FOA-Limited Submission – NSF – EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4) – NSF 21-557; LOI March 2, 2021

 

Purpose: The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. Kentucky is an eligible EPSCoR jurisdiction. Through the Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4), 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. One of the strategic goals of the EPSCoR program is to establish sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance STEM workforce development.

 

The EPSCoR RII Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows program provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Through collaborative research visits at the host site, fellowship awardees will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows' research trajectories well beyond the award period. These benefits to the Fellows are also expected to improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions more broadly.

 

Note: This RII Track-4 announcement describes two program tracks; however, University of Kentucky researchers are only eligible for the RII Track-4:NSF track. RII Track-4:NSF provides support to further develop the individual research potential of principal investigators (PIs) through extended collaborative visits to the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers of their choice.

 

Eligibility: PIs must hold a non-tenured faculty appointment. This may be in the form of a pre-tenure tenure-track position or a long-term non-tenure-track position.

 

Funding Amount/ Project Period: up to$300,000 total for 6-month fellowship (over 24 month duration)

 

Link to Funding Opportunity Announcement

 

Institutional Limit:  3

 

Internal Competition: To participate in the university’s selection process,please upload the following,assembled into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via this portal with a copy to your Associate Dean for Research by March 2, 2021:

·        Names and departments or affiliations of the Project Director and other key personnel or partners;

·        Title of program and/or funding opportunity announcement number;

·        Brief project description (2 pages maximum)

·        Two-page biosketch

 

A committee will be convened to review the material and make recommendations.

 

For questions or issues with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox (limitedsubmissions@uky.edu), or call 257-2861.

 

Agency Deadline:  April 26, 2021