EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (FEC)
Status: Forecasted
Posted date: May 17, 2024
Archive date: February 24, 2028
Close date: January 27, 2026
Opportunity ID: 354269
Opportunity number: 24-573
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Agency name: U.S. National Science Foundation
Agency code: NSF
Award floor: $1,000,000
Award ceiling: $1,500,000
Cost sharing required: No
Funding Instrument Types
- Grant
Category of Funding Activity
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Eligible Applicants
- Others
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
- agency_code:nsf
- category_of_funding_activity:science_and_technology_and_other_research_and_development
- cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:false
- eligible_applicants:others
- funding_instrument_type:grant
- opportunity_category:discretionary
- status:forecasted
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. EPSCoR eligibility status is yearly updated and reported in the EPSCoR website (see EPSCoR eligibility). Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to affect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness. The FEC program (formerly known as “EPSCoR Track-2 program”) builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the currentNational Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently. FEC projects have a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity. The projects’ STEM research and education activities seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of all individuals, institutions, and sectors. Additionally, EPSCoR recognizes that the development of early-career faculty is critical to sustaining and advancing research capacity.