EPSCoR, or the Estab­lished Program to Stim­u­late Com­pet­i­tive Research, is an NSF program housed under the Office of Integrative Activities that enhances the research competitiveness of areas in the US that do not receive significant NSF funding. Learn more about how EPSCoR eligibility here. These grants are designed to strengthen STEM capacity and capability. 

What are EPSCoR's Investment Strategies?

The EPSCoR Program works to enhance and grow the research ecosystem in EPSCoR jurisdictions using three strategies:

• Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR offers competitive grant programs to improve research and development capacity. Links to those grant opportunities are provided below. Please note that many of these awards are annual, reoccurring awards.
• Co-funding of disciplinary and multidisciplinary research: EPSCoR often co-funds proposals submitted to other NSF programs if the applicant is located in an EPSCoR jurisdiction. 
• Workshops and outreach: EPSCoR funds workshops, conferences, and other community-based activities to explore opportunities in emerging areas of science and engineering, and to share best practices in strategic planning, diversity, communication, cyber-infrastructure, evaluation, and other areas of importance to EPSCoR jurisdictions (Source.)

What grants does the NSF EPSCoR program offer?

• EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program (E-CORE RII): Builds capacity in one or more targeted research infrastructure cores that underlie the jurisdiction's research ecosystem.
• EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement (E-RISE RII): Funds research teams and products in a scientific topical area that links to research priorities identified in the submitting jurisdiction’s approved Science and Technology (S&T) Plan.
• Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC): Builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in STEM focus areas consistent with the current National 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.
• EPSCoR Research Fellows: Provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. 
• EPSCoR Graduate Research Fellowship: Provides an opportunity for applicants who received the distinction of GRFP Honorable Mention no more than three years before the proposal due date to be named NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellows and obtain financial support for their graduate education at an institution in an EPSCoR jurisdiction.

Sign up for on-going EPSCoR information here.

What is a "jurisdiction," and how can I tell if I'm eligible for an EPSCoR award?

Targeted jurisdictions are states, territories or commonwealths of the United States. The most recent designation of EPSCoR jurisdictions comes from the CHIPS Act and are highlighted in the map above. (Source.)

Do I need to know about EPSCoR?

Everyone in Idaho should know about EPSCoR! Please do not assume that NSF does not have funding for you. NSF funds a LARGE number of disciplines. For example, in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences funds projects on the following topics:

• Accountable Institutions and Behavior.
• Decision, Risk and Management Sciences.
• Economics.
• Law & Science.
• Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics.
• Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
• Science of Organizations.
• Science and Technology Studies. (NB: This can include philosophy!)
• Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact.
• Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace.
• Security and Preparedness.
• Sociology.

There are eight directorates at NSF that fund a wide variety of basic research. Please connect with the Office of Research Development if you would like to learn more.

Do any other federal agencies recognize EPSCoR jurisdictions?

Yes! The Department of Agriculture, NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense all recognize EPSCoR jurisdictions in their grant-making. This is particularly valuable information for researchers with interests in applied sciences. The National Institutes of Health offers a similar program called IDeA.

What EPSCoR grants does Idaho already have?

Idaho State University is part of Idaho EPSCoR. Idaho EPSCoR currently is led by a State Committee composed of 16 members with diverse professional backgrounds from both the public and private sectors and from all regions of the state. The EPSCoR Committee reports to the Idaho State Board of Education and receives matching funds via the Higher Education Research Council (HERC). The Idaho EPSCoR office and the State of Idaho EPSCoR Project Director are located at the University of Idaho. More information is available in the section below.

Idaho State University, the University of Idaho, and Boise State University currently work together on a Cooperative Agreement; this project, "RII Track-1: Idaho Community-engaged Resilience for Energy-Water Systems (I-CREWS)," was funded under National Science Foundation grant No. OIA-2242769. The total amount of federal funds for the project is $20 million, while the total amount of non-federal funds for the project is $4 million. Together, these institutions have obtained several collaborative, multiyear grants designed to simulate research in areas of strategic and regional importance. Previous iterations of this effort are WC-WAVES, MILES, and GEM-3. Importantly, I-CREWS offers sub-awards to support their research and teaching; these grants are limited to researchers at participating institutions.

Kitty Griswold is ISU's Co-PI for the EPSCoR program at ISU. Connect with her to learn how to get involved.

I-CREWS

I-CREWS is Idaho's current, multidisciplinary NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 project. This project aims to address the impact of climate, population, and technological change on energy-water (E-W) systems. I-CREWS advances research, education, workforce development initiatives, and partnership capacity in Idaho in two strategic directions. First, it leverages existing academic research strengths in various sciences to build linkages. Second, it expands Idaho's research capacity in computational modeling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Using a range of Idaho's communities, landscapes, and watersheds, the main objectives of I-CREWS are to:

• evaluate E-W configurations for various resilience strategies,
• model E-W configurations and their resilience,
• develop future scenarios for E-W trajectories and their resilience.

Learn more about I-CREWS here or use the link above to connect with Kitty Griswold.

EPSCoR Success Stories

Participation in the EPSCoR program is designed to provide researchers with the support and funds to advance their careers. Dr. Devaleena Pradhan's work with EPSCoR began with the GEM3 project. Dr. Pradhan's work with Idaho EPSCoR also provided her with funding to advance her role as a research mentor. This work helped Dr. Pradhan to win an NSF CAREER Award. Later, in 2024, Dr. Pradhan was recognized by the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology with the Broadening Participation Service Award.

“Seed funding through the Idaho EPSCoR program has helped my lab pursue novel research directions, pedagogical innovations, and tremendously contributed to build the capacity of my research program. From virtual working group meetings to in person annual meetings - being affiliated with the GEM3 program as an early career faculty provided me networking opportunities to connect with faculty across Idaho, especially valuable during the pandemic. I learned to incorporate the Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) approach into my NSF CAREER proposal, which was very well received by the panelists. This VIP has spurred successful collaborations with other faculty in my department and above all, provided immersive multi-semester research experiences, building technical and scientific skills for 18 students in 2.5 years. The Summer Authentic Research Experience (SARE) program provided summer stipends to 5 undergraduates from my lab, greatly enhancing productivity over the years.” -- Dr. Pradhan. 2025

Learn more about Dr. Pradhan's Research Here.

Vertically Integrated Project Funding Available

Idaho NSF EPSCoR funding is available annually to facilitate the development of VIP (Vertically Integrated Project) courses related to the I-CREWS research areas. VIP is a program to increase student access to hands-on learning with faculty mentors and diverse teams. The VIP approach is at the center of the Idaho NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-1 I-CREWS Education, Workforce Development, and Diversity plans. 



The VIP Program still has funding. Click here to learn more.

EPSCoR Success Stories

EPSCoR is an important pathway to advance Research at ISU. Professor Colden Baxter has been involved in Idaho EPSCoR since 2004. Following his involvement with the Idaho EPSCoR project, Dr. Baxter has received funding from a variety of sources to support his research, including the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the National Science Foundation. In 2018, Dr. Baxter received the Jean'ne M. Shreeve NSF EPSCoR Research Excellence Award. He has also served as president for the Society for Freshwater Science.

"The NSF-EPSCoR program has been instrumental in my success as a researcher, especially by providing support that has fueled the development of key collaborations and changes in research culture throughout my career, fueling innovative efforts working with scientists and students across the earth, life and social science disciplines aimed at addressing complex environmental problems facing our state and region. NSF-EPSCoR awards have helped transform and improve the ways we connect the science we do with our local and regional communities. This has been reflected, for example, in the evolving role of ISU's Center for Ecological Research and Education, which I direct. I am particularly grateful for the ways in which these grants have helped us work with the community to produce science applied to the Portneuf River, and grown research and educational partnerships with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes."--Dr. Colden Baxter, 2025

Learn more about Dr. Baxter's research here.

I-CREWS SEED Funding

The I-CREWS Seed Funding allows the program to respond to new opportunities and/or pursue high-risk, high-impact research projects. Idaho EPSCoR will coordinate an application process once per year in project Years 1-4. Eligibility includes individuals currently involved in I-CREWS as well as those not yet involved. To receive seed funding awards, an applicant must demonstrate synergy with ongoing I-CREWS efforts, including those to broaden participation, foster convergence research, and foster inter-institutional collaboration. Funding can cover projects for one to two years, and can range from $55,000-$165,000.

Learn more about SEED funding through I-CREWS Here.

Another way to get involved in I-CREWS: Tribal Research Training

This Reciprocal Research Workshop series, funded by the NSF EPSCoR I-CREWS grant, employs a 6 Rs (Respect, Relationality, Responsibility, Representation, Relevance, Reciprocity) framework for exploring the dynamics, logistics, and practical considerations of conducting or engaging in collaborative research with, in, and by Native Nations. The workshop series will take place each Spring of 2025, 2026, 2027. This workshop series builds on the 2022 (Re)Cultivating and (Re)Newing Reciprocal Research workshops hosted by Idaho State University.

Learn more and view past trainings here.