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NSF EPSCoR in Idaho

NSF has funded EPSCoR In Idaho since 1989 with all public universities, and selected high schools, as project participants. In addition to over $46 million in the six major research infrastructure awards, NSF has funded $2.16 million in the special emphasis projects listed below:

• $62,223 for Native American outreach education, 1994.

• $494,141 for Hagerman Fish Research Laboratory, 1996.

• $35,000 for Idaho science and technology strategic planning, 1997.

• $497,720 for development of integrated circuit R&D infrastructure, 1999.

• $200,000 for SBIR enhancement across Idaho, 2000.

• $499,994 for establishing a bioinformatics strength in Idaho, 2000.

• $375,000 to develop an American Indian Science Education Model, 2003.

The six major NSF EPSCoR research infrastructure awards to Idaho are:

• NSF-Idaho EPSCoR I: May 1989 through September 1993. NSF funding at $1.960 million for molecular science research in biology, geochemistry, chemistry, materials and physics. Total Project funding at $3.76 million; approximately 50% each from NSF and the State of Idaho. The return on that research investment included:

  • 43 faculty, 51 graduate students and 52 undergraduate students were actively involved in EPSCoR supported research.

  • 22 project PIs gained national and international exposure of their research work through:

    • 139 manuscripts published in refereed journals.

    • 134 professional conferences attended.

    • 93 seminars presented off campus.

    • $13.9 million in competitive research funding won through June 1994.

• NSF-Idaho EPSCoR II: September 1993 through August 1999. NSF funding at $7.425 million with a minimum required 1:1 non-federal dollar match to strengthen the state's research infrastructure and increase the professional development of the state's human resources in science and engineering. The return on this research infrastructure investment included:

  • 109 faculty, 151 graduate students, 230 undergraduate students, 72 high school students and 20 high school teachers were actively involved in EPSCoR funded research.

  • 28 project PIs gained national and international exposure of their research through:

    • 291 manuscripts published in refereed journals.

    • 273 professional conferences attended.

    • 110 invited seminars presented off campus.

    • Over $25.6 million in competitive research funding won.

• NSF-Idaho EPSCoR III: February 1998 through September 2002. NSF funding totals $3.58 million with a minimum required 1:1 non-federal match. The project's emphasis is continued strengthening of the state's research infrastructure and its science/engineering human resources. The return on this research infrastructure investment has included:

  • 13 faculty, 40 graduate students, 66 undergraduate students, 20 high school students and 11 high school teachers were actively involved in EPSCoR research.

  • 9 project PIs gained national and international exposure of their research through:

    • 78 manuscripts published in refereed journals.

    • 59 professional conferences attended.

    • 22 invited seminars presented off campus.

    • Over $17.3 million in mainstream research grants and contracts won.

  • Additional research enhancement activities have included professional seminars and science and engineering library support, augmentation of new research faculty startup funds, and acquisitions of multi-user science and engineering instrumentation.

• NSF-Idaho EPSCoR IV: February 2002 through September 2005. NSF funding totaled $9.0 million with a minimum required 1:2 non-federal match. The project strengthened academic research infrastructure and increase Idaho's research capacity and competitiveness in nanomaterials, biocomplexity, and information technology. The project also helping to prepare a workforce for the 21st century. The return on this investment includes, but is not limited to:

  • 46 faculty, 92 graduate students, 127 undergraduate students, and 10 high school students were supported within the research theme. An additional 56 faculty and 99 students benefited from human resource development activities.

  • 34 primary investigators gained national and international exposure of their research through:

    • 96 refereed publications acknowledging EPSCoR support.

    • 14 patents pending or awarded.

    • 179 invited seminars presented off campus.

    • Over $29.2 million in additional competitive research funding won.

• NSF-Idaho EPSCoR V: June 2005 through May 2008. NSF funding totaled $9.25 million, plus a required 1:2 non-federal match. The coordinated research theme consisted of five research teams whose efforts were driven by two scientific goals: 1) To understand and quantify the fluxes of carbon, water and nutrients in complex landscapes, and 2) To understand how variations in fluxes of carbon, water, and nutrients ramify across trophic levels. This program supported integrated, interdisciplinary research that has enhanced Idaho’s research competitiveness, created research and training opportunities attractive to top scholars, and enabled Idaho to hire five new faculty members within the research theme.

  • 59 graduate students, and 65 undergraduate students were mentored within the research theme. An additional 64 faculty members and nearly 200 students benefited from EPSCoR human resource development activities. Over 3,440 K-12 students were involved in science outreach activities.

  • 29 primary investigators gained national and international exposure of their research through:

    • 94 refereed publications acknowledging EPSCoR support.

    • 132 invited seminars presented.

    • Over $15.1 million in external research funding won as Principal Investigators during the award, plus involvement in additional collaborative awards valued at $16.9 million.

• NSF-Idaho EPSCoR VI: September 2008 through August 2013. This five-year, $15 million award is the largest single NSF grant awarded to Idaho. The program will build infrastructure to support nationally-competitive research on understanding the effects of climate change on water resources and the impact of these effects on ecological, human, and economics systems. 

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