About EPSCoR
Summary of Programs
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) was initiated by the National Science Foundation in 1978 and now encompasses EPSCoR programs at several other Federal agencies. EPSCoR is a program directed at states that have historically received lesser amounts of research and development (R&D) funding. Through this program, states develop partnerships between their higher education institutions, industry, government, and others to effect lasting improvements in their R&D infrastructure, capacity, and national competitiveness. New Mexico EPSCoR oversees and implements the state’s NSF EPSCoR programs.
NSF EPSCoR
For more information about NSF EPSCoR visit the NSF website.
Goal #1: provide strategic programs and opportunities that stimulate sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction’s R&D capacity and competitiveness.
Goal #2: to advance science and engineering capabilities in eligible jurisdictions for discovery, innovation, and overall knowledge-based prosperity.
NSF EPSCoR Initiatives
Research Infrastructure Improvement Grants:
Provides support for sustainable improvements in research infrastructure, leading to increased competitiveness and capacity.
Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (FEC)
(formerly Track 2)
Goal: To facilitate collaborations and emphasize the recruitment/development of early career faculty and STEM education and workforce development on the theme of building capacity towards use-inspired research. The project must involve investigators from two or more EPSCoR states.
Amount/Duration: varies by number of collaborating states
- Two states: $1 million a year for up to 4 years
- Three or more states: $1.5 million annually for up to 4 years.
Deadline: Annually LOI in December, full proposal in January
FEC projects funded in New Mexico
EPSCoR Research Fellows
(formerly Track 4)
Goal: To support early- and mid-career investigators in EPSCoR states in developing collaborations at the nation’s private, government, or academic research institutions.
- Similar to a CAREER award but only open to researchers in EPSCoR states.
- Features an NSF track and a NASA track
Amount/Duration: $300k–$360k for two years.
Deadline: Annually in April
EPSCoR Research Fellows funded in New Mexico
NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP)
Goal: To support EPSCoR states by providing funding to graduate degree-awarding institutions to recruit and host up to 20 graduate fellows who have received the distinction of NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Honorable Mention within the last three years.
Amount/Duration: $477,000–$3,180,000 total for three years
Deadline: October 2024 and June 2025
EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE)
Goal: To support the incubation of research teams and products in a scientific topical area that links to research priorities identified in the submitting state's approved Science and Technology Plan.
Amount/Duration: $7 million total/4-year period.
Deadline: Annually in August
E-RISE projects funded in New Mexico
EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program (E-CORE)
Goal: To foster STEM research ecosystems and research capacity pathways across institution types and sectors in a state.
Amount/Duration: $8 million total/4-year period.
Deadline: Annually in July
E-CORE projects funded in New Mexico
Co-Funding Assistance:
Enables more awards to be made to researchers in EPSCoR jurisdictions from the Foundation’s regular research, education, and special emphasis competitions, by providing partial support for those proposals that merit review places at or near the cutoff for funding by the reviewing program. This mechanism operates internally within NSF and does not require any action on the part of the proposer.
Outreach Initiative:
Provides financial support for outreach visits by NSF staff to acquaint researchers in the EPSCoR jurisdictions with NSF priorities, programs, and policies. EPSCoR Outreach also serves to acquaint NSF staff more fully with the facilities, research activities, and investigator expertise/potential within the EPSCoR jurisdictions.
DOE EPSCoR
Awards are designed to enhance capability to conduct nationally-competitive energy-related research and to develop science & engineering human resources in energy-related areas. For more information, visit the http://science.energy.gov/bes/epscor.
Limit of one per state every 3-6 years with projects chosen by the state’s EPSCoR committee
For more information, visit DoE EPSCoR Implementation Awards.
NASA EPSCoR
For more information, visit NASA EPSCoR.
- Research awards & infrastructure development grants are administered through the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium.
For more information, visit the NM Space Grant Consortium.
NIH IDeA
For more information, visit the NIH IDeA website.
- Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for Ph.D. granting institutions or biomedical research institutes
- IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) for research & undergraduate institutions
For more information, please visit NM-INBRE’s website.
Defense EPSCoR (DEPSCoR)
As part of the FY20 defense appropriations bill, Congress tasked the Basic Research Office with managing the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR). DEPSCoR is a capacity building program that is designed to strengthen the research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in underutilized States/Territories. In order to achieve its congressional mandate, the Basic Research Office developed three major thrusts for DEPSCoR – 1) augment funding to an existing tri-Service program, 2) solicit applications for a stand-alone collaborative competition, and 3) outreach meetings.
According to the new program statute, DEPSCoR is meant to:
- Enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education (IHE) in eligible states and territories to develop, plan, and execute science and engineering (S&E) research that is relevant to the mission of the Department of Defense (DoD) and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance.
- Increase the number of university researchers in eligible states/territories capable of performing S&E research responsive to the needs of the DoD.
- Increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHE in eligible states/territories receive from the Federal Government for S&E research.
These objectives will help build the national infrastructure through increasing the number of university researchers and enhancing the capabilities of IHE to perform competitive science and engineering research relevant to the mission of the DoD and national security priorities. New Mexico is among the states eligible for future DEPSCoR funding