.5
160.0
162.8

8. Research Infrastructure Improvement
Track-1 (up to $20M over 5 years)
Statewide research capacity in alignment with specific priorities described in Science & Technology Plan
Track-2 (up to $1.5M per year for up to 4 years)
Interjurisdictional collaborations (i.e., 2 or more EPSCoR jurisdictions)
Theme chosen by NSF EPSCoR to align with Foundation-wide priority areas
Additional focus on early-career faculty
Track-3 (piloted in FY13; up to $750k for up to 5 years)
Focus on broadening participation in STEM
Track-4 (new in FY17; up to $300k over 2 years)
Fellowships for non-tenured faculty to have extended research visits to premier private, governmental, or academic institutions in the U.S.

9. Co-Funding
Joint support of meritorious proposals from EPSCoR Institutions
Proposal submittal to specific NSF Directorate/Office
Merit review by the managing program based on NSF policies
At managing program’s request, EPSCoR reviews and decides on co- funding based on alignment with priorities and availability of funds
Co-funding priorities
New PI; Collaborative/Multidisciplinary; Synergy with NSF Priorities (for current fiscal year); Broadening Participation; Instrumentation to Increase Research Capacity; K-12 Student & Teacher Training; Integration of Research & Education

10. Workshops and Outreach
EPSCoR Workshops
Support EPSCoR community-wide activities designed to:
Explore opportunities in emerging areas of STEM research
Share best practices in planning and implementation in areas of importance to EPSCoR jurisdictions
Current solicitation (NSF ):
EPSCoR Outreach
Supports NSF staff travel for interactions with the EPSCoR community and builds mutual awareness

11. EPSCoR Directorate Involvement

12. Computer & Information Science & Engineering
EPSCoR Alignment with
Computer & Information Science & Engineering
Supporting cyberinfrastructure to enable and accelerate discovery and innovation across all disciplines
Broadening interdisciplinary collaboration across universities and jurisdictions
Building a technology-savvy workforce with the skills essential for success

13. EPSCoR and CISE Co-funding
107 projects co-funded over the past 5 years
Of those 107 projects, EPSCoR contributed $18.39 (37%) out of the total $49.73M
EPSCoR co-funding with CISE has included these infrastructure-building programs: CAREER, CRII, CC*, CRI, INSPIRE, INCLUDES, IUSE, MRI, REU, and RUI
Outreach Travel for CISE-specific EPSCoR requests
Supporting review and Site Visits for RII Track-1 projects

14. EPSCoR Strategic Review and Planning

15. Some Initial Findings Internet Access Rankings and Figures
5 EPSCoR jurisdictions in top 10
9 EPSCoR jurisdictions in top half of median
7 EPSCoR jurisdictions in bottom 10
15 EPSCoR jurisdictions in bottom half of median
All current EPSCoR jurisdictions except 4 (AR, KY, NH, and WY) received C2 awards
OAC current active awards spreadsheet and summary
13.7% of active OAC awards in EPSCoR jurisdictions
This represents only 6.5% of OAC funding for active awards

16. EPSCoR Strategic Priorities (Draft)
EPSCoR Jurisdictions will be:
Models for Diversity and Inclusion:
Better utilize the full spectrum of diversity within EPSCoR jurisdictions so that they can reach their full potential; networked communities will be more effective when they proactively include all the intellectual potential available within a jurisdiction.
Home to Expanded Networked Communities:
Link government, industry and private sector organizations within and across EPSCoR jurisdictions; focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization to achieve long-term economic impact and sustainability.
Testbeds for Big Data-Capable Cyberinfrastructure
Enable fully connected networked communities and exploit emerging opportunities in Big Data and Data Science across STEM disciplines.

17. Thank you