NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII)
EPSCoR Research Fellows (NSF 24-528)

Solicitation of UM Pre-Proposals for Limited Submission Opportunity

UM may submit up to 4 applications the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @ NSF track.

UM is not eligible to submit to the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA track.

 

This program funds STEM or STEM Education faculty to conduct extended or periodic visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. While at the host site, fellows may learn new techniques, develop new collaborations, advance existing partnerships, access unique facilities, or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The fellowship experiences are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the fellows' research trajectories well beyond the award period. The fellowships are also expected to improve the research capacity of the fellows’ institutions and jurisdictions (states) more broadly.

 

Host Sites: The fellowship host site may be any academic institution, government lab, Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), or commercial or non-profit research center within the U.S. or its territories. A host site may be a NASA facility (even though we are not eligible for the @NASA track). A host site collaborator must provide a letter of support for the application, and should not be the fellow’s prior graduate coordinators or postdoc advisor.

 

Research Focus: Proposals may focus on any area that NSF supports. All should include motivation and context for the work to be conducted, the PI’s specific plans for the fellowship period, a discussion for how the benefits would be sustained beyond the award period (e.g., by including plans for future proposal submissions), clear specifications of research goals, performance metrics, a project timetable, and an explanation of what specific opportunities will be made possible via the visit(s) to the host site.

 

PI Limitations: UM tenured or tenure-track Assistant and Associate Professors may compete to be one of UM’s 4 applicants, as may faculty holding long-term (>3 years) appointments outside the tenure track. Funds may be requested for an additional trainee-level researcher (e.g., undergrad or grad student or post doc). If in doubt about your eligibility, submit an internal NOI to initiate an eligibility discussion. UM faculty who submitted EPSCoR Research Fellows proposals to NSF in the most recent cycle should sit this competition out; however, those who competed unsuccessfully to be internally last year or in a previous go-around to be one of UM’s four proposals but were not chosen to move forward are welcome to try again this cycle.

 

Budget: Each award may not exceed $300K over a 2-year period, including F&A, which is calculated at 26% of total modified direct costs for off-campus UM research projects. See NSF solicitation[1] for details on allowable costs; in short, funds may be used to cover:

·       up to 6 months’ salary and fringe benefits for the PI and (optionally) one additional trainee-level researcher (including tuition, if appropriate) during the entire fellowship;

·       travel to and living expenses at the fellowship site for the PI and trainee;

·       other research-related expenses to be incurred at the host site;

·       up to $10K for related travel expenses for the host site collaborator

 

UM Limited Submission Process: Prospective applicants should submit a Notice of Intent (NOI), followed by internal Pre-Proposal, via the UM InfoReady Review Portal[2]. ORED Research Development will coordinate selecting 4 finalists to submit to NSF[3]. Finalists who do not meet their internal proposal deadlines may have their slot taken and given to an alternate. The internal review criteria and guidelines are here.

 

01/23/2024         Updated NSF solicitation 24-528 released

11/05/2024         This announcement issued via UMToday and  ORED Website[4]

11/7,11/15,12/6   ORED Info Sessions (Zoom). Sign up in the myOleMiss Training Workshops app[5]

11/13/2024         NSF Webinar on the EPSCoR Research Fellows program, 3-4 PM CST[6]

12/15/2024         Required, non-binding Internal NOI due to ORED RD via InfoReady Review Portal

01/15/2025         Internal Pre-Proposals due to UM via InfoReady Review Portal

01/31/2025         ORED RD announces which UM Pre-Proposals to move forward

02/15/2025         Project Summary & Project Description due[7] to ORED RD for Enhanced Review

04/01/2025         ORED RD Target date to submit to NSF (sponsor due date is 04/08/2025)

 

NOIs include applicant’s name; faculty appointment; department, administrative supervisor; tentative project title, host location, & primary host collaborator; keywords. List NSF Directorate, Division, and Program that most closely aligns with the anticipated proposal's research focus, and provide brief evidence or argument that the proposed research fits that program well. Also, tell whether you’ve spoken with an NSF program officer yet about this proposal (and if so, who).

 

UM Internal Pre-Proposals must include the following items, combined into one PDF:

(1)    Project Summary: 1-page NSF-style Project Summary, including working title

(2)    Abbreviated Project Description: (5 pages max)

(3)    Preliminary Letter or E-mail of Support from Primary Research Collaborator: should make it clear that the collaborator understands what is being asked of them, and is willing (or, better yet, enthusiastic!) to host the PI at their institution

(4)    Preliminary Letter or E-mail of Support from Administrative Supervisor[8] of PI (e.g., Department Chair). It should confirm how the PI is eligible for this program, and make it clear how the they think the fellowship will help—not hurt—the PI’s UM career

(5)    NSF-Style Biographical Sketch (should be compliant and largely complete)

 

UM EPSCoR Research Fellows[9] [10] [11] [12] Ranks (then), Award Amts (YR, Host, NSF award#)

1)      Sasa Kocic, Asst. Professor of Mathematics, $161K (2017, UC Irvine, #1738834)

2)      Ryan Garrick, Asst. Professor of Biology, $110K (2017, Ohio State, #1738817)

3)      Samuel Lisi, Asst. Professor of Mathematics, $190K (2019, Ohio State, #1929176)

4)      Brian Platt, Asst. Professor of Geological Engr., $174K (2019, U. of Minn., #1929145)

5)      Wen Wu, Asst. Prof. of Mechanical Engineering, $173K (2021, Stanford, #2131942)

6)      Ayla Gafni, Asst. Prof. of Mathematics, $210K (2022, UCLA, #2229278)

7)      Vig Sundaresan, Asst. Prof. of Chemistry, $244 (2023, Texas A&M, #2327025)           

8)      Rachel Greenspan, Asst. Prof. of Crim. Just. & Leg. Stud., $163K (2023, Duke, #2327169)