EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology | 24 575

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 575

The National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (EPSCoR CREST) opportunity is a grant program designed to build stronger, more competitive research capacity in jurisdictions that are part of NSF's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). It sits within the broader CREST program and is explicitly aimed at expanding geographic diversity in NSF-funded research by supporting centers led by and serving EPSCoR jurisdictions (states, territories, or commonwealths that meet NSF EPSCoR eligibility criteria). At its core, the solicitation is about helping institutions in these jurisdictions grow into nationally competitive research players by investing in people, research capability, and institutional systems that connect research and education in a sustained, center-based structure.

EPSCoR CREST Center awards support the creation or continuation of research centers that tightly integrate cutting-edge STEM research with education and workforce development. The expectation is that a funded center will do more than run a set of research projects; it should create an environment that measurably increases research productivity and competitiveness (for example, through stronger faculty research programs, improved training pipelines, and enhanced institutional capacity). NSF emphasizes that successful centers should generate new knowledge in an NSF-supported topic area while also increasing student participation in STEM, particularly students from EPSCoR jurisdictions, and strengthening pathways into the STEM workforce. Proposals are expected to present a clear, cohesive vision showing how the research theme, the education and training plan, and the center's management and evaluation approach all fit together to produce long-term impact.

A major thread throughout the opportunity is alignment with NSF's Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES). That means centers are expected to show leadership in broadening participation and meaningfully involving people in STEM at all levels, using evidence-based and innovative strategies. In practical terms, NSF is looking for well-justified plans to recruit, retain, and mentor participants, and to address workforce development barriers with approaches grounded in research or proven practice. The program also places weight on sustainability: proposals are expected to build toward national research competitiveness and to leverage CREST support into longer-term funding streams, including non-CREST federal support as well as state or private-sector investment.

The solicitation supports multiple mechanisms. Phase I EPSCoR CREST Center awards provide five years of support to conduct research on a specific NSF-supported topic while building the associated educational and workforce components and strengthening the institution's research capacity. Phase II EPSCoR CREST Center proposals allow institutions to request continued funding to extend research in the same disciplinary area as their prior Phase I center. The solicitation also allows an institution to submit a new Phase I proposal in a research area that is significantly different from prior center awards, which creates flexibility for institutions that want to pivot into a new strategic research direction rather than simply extend an existing center's topic.

In addition to full center awards, the solicitation includes EPSCoR CREST Partnership Supplements, but these are only available to current EPSCoR CREST Center recipients. These supplements are meant to establish or deepen collaborations that strengthen the center's ability to advance a nationally significant research theme and to expand education and workforce impacts. Eligible partnerships may include active CREST Centers, other nationally or internationally recognized research centers (including NSF-supported centers), private-sector research labs, K-12 schools, and informal science education organizations such as museums or science centers. The underlying idea is that partnerships should meaningfully enhance the center's research and education outcomes, not just exist on paper.

Eligibility is tightly defined. Only Institutions of Higher Education that (1) are located in an EPSCoR jurisdiction, (2) offer doctoral degrees in NSF STEM areas, and (3) qualify as Emerging Research Institutions may submit proposals. For this program, an Emerging Research Institution is defined as having less than $50,000,000 in research expenditures per year, as reported in the NSF NCSES HERD data, in at least three of the last five years. The solicitation also specifies proposal structure rules for collaborators: funding for partnering organizations must be requested through subawards within the main proposal, and separately submitted collaborative proposals are not accepted. An institution is allowed to hold a CREST-RISE award at the same time as an EPSCoR CREST award, which may matter for institutions building a portfolio of capacity-building projects.

The Principal Investigator must be a full-time faculty member at the submitting institution, reinforcing that the center must be anchored in the eligible institution's faculty leadership. Administrative details from the opportunity listing include that it is an NSF discretionary grant competition (CFDA 47.076) titled "EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology," funding opportunity number 24-575, with an original closing date of 2024-12-06 and a creation date of 2024-05-20.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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