Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
Due Dates: December 17, 2024 (Letter of Intent) | January 28, 2025 (Full Proposal) | Annually thereafter
Funding Amounts: Up to $4M (2 jurisdictions) or $6M (3+ jurisdictions) per award over up to 4 years; ~12 awards; total program funding $12M–$18M
Summary: Supports interjurisdictional STEM research collaborations to build research capacity, infrastructure, and competitiveness in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions.
Key Information: Only EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions may apply; Letter of Intent is required; focus area announced biennially via Dear Colleague Letter.
Description
This NSF program aims to enhance research competitiveness and STEM capacity in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions by supporting collaborative, multi-jurisdictional research projects. The program targets partnerships among institutions in eligible states and territories to address significant scientific challenges, promote workforce development (especially among early-career faculty and underrepresented groups), and foster sustainable improvements in research infrastructure and R&D competitiveness. Projects must be investigator-driven and involve at least two EPSCoR jurisdictions, with clear plans for collaboration, capacity-building, and broader impacts.
Due Dates
- Letter of Intent (required): December 17, 2024 (third Tuesday in December), 5:00 p.m. local time. Recurs annually.
- Full Proposal: January 28, 2025 (fourth Tuesday in January), 5:00 p.m. local time. Recurs annually.
Funding Amount
- Award Amount: Up to $4,000,000 (if 2 EPSCoR jurisdictions participate) or up to $6,000,000 (if 3 or more EPSCoR jurisdictions participate) per award, for up to 4 years.
- Number of Awards: Approximately 12 awards anticipated.
- Total Program Funding: $12,000,000 to $18,000,000, subject to proposal quality and fund availability.
- Cost Sharing: Not required or allowed.
- Eligible Expenses: Must comply with NSF guidelines; budgets should include funds for required meetings, workforce development, and evaluation.
Eligibility
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Who May Apply:
- Institutions or organizations in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions (see current list).
- Accredited U.S. higher education institutions (PhD- and non-PhD-granting) with a campus in the U.S., territories, or possessions.
- Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting U.S. organizations (e.g., museums, science centers, research labs, professional societies) with 501(c)(3) status.
- Tribal governments and Indigenous communities as defined in the solicitation.
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Encouraged Participants:
- Emerging Research Institutions (less than $50M in federal research expenditures).
- Minority-serving institutions.
- Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and two-year colleges.
- Institutions dedicated to serving students with disabilities, women's colleges.
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PI/Co-PI Restrictions:
- Must be affiliated with eligible organizations in EPSCoR jurisdictions.
- Each jurisdiction in a project must be represented by a PI or at least one co-PI.
- PIs/Co-PIs on current RII-FEC (or Track-2 FEC) awards with end dates after October 31 of the year of submission are not eligible as PI/Co-PI, but may serve as senior personnel.
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Submission Limits:
- One proposal as lead organization per competition.
- No restriction on participation as non-lead or subawardee.
Application Process
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Letter of Intent (LOI):
- Required; must be submitted by the Authorized Organizational Representative via Research.gov.
- Should describe the proposed research, participating jurisdictions, and research keywords.
- Multiple LOIs not permitted.
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Full Proposal:
- May be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Must follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and solicitation-specific instructions.
- Proposals must begin with "FEC:" in the project title.
- Collaborative proposals must include at least one PI/co-PI from each EPSCoR jurisdiction involved.
- Budget must include funds for required meetings, project-wide activities, and external evaluation.
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Required Documents:
- Project Summary and Description (with detailed collaboration, workforce development, and evaluation plans).
- Management and Implementation Plan.
- Budget and Justification.
- Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources.
- Senior/Key Personnel documents (biosketches, current/pending support, etc.).
- List of participants and organizations.
- Up to five Letters of Collaboration.
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Review Criteria:
- Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts (NSF standard).
- Additional: research capacity enhancement, workforce development, inter-jurisdictional collaboration, and integration of project elements.
Additional Information
- Focus Area: Defined biennially via a Dear Colleague Letter (see EPSCoR Program links).
- Non-EPSCoR and International Collaboration: Allowed, but EPSCoR funds cannot be directed to non-EPSCoR or international partners.
- Sustainability: Proposals must include plans for sustaining research activities and impacts beyond the funding period.
- Reporting: Annual and final project reports required; must include data on participation of women and underrepresented groups.
External Links
Contact Information
For Research.gov support: 1-800-381-1532, rgov@nsf.gov
For Grants.gov support: 1-800-518-4726, support@grants.gov