EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence

The EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE), funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Integrative Activities, is designed to strengthen research capacity and competitiveness in jurisdictions eligible under EPSCoR. The program responds to recent studies and legislative guidance, including the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which emphasized the importance of broadening participation in science and engineering and supporting regions with historically lower levels of federal research investment. E-RISE aligns with EPSCoR’s mission of catalyzing the development of research ecosystems, expanding research capabilities, and ensuring long-term sustainability of scientific infrastructure. The purpose of E-RISE is to support innovative, hypothesis-driven or problem-driven research projects that establish sustainable research incubators within EPSCoR jurisdictions. These projects must articulate clear research goals, develop jurisdiction-wide networks of researchers and organizations, and integrate societal impacts into their research objectives. The program encourages proposals in emerging or interdisciplinary research areas with significant potential impact. E-RISE requires projects to demonstrate alignment with a jurisdiction’s Science and Technology (S&T) Plan and broader STEM priorities, and it mandates the inclusion of a networking and partnership manager to support collaborations across institutions and sectors. Funding under this program is anticipated at $31.5 million annually, supporting up to 15 awards each year. Awards are structured as four-year continuing grants, with a maximum budget of $8 million per award for the initial period. Projects showing strong progress are eligible to apply for a three-year renewal award of up to $4.5 million, contingent upon satisfactory performance and compliance with reporting requirements. While no cost sharing is permitted for initial awards, a 20 percent cost share is required for renewal proposals. Awardees must allocate funds for activities such as evaluation, jurisdiction-wide meetings, and participation in EPSCoR conferences, as well as for supporting faculty, students, and project personnel. Eligibility for E-RISE proposals is limited to institutions of higher education, both PhD-granting and non-PhD-granting, as well as non-profit, non-degree-granting U.S. organizations such as museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies, provided they maintain a permanent administrative structure in the U.S. and hold 501(c)(3) status. Tribal governments and Indigenous communities, whether federally recognized or not, are also eligible. All applicants must be located within EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions. Collaborations are expected to include multiple institutions and organizations, including emerging research institutions and minority-serving institutions, to demonstrate jurisdiction-wide impact. Principal Investigators must hold at least a 50 percent appointment in an eligible EPSCoR organization. Applications must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov in accordance with NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide. Only one submission per organization is permitted, and individuals may serve as a Principal Investigator or co-PI on only one proposal at a time. Proposals must begin with “E-RISE” in the title and include a project description of up to 20 pages, covering research, workforce development, jurisdictional impact, sustainability, execution plans, evaluation, and management. Required supplementary documents include participant and organization lists, letters of collaboration, a jurisdictional S&T plan, and notice of submission to the jurisdictional steering committee. Evaluation will follow NSF’s merit review principles, considering both intellectual merit and broader impacts, with additional emphasis on alignment with EPSCoR’s goals. Reviewers will assess the project’s potential to enhance jurisdictional research capacity, foster workforce development, support meaningful collaboration, ensure sustainability, and integrate societal impact. Proposals will be reviewed by ad hoc experts and panels, and awards will be contingent upon available funding, programmatic priorities, and reviewer recommendations. The next application deadline is August 12, 2025, with subsequent deadlines falling on the second Tuesday in August annually. Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. in the submitting organization’s local time. Recipients must provide annual progress reports and participate in EPSCoR data collection and oversight activities. General inquiries about the program should be directed to NSF via telephone at (703) 292-2658 or email at EPSCoR-RISE@nsf.gov.