NSF EPSCoR Call for Pre-Proposals: 2012 RII Track-1 Award Competition

Dates and Deadlines

White Paper Submission Deadline:  Friday, January 6, 2012, 5 p.m.
Scientific Project Selection Meeting:  Friday, February 17, 2012

Overview

Oklahoma is making plans to submit a new application in Fall 2012 for continued support through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 Program.  Pre-proposals to establish the new scientific research theme(s) are now being solicited.

One-to-two scientific themes will be selected through the pre-proposal process for the 2012 application. 

To be considered for the Oklahoma Track-1 scientific research theme(s), interested researchers must submit a White Paper for review by the Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee.  The deadline for White Paper submission is 5 p.m. Friday, January 6, 2012.  Submission details and requirements may be found below.

Program Synopsis and Requirements

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is a program designed to fulfill the National Science Foundation's mandate to promote scientific progress nationwide. The EPSCoR program is directed at those jurisdictions that have historically received lesser amounts of NSF Research and Development funding.  Oklahoma, along with 26 other states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands, are currently eligible to participate. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state’s or region’s research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.

New NSF EPSCoR RII awards have now been budgeted at $20 million over five years.  The increased budget amount requires the implementation of a robust outreach program and plans for sustainability, workforce development, cyberinfrastructure and diversity for alll RII proposals.

The solicitation for the 2012 RII competition has not been released.  However, in light of the complexity of putting together this statewide application, we have elected to proceed with the selection of the scientific theme(s) at this time.  The solicitation for the 2011 RII competition will be used for advanced planning.  You may learn more information about the Track-1 program by accessing the 2011 announcement.  When the new announcement is issued, the link will be added to this page.

General requirements for all RII applications are:

Selection Criteria

The 2012 competition will likely be very competitive and insufficient funds will likely be available to fund all meritorious applications.  The expectation is that the total amount available from NSF will be $4 million per year with a five-year period of support. To be competitive for funding, Oklahoma will need to be rigorous during the scientific theme selection process.

The Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee will select the scientific theme(s) that will be included in the 2012 RII application.  In light of the highly competitive nature of the 2012 competition, the Committee advises that applicants should make a case that their project will:

  • Create strategic fidelity and sustainability between the proposed infrastructure, education, outreach and technology transfer plans
  • Be in harmony with the central research theme(s)
  • Provide meaningful impact on capacity and capability in the state
  • Add research, education and innovation value at the institutional, state and regional levels
  • Include specific plans for diversity, cyberinfrastructure and workforce development
  • Be a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus project that includes compelling outreach components
  • Include outreach components connected with the research theme(s)

Highly focused and cohesive multi-disciplinary, multi-campus projects that include a comparably-themed outreach component will have the highest likelihood for funding success. 

Formal Application Guidelines

To be considered for the Oklahoma 2012 Track-1 theme, White Papers must be submitted for review by the Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee.  The deadline for White Paper submission is 5 p.m. Friday, January 6, 2012.  Submissions should be submitted electronically to Valerie Pogue at [email protected].

White paper submissions should include the following:

  • Cover sheet
  • Six-page narrative
  • Curriculum vitae in the NSF format for the lead investigators for each project
  • Brief description of the project budget should be included.  Final budget allocations for each project will be made after selection of the science theme(s). 

Note:  Curriculum vitae, cover sheet and the budget description will not count against the six--page narrative limit.

Cover page guidelines:

  • Project title
  • Names and email addresses of all lead Oklahoma scientists
  • Names of participating institutions

Narrative Guidelines:

  • Limited to no more than six pages (five-page narrative for theme and one page for outreach component)
  • One-inch margins (left, right, top, bottom) using 12-point font
  • Describe the project in language that is generally understandable to the diverse group of scientists represented on the EPSCoR Committee (see list of committee members)
  • Description of the project objectives and the methods by which these objectives will be accomplished
  • Describe how the project fits both NSF and Oklahoma goals
  • Outline the qualifications of the project team
  • Describe facilities and resources that are available for the project, as well as those that will be needed to attain project objectives
  • Provide a clear pathway through which EPSCoR RII funding will be used to build infrastructure that creates strategic fidelity and adds value at the institutional, jurisdictional and regional levels in research, education and innovation (Note: This is a HIGHLY important aspect of the proposal)
  • In view of the NSF EPSCoR requirement for sustained infrastructure improvement, participating institutions must provide commitments for hiring new tenure-track faculty or an alternative, but, equally compelling, form of institutional commitment to support project activities.  These commitments should be included in the White Paper but, at the very least, they must be provided at the time of the oral presentation to the State EPSCoR Advisory Committee. 

Review Process

White Papers will be distributed to the State EPSCoR Advisory Committee for their consideration.  On February 17, 2012, applicants will be afforded the opportunity to make an oral presentation to the EPSCoR Committee.  The meeting will be held at the Regents’ Conference Room, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, in Oklahoma City.  Each group will be given 20 minutes for their presentation.  Following the presentations, the Committee will convene in Executive Session to select the scientific themes for the 2012 Oklahoma proposal.

Questions:  Research Theme and Overall Project Information

James Wicksted, NSF EPSCoR RII Project Director
[email protected]

Questions:  General Information and Budget

Valerie Pogue, Project Administrator and Assistant Project Director
[email protected]

Questions:  Outreach

Gina Miller, Outreach Coordinator
[email protected].

View the Informational Meeting PowerPoint Presentation
View the November 17th Plenary Session 5-Minute Faculty Presentations