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The
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a
family of competitive merit-based programs at federal research and
development (R&D) agencies. The National Science Foundation
(NSF) was the first EPSCoR sponsor. In 1991-92 the U.S. congress
mandated that other federal agencies supporting academic research
would form an EPSCoR program similar to that of NSF.
These agencies include the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of
Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The
NIH program is called the Institutional Development Award (IDeA)
program. Each agency administers its EPSCoR program in a way that
also best contributes to the agency's mission; so EPSCoR policies
and procedures differ among agencies.
Even with some differences among agency programs, the
EPSCoR approach involves:
-
Objective merit review of all research improvement activities;
-
Support for
programs to raise accomplished researchers and well-established research
programs to a level of national competitive excellence;
-
Requirement of
substantial matching support from state and institutional funding sources;
and
-
Long-term efforts to improve the research and research training
environment in participant states.
Twenty-five states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are designated as EPSCoR participants. In
FY 1980 the first five states were designated -
Arkansas,
Maine,
Montana,
South Carolina, and
West
Virginia; in FY 1985 seven states and Puerto Rico
were added - Alabama,
Kentucky,
Nevada, North
Dakota, Oklahoma,
Vermont and
Wyoming;
in FY 1987
Idaho,
Louisiana,
South Dakota, and
Mississippi
were added; and in FY 1992 Kansas and
Nebraska were designated.
Alaska joined
in FY 2000;
Hawaii and
New Mexico
were designated in FY 2001;
Delaware
and
Tennessee were added in FY 2003. The newest member is
Rhode
Island designated in FY 2004. |
Through EPSCoR, these states are 1) strengthening
their research capability and S&T infrastructure; 2) building local
and state support for stronger academic research and education
efforts; 3) integrating academic research with education and human
resource development; and 4) facilitating the transfer of research
and technology to existing firms, and stimulating new
high-technology companies.
Summary of Returns to Idaho
from Federal EPSCoR/IDeA Programs
Idaho has been very successful in competing for EPSCoR
awards, winning $66.1 million in
competitive NSF research infrastructure strengthening and co-funded awards since
1989. EPSCoR awards to Idaho from
all agencies total $173 million
to date. Included
in the research infrastructure strengthening accomplished EPSCoR awards is the strengthening of Idaho’s human
resources in science, engineering, and technology among university
faculty and students and selected high school students and their
teachers.
Federal
Agencies
|
EPSCoR
Awards
|
HERC*
Match
|
RESEARCH
TRAINING & OUTREACH
|
Faculty
|
Graduate
Students
|
U/Graduate
Students
|
High
School
|
|
NSF |
$66,110,915 |
$13,511,900 |
350 |
344 |
578 |
95
Students
39
Teachers |
|
NIH |
$80,595,638 |
$525,300 |
65 |
31 |
46 |
|
|
DOE |
$4,088,432 |
$20,000 |
11 |
28 |
9 |
|
|
NASA
|
$4,777,421
|
|
12
|
15
|
8
|
|
|
DOD
|
$10,234,713
|
|
41
|
68
|
17
|
|
|
EPA
|
$1,200,260
|
|
14
|
11
|
7
|
2
Students
1
Teacher
|
|
USDA
|
$6,010,520
|
|
78
|
47
|
|
|
|
TOTALS
|
$173,017,900
|
$14,057,200
|
571
|
544
|
665
|
137
|
*EPSCoR match provided by the Idaho State Board of Education
Higher Education Research Council through 2008.
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Historically
>$12 of EPSCoR/IDeA funding returned to Idaho for every $1 of State
EPSCoR match invested by HERC.
-
Additional
competitive funding won just by NSF EPSCoR investigators within
several years of initial awards 1989-2008 is $135 million, thus
>$14 in total
direct and indirect research funding returned to Idaho for every $1 of
State EPSCoR match invested in NSF EPSCoR by HERC.
-
More than half (53%) of all NSF grants to Idaho’s universities (from
2005 to mid-2008) have some connection to NSF EPSCoR support -
investigators were either involved in an RII theme (past or present),
received EPSCoR startup and/or instrumentation, or their award was
co-funded by NSF EPSCoR.
-
Idaho’s share of the total research budget of the NSF has tripled since
1996-98, from 0.5 percent to 0.15 percent.
-
More than 350 university faculty members have directly benefited from
NSF EPSCoR investments, including more than 100 key investigators in
EPSCoR research themes and eight new research-active faculty positions
added at Idaho’s universities because of EPSCoR since 2002.
-
NSF EPSCoR has been a leading force for the integration of research and
education, enabling approximately 400 graduate students, 550
undergraduates, plus dozens of postdoctoral scientists to be involved in
EPSCoR-funded research.
-
NSF EPSCoR outreach activities have reached over 13,000 K-12 students in
Idaho to stimulate and encourage their interest in science and
engineering.
-
NSF EPSCoR has catalyzed Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) programs that have served hundreds of Idaho’s students who are
underrepresented in STEM disciplines, particularly Native Americans and
women.
-
NSF EPSCoR has promoted the transfer of technology 1) by supporting
Idaho’s small businesses to compete for SBIR funding, 2) through EPSCoR
investigators who are inventors or co-inventors on nearly half of the
patents assigned to participating institutions since 1989, and 3)
through investigators who have formed several small technology companies
in Idaho.
NSF
EPSCoR has also funded special infrastructure awards of particular benefit to citizens across the state:
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The
UI SBIR enhancement program to assist Idaho’s small businesses
and entrepreneurs.
-
The
BSU electronics laboratory to help explore technology
opportunities of benefit to Idaho’s industry.
-
The
UI fish research laboratory at Hagerman assisting Idaho’s fish
farming industry.
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The
UI bioinformatics center to support biological research at UI,
BSU, ISU, and the private sector.
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The HOIST outreach education program for Native
American high school
students and teachers.
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