NSF EPSCoR Call for Pre-Proposals: 2012 RII Track-2 Award Competition
Oklahoma EPSCoR is requesting Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track-2 (RII Track-2) pre-proposal submissions, for possible inclusion in the state’s RII Track-2 proposal to NSF. This pre-proposal request is made in anticipation of the formal NSF competition announcement, which is expected later this fall.
To facilitate successful pre-proposal planning, the Oklahoma EPSCoR office will hold four general information and Q&A sessions throughout the state. Meetings are scheduled in Tulsa, Stillwater, Norman and Weatherford. For detailed meeting times and locations, see the “Information Sessions” section below.
To be considered for inclusion in the formal Oklahoma 2012 Track-2 application, a White Paper must be submitted to the Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee for review. The deadline for White Paper submission is 5 p.m. Monday, October 10, 2011. The formal NSF submission deadline for states’ proposals will most likely be March, 2012.
Program Synopsis
The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is a program designed to fulfill the National Science Foundation's mandate to promote scientific progress nationwide. The EPSCoR program is directed at those jurisdictions that have historically received lesser amounts of NSF Research and Development funding. Oklahoma, along with 26 other states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands, are currently eligible to participate. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state’s or region’s research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.
RII Track-2 awards provide up to $2 million per year for up to 3 years to consortia of EPSCoR jurisdictions to support innovation-enabling cyberinfrastructure of regional, thematic or technological importance. A successful RII Track-2 proposal must describe a clear, comprehensive and integrated cyberinfrastructure vision to drive discovery, broaden participation in STEM research and education activities, and provide collective solutions to cyberinfrastructure challenges of regional and national importance. The proposal must also describe how robust, reliable environments, capabilities and capacities will be provided to deliver long term value across science and engineering disciplines. These awards will enhance discovery, learning, and economic development through the use of cyberinfrastructure.
Track-2 proposals may be submitted only by consortia of eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions. This must include at least two EPSCoR jurisdictions. States not eligible for EPSCoR may participate in the consortium but may not receive EPSCoR funds. No jurisdiction may participate in more than one proposal.
You may learn more information about the Track-2 program by accessing the 2011 announcement. When the new announcement is issued, the link will be added to this page.
Information Sessions
Information sessions are open to all interested individuals and no registration is required.
Monday, September 19, 2011 * Tulsa
1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
John Rogers Hall - Moot Court Room
The University of Tulsa Campus, Tulsa
Friday, September 23, 2011 * Stillwater
1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
101 McElroy Hall
Oklahoma State University Campus, Stillwater
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 * Norman
1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Seminar Room 1030 SRTC
The University of Oklahoma Campus, Norman
Thursday, September 29, 2011 * Weatherford
1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
President's Conference Room, Administration Building
Southwestern Oklahoma State University Campus, Weatherford
Pre-Proposal Submission Instructions
To be considered for inclusion in Oklahoma’s 2012 Track-2 submission to NSF, White Papers must be submitted for review by the Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee. The deadline for White Paper submission is 5 p.m. Monday, October 10, 2011. Submissions should be submitted electronically to Valerie Pogue at vpogue@okepscor.org.
White Paper Guidelines
White Paper submissions should include the following:
- Cover page
- Five-page narrative
- Curriculum vitae in NSF format for the lead investigator(s)
- A brief description of the project budget
- Letter of collaboration from the lead investigator in the other state(s) forming the proposed consortium
Note: Curriculum vitae, documentation of institutional commitments, letters of collaboration, and the budget description will not count against the 5-page narrative limit.
Cover page guidelines:
- Project title
- Names and email addresses of all lead Oklahoma scientists
- Names of participating Oklahoma institutions
- Names of states participating in the consortium
Narrative guidelines:
- Maximum of five pages
- One-inch margins (all sides)
- 12-point font
- Description of the project objectives and the methods by which these objectives will be accomplished
- How the project fits both NSF and State goals
- Qualifications of the project team
- Any institutional commitments that will enable completion of the project goals
- The facilities and resources that are available, as well as those that will be needed to attain project objectives
- Narrative should describe the project in language that is generally understandable to the diverse group of scientists and others represented on the EPSCoR Committee (see membership list here)
Submission deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, October 10, 2011
Submit electronically to: Valerie Pogue at vpogue@okepscor.org
Review Process
White Papers will be distributed to the State EPSCoR Advisory Committee for their consideration. On a date in early November, applicants will be afforded the opportunity to make an oral presentation to the EPSCoR Committee. The meeting date will be selected based on convenience of the Committee. Each group will be given 20 minutes for their presentation. Following the presentations, the Committee will convene in Executive Session to rank the preproposals.
Selection Criteria
NSF proposal guidelines stipulate that each jurisdiction may participate in only one proposal, and that each member of the consortium must have the approval of their state committee. These guidelines add a considerable degree of complexity to the selection process. In order to be fair to all applicants within Oklahoma, the following selection process will be employed:
The Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee will consider pre-proposals and rank them in order of priority in the following manner: If the top-ranked Oklahoma pre-proposal fails to become a “consortium” by virtue of the fact that none of the proposed consortium members outside of Oklahoma receive approval by their state EPSCoR committee, then the next most highly ranked pre-proposal will advance to the top Oklahoma ranking. This process will be repeated as necessary until an Oklahoma pre-proposal that includes at least one additional participating consortium member (approved by their relevant state EPSCoR committee) is reached. In the case of an Oklahoma top-ranked proposed consortium of three (or more) jurisdictions wherein only two (or more, but not all) of the consortium members are selected by their states’ committees, the lead investigator of the Oklahoma pre-proposal will notify the Oklahoma EPSCoR Director if they wish to proceed with the smaller consortium. The Director will then poll the Oklahoma EPSCoR Committee to determine if the smaller consortium is acceptable or if the Committee wishes to go to the next most highly ranked Oklahoma pre-proposal.
If you have any questions regarding the RII Track-2 process, please contact Valerie Pogue at vpogue@okepscor.org or Jerry Malayer, State EPSCoR Director, at jmalayer@osrhe.edu or 405.744.6750.