NSF EPSCoR has Announced New RII-BEC Funding Opportunity & Webinars

Submission Deadline: 
Monday, April 4, 2022 (5 p.m. submitter's local time)

Investigators and the greater EPSCoR community:  

NSF EPSCoR has announced the publication of an exciting new program initiative, NSF 22-536, EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Program: Bridging EPSCoR Communities (RII-BEC) in response to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. To support outreach efforts for this solicitation, NSF is hosting two virtual Zoom webinar opportunities on Monday, February 14, 2022, 2-3pm, EST and Thursday, February 17, 2022, 2-3pm, EST. See the bottom of this email for Zoom meeting details. The deadline for the proposal submission is April 4, 2022, 5:00 pm (submitter’s local time). 

NSF has established the RII-BEC initiative to enable institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions to set up bridge programs to facilitate the transitions of Affected Groups (e.g., women, underrepresented groups, research trainees, and graduate fellows) from one stage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training to the next, with particular focus on providing support for individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM and those transitioning from or to minority-serving institutions (MSIs) within EPSCoR jurisdictions. The initiative will accept proposals that support those individuals most strongly affected by the pandemic at vulnerable career transition points (e.g., first two years of college, or preparation for entry into graduate programs and/or the STEM workforce) within EPSCoR jurisdictions. The initiative will provide up to $1,000,000 total per award for up to 5 years to support the strategic goal of reducing student attrition at these key junctures to improve future R&D competitiveness of EPSCoR jurisdictions. Proposals may include partnerships within and/or across two-year and four-year institutions (including community colleges). A key feature of projects will be a program strategy and plan for recruitment, mentoring, retention, and graduation of students (U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents) in NSF-supported STEM fields, with specific efforts aimed at underrepresented groups in STEM. The RII-BEC initiative is strongly aligned with NSF’s commitment to increase access for underrepresented groups to the Nation’s STEM enterprise.We encourage you to distribute this announcement within your communities, projects, and jurisdictions. Please note that the deadline for the proposal submission is April 4, 2022, 5:00 pm (submitter’s local time).   

Proposal preparation and submission questions may be addressed to Andrea Johnson, [email protected] & Subrata Acharya, [email protected], OD/OIA/EPSCoR.   

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Zoom Meeting Information: 

Registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

Accessibility: Zoom automated closed captioning/live transcription will be available during the meeting for participants who rely on conference captioning. Upon joining, click live transcript and select show subtitles or view full transcript to see the meeting captions or transcript.  If other accessibility accommodations are required (e.g., advance copy of presentation slides, remote American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting, etc.),  email your request to [email protected] or call Dr. Andrea Johnson at (703) 292-5164 (voice) by February 4, 2022, and provide a detailed description of the accommodation needed along with your contact information.  Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to accommodate. This webinar will be recorded.  Please prepare in advance by testing your technology anytime at: https://zoom.us/test,  reviewing Zoom accessibility features regarding keyboard shortcuts and screen reader support, and learn more about participating meetings remotely with NSF at:  https://beta.nsf.gov/about/participant.  For help with Zoom issues, call Zoom Technical Support at:  USA/Canada Toll-Free +1-833-966-6468 (+1-833-Zoom-Gov) or email [email protected].  

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