EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows deadline 2026

Deadline summary

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. NSF EPSCoR facilitates the establishment of partnerships among academic institutions, government, industry, and non-profit sectors that are designed to promote sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and R&D competitiveness of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdict...

Key dates

Before you apply

Eligibility snapshot

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - EPSCoR jurisdictions that are RII-eligible for the FY2024 competition are listed in the RII Eligibility table, which can be found<a href="https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/epscor/epscor-criteria-eligibility">here</a>. Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows: <ul> <li>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.</li> <li>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 Projects) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.</li> </ul> In addition, for the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA opportunity, PIs must be employed by an institution that is from at least one of the following categories: <ul> <li>Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two-year colleges, that award associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and/or master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years;</li> <li>Institutions of higher education that are dedicated to serve students with disabilities, as listed in Table 1, page 5, of NSF’s 2008 Broadening Participation report (<a title="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf" href="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf">https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf</a>); and</li> <li>Minority-serving institutions as in42 §USC 18901</li> </ul> *Who May Serve as PI: Principal Investigatorsmust either: <ul type="disc"> <li>Be in an early-career, or mid-career-track position at an eligible non-degree-granting organization or</li> <li>Hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Lecturer, Research Faculty, Assistant or Associate Professor rank (or in an equivalent position)at an institution of higher education.</li> </ul> Additional guidance on eligibility for both tracks: <ul type="disc"> <li>For the faculty category of the PI, the faculty ranking should be determined by the faculty rank at the proposal's deadline date.</li> <li>The PI must be positioned to build sustainable research capacity at the home institution during and beyond the fellowship, which generally takes three years or more.</li> <li>Non-tenured research assistant professors or lecturers are eligible to apply for this opportunity if they have a long-term appointment.</li> <li>A letter from an administrative manager at the home institution is required to verify PI eligibility.</li> <li>Only single-PI proposals will be considered. No co-PIs should be included in the proposal.</li> <li>Persons who hold transitional fixed-term postdoctoral appointments are not eligible to apply as PI, even if their organizations