EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology

The EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (EPSCoR CREST Centers) program, administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), supports institutions of higher education in EPSCoR jurisdictions to improve their capacity for research and education in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). This initiative is aligned with the broader mission of NSF's Directorate for STEM Education and aims to develop national research competitiveness while fostering diverse participation in STEM disciplines. It prioritizes institutions with fewer research resources, defined as Emerging Research Institutions, which must offer doctoral degrees in NSF-supported STEM fields and have under $50 million in research expenditures in three of the past five years. EPSCoR CREST Centers provide multi-year support through either Phase I or Phase II awards. Phase I awards support five years of research on an NSF-relevant topic and are limited to institutions located in EPSCoR jurisdictions. These centers must demonstrate strong integration of research and education, meaningful leadership, and effective workforce development strategies. Successful Phase I projects may later submit a Phase II proposal to continue the research, provided it aligns with the original discipline and demonstrates significant progress and institutional transformation. Additionally, EPSCoR CREST Partnership Supplements are available to existing Centers to develop or strengthen collaborations with other institutions, research labs, or community-based entities like K-12 schools or museums. Each Center must support a central unifying research theme and consist of three to five individual subprojects that are integrated within the institution and contribute to the Center's overarching goals. The program funds up to $1.5 million annually, with a maximum of $7.5 million over five years for Center grants. Partnership Supplements may not exceed $100,000. Subawards are allowed but must be within 10% of the overall budget and must not exceed $150,000 annually per partner. No voluntary committed cost sharing is permitted. The application process involves submitting full proposals via Research.gov or Grants.gov, with adherence to the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Required components include a detailed project summary, an explanation of the scientific, educational, and management plans, and subproject narratives. Each proposal must also include letters of support from institutional leadership and letters of collaboration from any major partners. Evaluation and oversight are essential; each Center must convene an external advisory committee and engage an independent evaluation team. An internal steering committee is also required to manage progress. The deadline for full proposals is December 6, 2024, with a subsequent deadline on July 7, 2025, and recurring deadlines on the first Monday of July in subsequent years. Supplement proposals are also due on July 7, 2025, and annually thereafter on the same schedule. The program is open to institutions within EPSCoR jurisdictions only, and eligibility is limited to doctoral-granting institutions that meet specific expenditure criteria. Principal Investigators must be full-time faculty members, and each institution may only submit one proposal per cycle. Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be returned without review. For further information, applicants may contact the EPSCoR CREST team at crest@nsf.gov or by phone at 703-292-8640. Additional proposal preparation guidance, application forms, and updates on webinars can be found on the NSF website. Recipients of this grant must also utilize the NSF Education and Training Application (ETAP) for managing participants and comply with annual reporting requirements through Research.gov.

Adherence to proposal guidelines is critical; proposals missing required documents will be returned without review.