Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Implementation Grants

Eligible Applicants

Additional Requirements

DOE EPSCoR follows NSF EPSCoR eligibility determinations. As a result, and in accordance with 2 CFR 910.126, competition, eligibility for award is restricted. Domestic applicants except nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 that are within the following jurisdictions will be eligible for this FOA: 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, Vermont, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The EPSCoR program limits eligibility in an effort to ensure that federal research funds are distributed across the entire nation. Congress found, in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017, that EPSCoR “assists States and jurisdictions historically underserved by Federal research and development funding in strengthening their research and innovation capabilities.” Similarly, it is the sense of Congress that “maintaining the Nation’s scientific and economic leadership requires the participation of talented individuals nationwide.” All research supported by an EPSCoR award must be performed in an EPSCoR jurisdiction or at a DOE National Laboratory. Funding support for the prime applicant and any potential subrecipients is limited to those with addresses within one or more EPSCoR jurisdictions. Funding of foreign entities is not permitted for this FOA. Participation of non-profit and for-profit organizations from EPSCoR jurisdictions is welcome, particularly as subrecipients to academic institutions from EPSCoR jurisdictions. If a non-profit or for-profit organization from an EPSCoR jurisdiction wishes to submit an application as the lead institution, participation of an academic institution in an EPSCoR jurisdiction including students and or postdoctoral fellows as substantial contributors to the team is required. For-profit applicants must include a letter from a responsible member of the applicant’s management committing that the location of the research as well as the staff participating for this application will be within one of the eligible jurisdictions. Industrial and for-profit organizations should note that if research is proposed in support of current commercial activity the application may be declined without merit review. If a team involving more than one organization partnering through an unfunded collaboration with one or more national laboratory is envisaged, then one member institution of the team shall serve as the lead and other members of the team at other institutions must request support through subawards.

Geographic Eligibility

All