11:16:10 Hey folks, my name is Chinonye Nnakwe Whitley. I send greetings from the National Science Foundation, and I am the Cognizant program officer for Oklahoma EPSCoR's project, also known as socially sustainable solutions for water carbon and infrastructure resilience 11:16:28 in Oklahoma, or s3, OK. 11:16:33 I do wish that I could be there with you in person today. 11:16:37 But I hope that you'll accept this recording for now until we meet in person, which hopefully will be soon. 11:16:46 For this brief talk. I'd like to give an overview of the National Science Foundation, as well as an overview of the program and impacts of the program. 11:16:57 I'll also discuss opportunities with our program, and close with some remarks. 11:17:05 I love to talk to you now about the foundation where I truly enjoy my work. And that's the National Science Foundation. 11:17:13 The vision of the National Science Foundation has been described in the most recent strategic plan. 11:17:20 And that was released in March of 2022. 11:17:24 This strategic plan lays out our mission, vision, and strategic objectives for the next five years. 11:17:31 And our vision is that our nation will lead the world in science and engineering research and innovation to benefit all without barriers to participation. 11:17:45 it's the mission of the National Science Foundation to promote the progress of science by investing in research to expand knowledge in science, engineering, and education NSF also invest in actions that increase the capacity of the US to conduct 11:18:07 an exploit such research. 11:18:07 And it is our mission to promote the progress of science, and to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, as well as to secure the national defense and assess core values are essential to and are enduring tenants that guide everyone in this 11:18:29 organization, as we support the agency's mission. 11:18:35 The NSF strategic plan also identifies more goals, and the EPSCoR strategic goals are aligned with these goals. 11:18:46 The first is to empower stem talent to fully participate in science and engineering. 11:18:53 With aims to accelerate the advancement of discovery and learning and ensure that all citizens share in the benefits that flow from research. 11:19:17 and widespread stem literacy was just the second strategic goal is to create new knowledge about our universe, our word world, and ourselves with aims to advance knowledge through investments and ideas, people, and infrastructure. 11:19:34 And to advance the practice of research. 11:19:38 The third strategic goal is to benefit society by translating knowledge into solutions and focus on delivering benefits from research by advancing discovery and accelerating innovation that addresses societal challenges, as well as cultivating a global 11:19:57 science and engineering community based on shared values and strategic cooperation. 11:20:04 And finally the fourth goal is to excel at MSF operations and management, and this includes strategies to attract retain and empower a talented and diverse workforce and continually to improve agency operations. 11:20:22 There are three pillars that support our mission here at NSF. 11:20:28 and the current director's vision for achieving our mission, these pillars include advancing the frontiers of research into the future. 11:20:48 Ensuring accessibility and inclusive, inclusive it in the STEM enterprise and securing global leadership in STEM 11:20:50 EPSCoR's goals, and the progress that the program has made embody all three pillars and demonstrate the power of partnership geographic distribution of STEM learning and opportunities across the US is a top challenge for inclusivity and assess mandate 11:21:08 to promote science nationwide is clear, and EPSCoR allows us to truly fulfill that call by making sure that across the nation means every part of the nation, and every institution type, not just places with extensive research infrastructure 11:21:30 EPSCoR also shows us the way forward on how to advance research frontiers, and secure global leadership. 11:21:38 We're at a time of unprecedented global competitiveness and research, and by creating more opportunities we pave the way for a larger and more diverse science and engineering workforce with new ideas and perspectives. 11:21:57 In March, NSF formally announced the new technology, innovation and partnerships, or tip Directorate. And it's NSF first Directorate in more than 30 years there will likely be lots of opportunities for you to engage with tip. 11:22:18 In the future, and certainly wonderful potential to build internal collaborations with tip, and your own endeavors. 11:22:33 Temple accelerate discovery and innovation to bring new technologies to market and address current pressing societal and economic challenges. 11:22:45 And through 10 NSF plans to launch a set of integrated integrated initiatives. 11:22:53 These initiatives will advance critical and emerging technologies accelerate the translation of research results from the labs to the market and society, and cultivate new education pathways, leading to a diverse and skilled future technical workforce, 11:23:11 comprising researchers, practitioners, technicians and entrepreneurs. 11:23:18 Now I'd like to talk to you about the EPSCoR program. 11:23:24 EPSCoR stands for the established program to stimulate competitive research. 11:23:30 It was established by the National Science Board in 1978, and was congressionally mandated in 1980, which means that it must always exist under congressional law. 11:23:44 The purpose of our program is to enhance research competitiveness of targeted jurisdictions. And when we refer to jurisdictions, we are afraid to united states, territories and Commonwealth. 11:23:59 We're seeking to strengthen stem capacity and capability through our investment strategies, and the current research infrastructure investment strategies or ri include the track one program, which is the project that you all are currently involved in, 11:24:18 but we also have II programs that focus on building collaboration across export jurisdictions, that's the ROI attract to program as well as the program meant to support early career investigators, which is also the ROI track for program. 11:24:38 We recently also supported the ri bc opportunity which promotes the support of individuals that have been impacted by the coven 19 pandemic, and their career transitions, you'd like to learn more about our program, you can refer to the website in our 11:24:58 slide. 11:25:00 And you can see that there are 28, x squared jurisdictions that are eligible for funding. 11:25:08 It's the mission of our program to enhance research competitiveness of targeted jurisdictions, by strengthening stem capacity and capability, we affect this mission, through five primary goals. 11:25:24 The first is to catalyze research capability across, and among expert jurisdictions. 11:25:32 We also seek to establish them professional development pathways and broaden participation of diverse groups and institutions and the stem enterprise. 11:25:44 We hope that our community will be able to engage in the STEM enterprise at national and global lab levels and impact jurisdictional economic development. 11:26:05 As you can see, over the years, we've been able to address each of these strategic goals, and a number of ways. 11:26:15 In terms of catalyzing the development of research capabilities of EPSCoR projects have supported over 7000 faculty researchers and 16,800 students over the last five years. 11:26:31 When it comes to branding the participation of individuals institutions and organizations. 11:26:39 486 underrepresented minority graduate and undergraduate students have been involved in apps for projects and have attained their degrees. 11:26:50 When it comes to establishing STEM education training and professional development pathways EPSCoR has co funded 210 faculty early career development Awards. 11:27:04 In the past five years. And this, these investments have helped to spark the research careers of junior faculty across the nation. 11:27:13 In addition, when it comes to engaging at global and national levels at school supported outreach has engaged over 9800 faculty and academic institutions and more than 18,000 K through 12, teachers, as well as over 300,000 K through 12 students. 11:27:39 Finally, we are hopeful that our investments will impact the economic development of our jurisdictions, and we've been able to see that researchers within our jurisdictions have received 64 new patents and have leverage over 1.4 billion and new words 11:28:01 in the past five years. 11:28:06 Now that I've talked about EPSCoR as a program more broadly, you may be wondering where does Oklahoma fit in all of this. 11:28:15 And what I'd like to do at this point is share with you some tools for understanding the science and engineering enterprise in your state. 11:28:25 These tools are meant to provide insight into the science and engineering enterprise. And we hope that you'll be able to share them with your local and national communities and visit them often. 11:28:41 These tools were developed at NSF, and by the National Science Board to enable folks to have a better opportunity to understand how they're contributing to the national scientific enterprise. 11:28:57 Video describing these tools can be found here on YouTube to publicly. 11:29:03 And what I'd like to do is to briefly cover some of the topics that have been provided by these tools. 11:29:16 When it comes to the science and engineering enterprise in Oklahoma. 11:29:31 Sport awarded over $7 million in awards to academic institutions within, Oklahoma. In the last fiscal year, 2021. 11:29:35 When we zoom out to the National Science Foundation more broadly NSF made over $41 million in awards to institutions across Oklahoma, and then have that amount over $34 million. 11:29:54 Were investments and fundamental science and engineering research over $7 million of those investments were in STEM education. 11:30:09 And 1,050,000 was invested in Oklahoma startups, through the National Science Foundation. 11:30:15 You can find these and more facts about, Oklahoma, in the NSF state back sheet, using blanks that I provided in this presentation. 11:30:27 I now like to shift towards opportunities that we're providing with EPSCoR programs, and that includes the square research Fellows Program, or I track for 11:30:41 the square research fellows mechanism was created to provide opportunities for non tenured or early career investigators to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation's premier private governmental 11:30:57 or academic research centers. 11:30:59 This mechanism aims to provide those with the ability to learn new techniques to benefit from access to state of the art equipment facilities or reagents and strengthen collaborative partnerships, as well as extend or transform their research agendas 11:31:17 and transformative directions. 11:31:21 This mechanism provides experiences that will benefit and positively impact the recipients career in years to come. And it is our hope that the benefits will also enhance the research capacity of a fellow's home institution in jurisdiction. 11:31:43 As part of these projects, p eyes are out, are able to request, up to $300,000 of support for six months of activities that are spread over two years, and they may request budget to support one trainee level researcher. 11:32:07 I know that we have a few track for awardees in Oklahoma EPSCoR team. And so I do hope that you look to them for advice, with the process. 11:32:19 Under this year solicitation. There are two subtracts, which include I track for NSF and ri track for those advancing science and technology, also referred to as fast. 11:32:37 For the ROI track for NSF track host sites may be any research institution, within the United States or US territories and possessions, and any topic, the NSF funds is eligible for the II track for fast track host sites are specific NASA research centers, 11:33:02 and the topics are limited to those that are described in the solicitation. 11:33:07 In addition, there are specific institution types that are available to apply. 11:33:15 This includes institutions primarily serving those persons with disabilities minority serving institutions, such as tribal colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, two year colleges, especially community colleges and women's colleges. 11:33:34 I know that the partnerships founded through the s3 okay project includes multiple many of these organizations and institutions, so I do hope that you reach out to us here the apps for office. 11:33:50 If you're interested in applying for this opportunity. 11:33:54 The opportunity can be found under solicitation NSF 22 dash 573, and the proposal deadline is May 12 at 5pm, local time. 11:34:08 While the deadline is growing close. You are encouraged to reach out to us here at NSF. 11:34:14 If you're interested in applying 11:34:22 along the similar vein. 11:34:25 We are preparing for the expert research fellows opportunity by recruiting reviewers. And so if you have an interest in serving as a panelist or offering an ad hoc review for this opportunity. 11:34:38 We encourage you to volunteer your information so we can reach out to you after the deadline, as we're trying to find panelists for the merit review process. 11:34:50 You can fill out the survey at the survey link above. 11:34:56 And please provide your responses by May 11 2022. 11:35:01 Please note that reviewer selection will be guided by proposal topics. So if you're not selected in this round. You might be contacted for future competitions, you have any questions please contact me via email. 11:35:21 Finally, I like to offer opportunities, and how you might learn more about the National Science Foundation, and how better to learn more about MSF then participate in our opportunities as well as funding priorities and opportunities. 11:35:40 If you're looking for an idea of where you might fit in. 11:35:45 I'd encourage you to search recent award to our awards birch database and talk to successful p eyes. 11:35:53 You're also encouraged to contact NSF program officers with questions that you might have, or jurisdictional leadership. 11:36:05 You will also want to look out for grant writing workshops and SF days and grant conferences that are offered by a policy office. 11:36:15 And then when you make the decision to submit a proposal, do it all the way, apply. 11:36:20 And if you don't receive an award the first time resubmit as re submissions have a good likelihood of receiving support in the future. 11:36:32 You're a good way to learn about programs at NSF is also to serve as a reviewer. And you can do that by sending your CV to NSF program officer, I suggest close to the project deadline. 11:36:46 But if you're interested in the EPSCoR research fellows opportunity you can fill out our survey. 11:36:57 That's it for my comments. I do thank you for your time and your attention, the ability to talk to you today. 11:37:05 You are more than welcome to reach out to me I have an open door policy, and I do hope that I hear from you soon. 11:37:12 Have a successful all hands meeting, and I look forward to seeing you all in person in the future. Have a great day.