History of Oklahoma EPSCoR Funding
Project Archives
The Oklahoma National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR program, established in 1985, helps build the research competitiveness of Oklahoma's universities through strategic support of research instruments and facilities, research collaborations, integrated education and research programs, and high-performance computer networks. Since it's inception, OK EPSCoR research projects have sought to address some of the nation's most critical technological, ecological, and energy needs, including nanotechnology, plant virus biodiversity and ecology, and others.
The National Science Foundation awarded Oklahoma EPSCoR $15 million in 2008 for the program’s Research Infrastructure and Improvement (RII) Plan: “Building Oklahoma’s Leadership Role in Cellulosic Bioenergy.” NSF grant award number EPS-0814361 began September 1, 2008, and concluded in winter 2013. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education matched the NSF award with an additional $5.5 million in funding to further support biofuels research and educational outreach programs throughout Oklahoma. Through this project, scientists are exploring native plants, specifically switchgrass, as an alternative energy source. STEM occupations and a robust educational outreach component of the project were designed to broaden Oklahoman's participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
In 2013, Oklahoma received NSF EPSCoR funding for a new five-year, $20 million RII award titled, "Adapting Socio-ecological Systems to Increased Climate Variability." The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will provide an annual $800,000 match. This NSF RII award (#IIA-1301789) began June 1, 2013, and is scheduled to conclude in 2018. Through this award, scientists across the state are working to advance understanding of how socio-ecological systems can adapt sustainably to climate variability. The knowledge gained from this project will be used to empower managers to effectively adapt social and ecological systems to climate variability and to educate Oklahomans about the expected consequences of regional environmental change. As with all Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR programs, the award will facilitate research and learning opportunities for college faculty, college students and K-12 students.
The success of the NSF EPSCoR program has led to the development of six other EPSCoR programs within federal agencies. They include DOD, DOE, EPA, NASA, NIH and USDA.
NSF EPSCoR awards have aided in the development of research groups or centers, including Bioenergy Research Group, Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN), Nanoscale Materials Science and Engineering, the Oklahoma Network for Nanostructured Materials (NanoNet), the Functional Genomics Resources Consortium, the Oklahoma Biotechnology Network, the Center for Environmental Applications of the Oklahoma Mesonet and the Center for Photonic and Electronic Materials and Devices.
For information on past OK EPSCoR programs and information, you may access our archived Web pages.
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