Opportunity Information: Apply for 13 509
Apply for 13 509
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041 Engineering Grants 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences 47.050 Geosciences 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 47.076 Education and Human Resources 47.078 Polar Programs 47.079 Office of International Science and Engineering 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure 47.081 Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 1, 2014 and posted on Oct 31, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by This Solicitation has been previously archived.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following RII Track 2 proposals may only be submitted by consortia of a hrefhttp://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/epscor/FY2012Eligibility.pdfeligible/a EPSCoR jurisdictions. No jurisdiction may participate in more than one project (active or proposed). The fiscal agent designated by the EPSCoR steering committee for each jurisdiction within the consortium, acting on behalf that jurisdiction,must submit a separately submitted collaborative proposal (see Chapter II, Section D.4 of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide). PI LimitPrincipal Investigators/Project Directors of proposedRII Track 2projects must be affiliated with research universities, agencies, or organizations within theconsortia of EPSCoRjurisdictions.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track 2 (RII Track 2) is a competitive research infrastructure and collaboration grant meant to strengthen the long-term research and development capacity of jurisdictions that have historically received a smaller share of NSF R&D funding. EPSCoR is fundamentally about improving nationwide scientific competitiveness by building durable partnerships across government, higher education, and industry, and by investing in the people, tools, and systems that allow a state or region to compete more effectively for future national research funding. At the time of this solicitation, 31 jurisdictions were eligible, including 28 states plus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam, and the Track 2 mechanism specifically targets multi-jurisdiction teamwork rather than single-state efforts.
RII Track 2 awards support consortia made up of multiple EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions that agree on a shared research and workforce development agenda. The core expectation is that the consortium proposes an integrated, clearly articulated vision that drives scientific discovery while also training a skilled STEM workforce capable of addressing challenges that matter at regional, thematic, and national levels. NSF emphasizes that the collaboration must be more than a loose affiliation: proposals are expected to justify why the consortium needs to exist, how partners complement one another, and why the anticipated outcomes cannot be achieved if any one member tried to do the work alone. The program is open to collaborations spanning the full range of NSF-supported fields, meaning projects can be rooted in areas such as engineering, computing, geosciences, biology, social and behavioral sciences, education research, cyberinfrastructure, polar programs, and other NSF directorate domains.
Funding is substantial and structured to enable real infrastructure and capacity gains. Awards are cooperative agreements, reflecting an NSF-managed partnership approach rather than a hands-off grant structure. Individual awards typically fall between $1.5 million and $2.0 million per year for up to three years, placing the total potential project size in the multi-million-dollar range. The estimated total funding available under the solicitation was $8.0 million with an expectation of around four awards. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this opportunity, which lowers barriers for jurisdictions and institutions that may have limited discretionary resources.
Eligibility is tightly defined and designed to keep the program focused on EPSCoR capacity-building. Only consortia of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions may apply, and a key restriction is that no jurisdiction may participate in more than one RII Track 2 project at a time, whether active or proposed, which forces jurisdictions to choose their strongest collaborative strategy. Each jurisdiction in the consortium must have its fiscal agent (as designated by its EPSCoR steering committee) submit a separately submitted collaborative proposal on behalf of that jurisdiction, following the NSF collaborative submission rules in the Grant Proposal Guide. Project leaders (PIs/PDs) must be affiliated with research universities, agencies, or other organizations located within the participating EPSCoR jurisdictions.
From a project design standpoint, the solicitation places notable weight on broadening participation and building inclusive STEM capacity. Proposals are expected to involve different types of institutions and partners, and to engage a wider range of individuals and sectors in the research and education activities. In practice, that often translates into collaboration across research universities and other higher education institutions, coordination with state or territorial agencies, and meaningful industry involvement where appropriate, all while creating pathways for students and early-career researchers to gain skills aligned with the project’s scientific goals and the region’s workforce needs.
Administratively, this opportunity was issued by the National Science Foundation under Funding Opportunity Number 13-509 (NSF Publication 13-509). It was originally posted October 31, 2012, with a full proposal deadline of January 30, 2013, and it indicated that deadlines would occur on the last Wednesday in January annually thereafter. The listing is archived as of October 1, 2014, meaning this specific solicitation is no longer open, but it provides a clear snapshot of the goals, structure, and expectations NSF has used for EPSCoR RII Track 2 competitions. The program aligns with multiple CFDA areas across NSF, reflecting its cross-disciplinary nature and its emphasis on building research infrastructure and competitiveness across many fields rather than funding a narrow topic area.
NSF EPSCoR RII Track 2 (Track 2) Grant FAQs
What is the NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track 2 (RII Track 2)?
RII Track 2 is a competitive NSF EPSCoR funding mechanism that supports research infrastructure and collaboration across multiple EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions. Its purpose is to strengthen long-term research and development capacity in places that have historically received a smaller share of NSF R&D funding, by building durable, multi-jurisdiction partnerships and the people, tools, and systems needed to compete for future national research funding.
What is the main goal of EPSCoR in this opportunity?
The central goal is to improve nationwide scientific competitiveness by expanding research capacity and creating durable partnerships across government, higher education, and industry. Track 2 specifically does this through multi-jurisdiction consortia working under a shared research and workforce development agenda.
Is Track 2 meant for a single state or territory working alone?
No. Track 2 is explicitly designed for multi-jurisdiction teamwork rather than single-jurisdiction efforts. Proposals are expected to demonstrate why the consortium is necessary and why the work cannot be achieved by any one member acting alone.
Who can apply for RII Track 2 funding?
Only consortia composed of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions may apply. Project leaders (PIs/PDs) must be affiliated with research universities, agencies, or other organizations located within the participating EPSCoR jurisdictions.
How many jurisdictions were eligible at the time of this solicitation?
At the time of the solicitation, 31 jurisdictions were eligible: 28 states plus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
What is a "consortium" in the context of RII Track 2?
A consortium is a coordinated partnership of multiple EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions that agree on a shared, integrated research and workforce development agenda. NSF expects a clearly articulated vision, complementary partner roles, and a collaboration structure that is more than a loose affiliation.
What does NSF mean by "integrated vision" for the consortium?
Based on the solicitation description, an integrated vision means a clearly articulated plan that connects scientific discovery with workforce development and capacity building across the participating jurisdictions, with partners working in complementary ways toward shared outcomes.
What kinds of activities does RII Track 2 support?
RII Track 2 supports activities intended to create real infrastructure and capacity gains, including collaborative research and associated workforce development and training efforts. The overall expectation is that the work advances scientific discovery and trains a skilled STEM workforce aligned with regional, thematic, and national challenges.
What research areas are eligible under this program?
The program is open to collaborations spanning the full range of NSF-supported fields. The solicitation describes possible roots in areas such as engineering, computing, geosciences, biology, social and behavioral sciences, education research, cyberinfrastructure, polar programs, and other NSF directorate domains.
How much funding is available per award?
Individual awards typically range from $1.5 million to $2.0 million per year for up to three years.
How long can a Track 2 project run?
Projects can be funded for up to three years, based on the solicitation description.
What is the typical total project size?
With funding typically at $1.5 million to $2.0 million per year for up to three years, total project size can reach the multi-million-dollar range.
What type of NSF award instrument is used for Track 2?
Track 2 awards are made as cooperative agreements, reflecting an NSF-managed partnership approach rather than a fully hands-off grant structure.
Was there a total funding amount and expected number of awards for this solicitation?
Yes. The solicitation estimated a total of $8.0 million available and anticipated around four awards.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated for this opportunity in the information provided.
Can a jurisdiction participate in more than one RII Track 2 project at a time?
No. A key restriction is that no jurisdiction may participate in more than one RII Track 2 project at a time, whether the other project is active or proposed. This requires jurisdictions to select a single Track 2 strategy at a time.
How are proposals submitted when multiple jurisdictions are involved?
Each jurisdiction in the consortium must have its fiscal agent (as designated by its EPSCoR steering committee) submit a separately submitted collaborative proposal on behalf of that jurisdiction, following NSF collaborative submission rules in the Grant Proposal Guide.
What is a fiscal agent in this context?
In this solicitation context, the fiscal agent is the entity designated by a jurisdiction's EPSCoR steering committee to submit the proposal on behalf of that jurisdiction as part of the collaborative submission.
What does "separately submitted collaborative proposal" mean here?
It means that each participating jurisdiction submits its own portion of the collaborative proposal through its designated fiscal agent, coordinated under NSF's collaborative submission rules (as referenced in the Grant Proposal Guide).
What expectations does NSF have for partnership quality?
NSF emphasizes that the collaboration must be more than a loose affiliation. Proposals are expected to justify why the consortium needs to exist, show how partners complement one another, and explain why the outcomes cannot be achieved by any single member working alone.
How important is workforce development in Track 2 proposals?
Workforce development is a core expectation. The consortium is expected to propose a shared research and workforce development agenda and to train a skilled STEM workforce capable of addressing challenges at regional, thematic, and national levels.
What does the solicitation say about broadening participation?
The solicitation places notable weight on broadening participation and building inclusive STEM capacity. Proposals are expected to involve different types of institutions and partners and to engage a wider range of individuals and sectors in research and education activities.
What kinds of partners are expected to be involved?
The solicitation highlights partnerships across government, higher education, and industry. In practice, this often includes collaboration among research universities and other higher education institutions, coordination with state or territorial agencies, and meaningful industry involvement where appropriate.
Does the program require pathways for students and early-career researchers?
The solicitation indicates an expectation of creating pathways for students and early-career researchers to gain skills aligned with the project's scientific goals and the region's workforce needs.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The opportunity was issued under Funding Opportunity Number 13-509 (NSF Publication 13-509).
When was this solicitation originally posted and when was the deadline?
It was originally posted on October 31, 2012, with a full proposal deadline of January 30, 2013.
Were future deadlines mentioned?
Yes. The solicitation indicated that deadlines would occur on the last Wednesday in January annually thereafter.
Is this specific solicitation currently open?
No. The listing is archived as of October 1, 2014, meaning this specific solicitation is no longer open.
If the solicitation is archived, why is it still useful?
Even though it is no longer open, it provides a snapshot of the goals, structure, and expectations NSF used for EPSCoR RII Track 2 competitions, including eligibility rules, collaboration requirements, and the cooperative agreement funding structure.
Is the program limited to a narrow topic area?
No. The opportunity is described as cross-disciplinary and aligned with multiple CFDA areas across NSF, emphasizing broad research infrastructure and competitiveness rather than a single narrow research topic.
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