EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-06-08. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If your state or territory wants to coordinate a multi-stakeholder research infrastructure initiative, NSF EPSCoR offers substantial, multi-year funding for sustainable capacity building.
Report stale or inaccurate summary
What this is
This is a collaborative, jurisdiction-wide research infrastructure program for EPSCoR-eligible states, territories, and commonwealths. Rather than individual projects, it funds strategic partnerships among academic institutions, government, industry, and non-profits to develop or strengthen research 'cores'—infrastructure, education pipelines, workforce programs, and innovation ecosystems. Projects must be designed for long-term sustainability beyond the award period and can span research admin, cyberinfrastructure, K-12/higher ed pathways, broadening participation, and economic development.
Who can apply
Applicants must be located in or represent an EPSCoR-eligible jurisdiction (specific states, territories, and commonwealths designated by NSF). Individual researchers, startups, and small businesses are not eligible; applications require institutional partnerships (academic institutions, government entities, industry, non-profits). Solo founders and small companies should not apply.
Eligible applicant types
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Full description — from the agency
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) supports the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) mission by promoting nationwide scientific progress. Through this program, NSF fosters partnerships among academic institutions, government entities, industry, and non-profits. These collaborations aim to drive long-term improvements in research infrastructure, enhance R&D capacity, and boost the research competitiveness of eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions, including states, territories, and commonwealths. A jurisdiction’s research ecosystem is the interconnected network of organizations, researchers, trainees, community stakeholders, and resources that contribute to the process of research and innovation that advances fundamental knowledge, generates use-inspired products, and ultimately cultivates beneficial impacts for a jurisdiction. E-CORE supports jurisdictions in building significant and sustainable research capacity and research infrastructure for targeted areas of focus, hereinafter referred to as “cores,” that underlie a jurisdiction's research ecosystem. Based on the evidence-based and self-identified needs of a jurisdiction, the types of cores supported by E-CORE may include (but are not limited to) development, enhancement, and/or ensuring the sustainability of: research administration; research facilities and infrastructure (including cyberinfrastructure); STEM education (K-12) pathways; higher education pathways; early career investigator pathways; broadening participation; workforce development; national and global partnerships; community engagement and outreach; technology transfer; economic development; and use-inspired research pathways. E-CORE projects must be designed to support the sustainability of the research infrastructure cores beyond the award period. Projects will also support the development and growth of new jurisdiction-wide connections, and the leveraging of existing jurisdiction-wide connections, to drive substantive and sustainable impacts.
Topics: epscor research infrastructure · jurisdiction research ecosystem · research capacity building · stem education pathways · workforce development · technology transfer
Public-source funding discovery only. This summary is generated from public agency data and may be incomplete or stale. NonDilute is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency. Official notices and agency instructions control. NonDilute does not determine eligibility, provide grant-writing advice, or guarantee funding.