PUI and TCU Pre-Planning Grant Program
The ND EPSCoR State Office’s mission is to support efforts of participating institutions of higher education across the state that result in increased STEM research capacity and competitiveness; a stronger STEM pathway that produces our next generation workforce, educators, and researchers; and, an informed citizenry that values the STEM ecosystem and economy.
To better support researchers in ND to build capacity and competitiveness through National Science Foundation (NSF) awards, especially the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) and the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems (E-CORE), a pre-planning grant program is being offered for PUI and TCU institutions in ND. These awards are to initiate early-stage team building and project ideation by providing the necessary resources to convene and help catalyze collaborative, interdisciplinary, and interinstitutional conversations. The funds are not for pilot projects or data collection. The anticipated outcome of these awards is a preliminary plan identifying a research or research support topic, partnering institutions, key personnel with expertise/strengths for the proposed project leading to the submission of a meritorious NSF EPSCoR Planning Grant Application.
Eligible institutions include: Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Dickinson State University, , Mayville State University, Minot State University, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain College, United Tribes Technical College, Valley City State University.
Awards will be for up to $20,000. Submissions will be accepted until September 30, 2025. Applications will be evaluated upon submission.
To apply, submit the following information through the NDSU Submission Portal. A guide for accessing the NDSU Submission Portal can be found here.
Submissions must include:
Individual responsible for organizing and executing the proposed convening event
Name and contact information.
Description of planned event including planned outcomes.
Timeline for planned event.
Budget.
Detailed Budget Justification.
Contact Jim Doolittle (james.doolittle@ndsu.edu) with questions.