EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC)

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. The Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC) program builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas. Some key points to consider: • The program aims to affect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness. • Proposals must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges. • The integration and inclusion of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), women's colleges, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), and two-year colleges is a critical component of this sustainable STEM capacity. • The development of early-career faculty is critical to sustaining and advancing research capacity.