2015 NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 Program Solicitation Released: Proposals Due Feb. 20

The solicitation for the 2015 NSF EPSCoR RII track-2 program has been released.  A critical change this year is that each institution in an eligible EPSCoR jurisdiction may apply directly.  “Institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories or possessions.”

Note that each institution may submit one proposal, and it must include a collaborator from another eligible EPSCoR jurisdiction.  Of course, collaboration within the state is always encouraged.  Since each institution may submit a proposal, the selection process for the proposal from your institution will be up to your respective administrative processes.  NSF anticipates 5 awards, across 28 jurisdictions, with each award encompassing multiple institutions.

View Program Solicitation NSF 15-517 on the NSF Website
DOWNLOAD THE SOLICITATION

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Synopsis of Program

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. A jurisdiction is eligible to participate in EPSCoR programs if its level of NSF research support is equal to or less than 0.75 percent of the total NSF research and related activities budget for the most recent three-year period. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness.

Important Information and Revision Notes

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 15-1). The PAPPG is consistent with, and, implements the new Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) (2 CFR § 200). NSF anticipates release of the PAPPG in the Fall of 2014 and it will be effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after December 26, 2014. Please be advised that proposers who opt to submit prior to December 26, 2014, must also follow the guidelines contained in NSF 15-1.

• The following EPSCoR jurisdictions are RII-eligible for the FY 2015 RII Track-2 FEC competition: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, US Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
   
• Proposals may only be submitted by domestic (United States) organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows:
  • Institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in an RII-eligible jurisdiction.  Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.
  • Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic organizations in RII-eligible jurisdictions, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research or educational activities.  These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an office of sponsored research) located in an RII-eligible jurisdiction, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.

• There is a limit of a single proposal from each submitting organization.
• Each proposal must have at least one collaborator from an academic institution or organization in a different RII-eligible EPSCoR jurisdiction as a co-Principal Investigator (co-PI). Proposals with a PI and all co-PIs from the same jurisdiction will be returned without review.
• Support for non-lead collaborating institutions should be requested as subawards. Separately submitted collaboratives are not allowed.
• For FY 2015, RII Track-2 FEC proposals promote collaborations among researchers in EPSCoR jurisdictions in themes that are consistent with NSF priorities, including such areas as cognitive science and neuroscience, clean energy, and food security.
• The project title must begin with “RII Track-2 FEC:” and follow with an informative title in the topic area.
• RII Track-2 FEC award amount depends on the size of the collaboration. If two RII-eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions collaborate on a proposal, the award amount may not exceed $1 million per year. If three or more RII-eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions collaborate on a proposal, the award amount may not exceed $1.5 million per year.
• Adherence to guidelines in this solicitation and GPG Chapter II Section B including page, font, and margin requirements will be strictly enforced.
• Page limits apply. See Section V.
• No letters of commitment should be included in Supplementary Documents. See Section V A 10.d.
• Up to a maximum of five letters of support may be included. See Section V A 10.e.

Submission Eligibility

The following EPSCoR jurisdictions are RII-eligible for the FY 2015 RII Track-2 FEC competition: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, US Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows:

• Institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories or possessions. Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.
• Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research or educational activities. These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an office of sponsored research) located in the United States, its territories or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.

Who May Serve as PI

Principal Investigators of proposed RII Track-2 FEC projects must be affiliated with research universities, agencies, or organizations in EPSCoR jurisdictions. In addition, the lead Principal Investigator must be employed by the fiscal agent/proposing organization.

Each EPSCoR jurisdiction participating in a project must be represented by a PI or at least one co-PI. The PI and co-PIs must all have disciplinary research expertise in the focus area of the research being proposed.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1

Only one RII Track-2 FEC proposal may be submitted in response to this solicitation by an organization in an RII-eligible jurisdiction.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: 1

An investigator may serve as PI or Co-PI on only one proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

Program Contact Information

Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

• Kelvin Chu, 940, telephone: (703) 292-7860, email: kchu@nsf.gov
• Sean C. Kennan, 940, telephone: (703) 292-7575, email: skennan@nsf.gov
• Audrey Levine, 940, telephone: (703) 292-7374, email: alevine@nsf.gov
• Tim M. VanReken, 940, telephone: (703) 292-7378, email: tvanreke@nsf.gov
• Uma D. Venkateswaran, 940, telephone: (703) 292-7732, email: uvenkate@nsf.gov
  

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The information above was obtained from the NSF Website on 11/20/14.  Readers should be aware that the information posted above does not reflect the entire Solicitation.  You must download the PDF or access the NSF Website to view the Solicitation in entirety.  Readers should also visit the NSF Website for any program updates that may have occurred since this posting.