ALERT: Read about the response to COVID-19 taking place in EPSCoR/IDeA jurisdictions.

News & Updates

DOE Announces $110M FOA for Biosystems Design Research

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The DOE announced a plan to provide up to $110 million for basic research and technology development to design and engineer plants and microbes for the production of advanced biofuels, bioproducts, and biomaterials. The research will elucidate fundamental biological processes to enable genome-scale redesign and editing to develop more productive and resilient crops and novel microbial strains that can efficiently produce valuable chemicals and materials that will advance a sustainable and secure bioeconomy.

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DOE Announces $24M to Support Energy-Relevant Research in EPSCoR Jurisdictions

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The DOE has announced a funding opportunity for up to $24 million for new grants under the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR). The grants, to be awarded competitively on the basis of peer review, are aimed to help institutions in EPSCoR-eligible states to conduct research while building capabilities to enable these regions to compete more successfully for other federal R&D funding awards.

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Holiday Closure

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On behalf of the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation, I’d like to thank you for your support this year. In 2021, we saw a return to somewhat “normal” with many meetings going back to an in-person format. We also added new resources including Cyndy Buckhaults as our communications consultant to revamp our website, start our newsletter and update our social media, and Stephanie Cooke to provide administrative support.

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New NIH NCCIH OCRA Director

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Robin Boineau, MD, MA, has been selected as the new director of the Office of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs (OCRA) at the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

As director of OCRA, Boineau leads a team that serves as a resource for the planning, implementation, and oversight of clinical research funded by NCCIH. OCRA plays a crucial role in maximizing the success, scientific potential, and impact of NCCIH-supported clinical research and in minimizing the risk to research participants.

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NSF Director receives national award

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Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the NSF, was awarded the NAI Founder’s Award during the National Academy of Inventors 2021 Day 1. Award was presented by Paul Sanberg, President of NAI.

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USDA NIFA Invests Over $50M for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development

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USDA NIFA has announced an investment of over $50 million to 140 organizations and institutions that teach and train beginning farmers and ranchers.

In fiscal year 2020, NIFA awarded $16,783,829 in Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grants. In fiscal year 2021, thanks to enhanced funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, the total award investment for this program was $50,026,684, which included 85 newly funded grants and 55 continuation projects.

Funded projects from USDA EPSCoR jurisdictions include:

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NSF EPSCoR RII Program: Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations

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RII Track-2 FEC builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in STEM focus areas consistent with NSF priorities. 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 rapidly independently. The STEM research and education activities should seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of diverse individuals, institutions, and sectors throughout the project. Proposals must describe a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies diversity of all types (individual, institutional, geographic, and disciplinary). The development of early-career faculty that are underrepresented in the chosen STEM field and the integration and inclusion of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and community colleges is a critical component of this sustainable STEM capacity.

For FY 2022, Track-2 proposals are invited on a single topic: “Advancing research towards industries of tomorrow to ensure economic growth for EPSCoR jurisdictions.

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USDA NIFA Invests $2M for Aquaculture Research

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USDA NIFA recently invested $2 million for seven awards for the Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture to support the development of new science-based information and technology for environmentally and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the United States. The Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture is authorized by the Competitive Special and Facilities Research Grants Act to develop practical solutions that will facilitate growth of the US aquaculture industry, reduce the US trade deficit in seafood products, and enhancing the capacity of the US aquaculture industry to contribute to food security and economic growth.

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DOE Awards ~$40M for Grid Decarbonizing Solar Technologies

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The DOE has awarded nearly $40 million to 40 projects that are advancing the next generation of solar, storage, and industrial technologies necessary for achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s climate goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035. Specifically, the projects will reduce the cost of solar technologies by increasing the lifespan of photovoltaic (PV) systems from 30 to 50 years, developing technologies that will enable solar to be used in fuel and chemicals production, and advancing novel storage technologies.

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NASA Commits $28M to Underfunded US Jurisdictions

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NASA has awarded $28 million to fund the next five years of research infrastructure development across 28 jurisdictions. The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a part of NASA’s Office of Stem Engagement and based out of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, supports science and technology research and development at colleges and universities while also funding studies in Earth science, aeronautics, and human and robotic deep space exploration – all of which are disciplines critical to the NASA mission.

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