About EPSCoR

Public Law 102-588, passed in 1992, authorized NASA to initiate NASA EPSCoR to strengthen the research capability of jurisdictions that have not in the past participated equably in competitive aerospace research activities.

NASA EPSCoR is a close parallel to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) EPSCoR program and has the same national reach of 28 jurisdictions as determined by the NSF Eligibility Table. Twenty-eight jurisdictions were eligible to participate in the FY 2023 solicitations, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, US Virgin Islands, and Wyoming.

The EPSCoR provides cooperative agreement opportunities designed to establish partnerships between government, higher education, and industry in an effort to build stronger research and development capabilities in the 28 jurisdictions (states or regions). The program strives to improve a jurisdiction’s research infrastructure to a level such that its research and development programs contribute to its economic development. EPSCoR supports competitively funded awards and provides research and technology development opportunities for faculty and research teams. NASA actively seeks to integrate the research conducted by EPSCoR jurisdictions with the scientific and technical priorities pursued by the Agency.

Research Solicitation

NASA EPSCoR Research Solicitation Background

Each NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) project shall perform scientific and/or technical research in areas that support NASA’s strategic research and technology development priorities. Proposals shall emphasize developing capabilities to compete for funds from NASA and non-NASA sources outside of EPSCoR. The projects shall move increasingly towards gaining support from sources outside NASA EPSCoR by aggressively pursuing additional funding opportunities offered by NASA, industry, other federal agencies and other sources.

This solicitation seeks proposals that are expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to NASA’s strategic research and technology development priorities and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities of higher education and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.

NASA EPSCoR Research Solicitation Parameters

• Topic-specific proposals targeted at high-priority NASA research and technology development needs as determined by mission directorates.

• Number of awards based on proposal merit and dollar amount available.

• Solicitation released yearly.

• Jurisdictions may submit one proposal per solicitation.

• Three-year period of performance (POP).

• $250,000 per year, with a $750,000 total over the three years.

• 50 percent cost-share (cash or in-kind) is required.

Qualifying Jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit a proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

View EPSCoR: Directors by State/Jurisdiction

Proposals Due: January 22, 2024

Award Announcement: April 30, 2024

Proposal Submission

All NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) and through Grants.gov.

• For more information, or to submit a Research proposal, go to NSPIRES.
• To access, go to Grants.gov, and type in ‘NASA’ in the Keyword(s) search on the left side of the page.

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Research Infrastructure Development (RID)

Every three years, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement solicits proposals to the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Infrastructure Development (RID) solicitation. Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal will focus on building the core strength needed to develop competitive research and technology development methods and activities for the solution of scientific and technical problems of importance to NASA as defined by one or more of the four mission directorates and/or one or more of the 10 NASA centers, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Proposals will also contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education and/or economic development of the EPSCoR jurisdiction.

NASA EPSCoR RID Solicitation Parameters

• One proposal per jurisdiction.
• Annual funding is $200,000 per year for up to five years, not to exceed total funding of $1,000,000.
• Continued funding is based on performance in the preceding year(s).
• A 20 percent cost-share is required.

Qualifying Jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit a proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

All qualifying jurisdictions as highlighted by NASA EPSCoR can apply to RID and RID Augmentation when available. This component enables jurisdictions to build research infrastructure, seed funding for small projects within the jurisdiction and strengthen relationships with NASA researchers.

View EPSCoR: Directors by State/Jurisdiction

Proposals Due: FY 2026 (TBD)

​Award Announcement: FY 2026 (TBD)

Proposal Submission

All NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) and through Grants.gov.

• For more information, or to submit an RID proposal, go to NSPIRES.
• To access, go to Grants.gov, and type in ‘NASA’ in the Keyword(s) search on the left side of the page.

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Rapid Response Research (R3)

NASA EPSCoR and R3 Background

The NASA Authorization Act for fiscal year 1993, Public Law 102-588, authorized NASA to initiate NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to strengthen the research capability of jurisdictions that have not historically participated equably in competitive aerospace research activities. The goal of NASA EPSCoR is to provide seed funding that will enable jurisdictions to develop an academic research enterprise directed toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally competitive capabilities in aerospace and aerospace-related research. This capability will, in turn, contribute to the jurisdiction’s economic viability and expand the nation’s base for aerospace research and development. The R3 is a collaborative effort between NASA EPSCoR, NASA Centers and mission directorates. The goals of R3 are to provide a streamlined method to address research issues important to NASA, and to enable NASA EPSCoR researchers to work with NASA to solve research issues impacting the agency’s programs/missions.

NASA EPSCoR R3 Solicitation Parameters

• Collaborations with Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), Commercial Spaceflight and Industry.

• Solicitation released yearly.

• Jurisdictions may submit one proposal per task (multiple proposals per jurisdiction) and may receive multiple awards to each solicitation (one per task)

• One-year period of performance (POP)

• $100,000 total, and cost sharing is not required; however, any funds used for voluntary matching or cost-sharing is allowed.

Qualifying Jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit a proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

View EPSCoR: Directors by State/Jurisdiction

Proposals Due: February 26, 2024

Award Announcement: May 21, 2024

Proposal Submission

This Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) is accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) and through Grants.gov.

• For more Information, or to submit an R3 proposal, go to NSPIRES.
• To access, go to Grants.gov, and type in ‘NASA’ in the Keyword(s) search on the left side of the page.

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ISS Flight Opportunity

NASA EPSCoR and the International Space Station (ISS) Collaboration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement (OSTEM), in cooperation with the International Space Station (ISS) Research Office, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), Science Mission Directorates (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s nine centers plus NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) solicits proposals for the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of NASA’s mission directorates and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.

Through this solicitation, the ISS will provide the integration and flight opportunity. There are a variety of laboratory facilities and capabilities designed to support a range of scientific disciplines on the station. A general overview of the research facilities and capabilities is available at https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/

NASA EPSCoR ISS Solicitation Parameters

• Opportunity to fly mature NASA EPSCoR research projects in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
• Solicitation released yearly.
• Jurisdictions may submit one proposal per solicitation.
• Three-year period of performance (POP).
• No cost share requirement.
• $100,000 total, with funding provided initially.

Qualifying Jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit a proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

View EPSCoR: Directors by State/Jurisdiction

Proposals Due: April 15, 2024

Award Announcement: June 18, 2024

Proposal Submission

All NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) and through Grants.gov.

• For more Information, or to submit an ISS proposal, go to NSPIRES.
• To access, go to Grants.gov, and type in ‘NASA’ in the Keyword(s) search on the left side of the page.

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Suborbital Flight Opportunity (SFO)

NASA EPSCoR and the Suborbital Flight Opportunity (SFO)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement (OSTEM), in cooperation with the International Space Station (ISS) Research Office, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), Science Mission Directorates (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s nine centers plus NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) solicits proposals for the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of NASA’s mission directorates and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.

Through this solicitation, the ISS will provide the integration and flight opportunity. There are a variety of laboratory facilities and capabilities designed to support a range of scientific disciplines on the station. A general overview of the research facilities and capabilities is available at https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/

NASA EPSCoR ISS Solicitation Parameters

• Solicitation released yearly.
• Jurisdictions may submit one proposal per solicitation.
• Three-year period of performance (POP).
• No cost share requirement.
• Up to $250,000 (plus the cost of the flight)
• Solicited yearly (pending funding availability)

Qualifying Jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit a proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

View EPSCoR: Directors by State/Jurisdiction

Proposals Due:  There will be no SFO Awards in 2023-2024.

Award Announcement: There will be no SFO Awards in 2023-2024.

Proposal Submission

All NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) and through Grants.gov.

• For more Information, or to submit an SFO proposal, go to NSPIRES.
• To access, go to Grants.gov, and type in ‘NASA’ in the Keyword(s) search on the left side of the page.

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