Skip to content
I Want Grants
OpenFederal · Grants.gov

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows

U.S. National Science Foundation

Description

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. NSF EPSCoR facilitates the establishment of partnerships among academic institutions, government, industry, and non-profit sectors that are designed to promote sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and R&D competitiveness of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions (i.e., states, territories, and commonwealths). Eligibility to participate in the EPSCoR funding opportunities, including the EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows program, is described on the NSF EPSCoR website . EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows directly aligns with the NSF EPSCoR strategic goal of establishing sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance workforce development and effects engagement in STEM at national and global levels. EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows provides awards to build researchcapacityin institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research institutions and/or centers. The fellowship provides opportunities to establish strong collaborations through extended or periodic collaborative visits to a selected host site.Through collaborative research activities with the host site, Fellows will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations, advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows’ research trajectories well beyond the award period. The benefits to the Fellows are also expected to improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions more broadly. EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows offers the following two tracks: 1)EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF; and 2) EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA  While the two tracks have similar goals, EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF is open to a broad community and EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA supports faculty from eligible institutions (See Section"IV. Eligibility Information" for more details) to collaborate with researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research centers. PIs who are eligible for both tracks may apply for only one track per competition cycle. Proposals from both tracks are submitted to and merit reviewed by NSF. Awards in the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA track are referred to NASA EPSCoR for distribution of additional NASA funds and other needed NASA coordination required for the award. In both tracks, the EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows program provides opportunities for the participation of one trainee, who must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled full-time in an accredited degree program, or a postdoctoral researcher from an EPSCoR jurisdiction. Staff members, such as technicians or lab assistants could be considered as trainees when properly justified.

Award amount

Varies, see official page

Total program funding: $15,000,000

Eligibility

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - EPSCoR jurisdictions that are RII-eligible for the FY2024 competition are listed in the RII Eligibility table, which can be found<a href="https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/epscor/epscor-criteria-eligibility">here</a>. Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows: <ul> <li>Institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories or possessions. Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.</li> <li>Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research or educational activities. These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an Office of Sponsored Projects) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.</li> </ul> In addition, for the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA opportunity, PIs must be employed by an institution that is from at least one of the following categories: <ul> <li>Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two-year colleges, that award associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and/or master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years;</li> <li>Institutions of higher education that are dedicated to serve students with disabilities, as listed in Table 1, page 5, of NSF&rsquo;s 2008 Broadening Participation report (<a title="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf" href="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf">https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf</a>); and</li> <li>Minority-serving institutions as in42 &sect;USC 18901</li> </ul> *Who May Serve as PI: Principal Investigatorsmust either: <ul type="disc"> <li>Be in an early-career, or mid-career-track position at an eligible non-degree-granting organization or</li> <li>Hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Lecturer, Research Faculty, Assistant or Associate Professor rank (or in an equivalent position)at an institution of higher education.</li> </ul> Additional guidance on eligibility for both tracks: <ul type="disc"> <li>For the faculty category of the PI, the faculty ranking should be determined by the faculty rank at the proposal's deadline date.</li> <li>The PI must be positioned to build sustainable research capacity at the home institution during and beyond the fellowship, which generally takes three years or more.</li> <li>Non-tenured research assistant professors or lecturers are eligible to apply for this opportunity if they have a long-term appointment.</li> <li>A letter from an administrative manager at the home institution is required to verify PI eligibility.</li> <li>Only single-PI proposals will be considered. No co-PIs should be included in the proposal.</li> <li>Persons who hold transitional fixed-term postdoctoral appointments are not eligible to apply as PI, even if their organizations classify such appointments<a id="_anchor_1" name="_msoanchor_1" href="#_msocom_1"></a><a id="_anchor_2" name="_msoanchor_2" href="#_msocom_2"></a><a id="_anchor_3" name="_msoanchor_3" href="#_msocom_3"></a> as &lsquo;faculty&rsquo; for administrative purposes.</li> <li>Prev

Who can apply:

Location

Nationwide (USA)

Categories

Funding source

Federal Government

Important dates

  • Opens: Jan 23, 2024
  • Deadline: Apr 13, 2027

How to apply

Apply through Grants.gov. Your organization needs active SAM.gov (UEI) and Grants.gov registrations, these can take several weeks, so start early.

Related grants

ForecastedFederal · Grants.gov

Occupational Safety and Health Research (R01)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA

Award
Up to $680,000
Deadline
Feb 5, 2027

The purpose of the R01 grant program is to (1) improve understanding of the risks and conditions associated with occupational diseases and injuries, (2) identify and evaluate methods to reduce risks and prevent or minimize exposure to hazardous workplace conditions, and (3) translate scientific findings into practical prevention strategies, interventions, and products that reduce work-related illnesses and injuries. The Research Project Grant (R01) supports a discrete, specified research project in scientific areas that reflect the investigator's expertise and interests and that align with the mission of NIOSH. Applicants must concisely describe the occupational health problem their proposal addresses and explain how the proposed research activities will lead to outputs that help address this problem. Applicants should clearly describe the expected impacts of the proposed research, both during the project period and beyond.

Health and MedicalResearch and Evaluation

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

View details
OpenFederal · Grants.gov

Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Department of War Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)

Office of Naval Research

Award
Up to $7,500,000
Deadline
Apr 9, 2027

Established in 1985, the Department of War Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program funds U.S. academic research teams to conduct high-impact basic research that addresses future challenges faced by the Department of War. The MURI program specifically supports U.S. university teams investigating complex, DoW-relevant problem sets at the intersection of multiple scientific disciplines. MURI teams bring together world-class faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students - helping to develop a technically advanced, defense-aware scientific workforce and strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base.

Higher EducationResearch and EvaluationScience

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

View details
RollingCalifornia · State Portal

Upland Game Bird Account Grant

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Award
Varies
Deadline
Rolling

The purpose is to ensure funds generated by the sales of upland game bird hunting validations and stamps are used in programs and projects to benefit upland game bird species and their constituents. CDFW may make grants to, reimburse, or enter into contracts or other agreements, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1571, with public and private entities, including universities, nonprofit organizations, and California Native American tribes, as defined in Section 21073 of the Public Resources Code, for the use of the funds from the Upland Game Bird Account to carry out the purposes of Fish and Game Code §3684, including related habitat conservation projects. Any proposal fitting the criteria in this statue is qualified to be funded.

Environment and ConservationResearch and EvaluationScience

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

View details
Closing soonCalifornia · State Portal

Quantum FAST Challenge

Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development

Award
$50,000 – $500,000
Deadline
Oct 20, 2026

The Quantum FAST Challenge is a competitive grant program that seeks to strengthen California's quantum ecosystem by funding projects in two priority areas: (1) Education and workforce development projects that build the talent pipeline that quantum technologies require; and (2) Applied use case demonstrations that pair researchers and students with industry partners to demonstrate applications in quantum-adjacent disciplines. The Quantum FAST Challenge is a competitive grant program that seeks to strengthen California's quantum ecosystem by funding projects in two priority areas: (1) Education and workforce development projects that build the talent pipeline that quantum technologies require; and (2) Applied use case demonstrations that pair researchers and students with industry partners to demonstrate applications in quantum-adjacent disciplines.

Research and EvaluationScienceTechnology

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

View details