Other EPSCoR/IDeA Programs
According to the EPSCoR Interagency Coordinating Committee (EICC), the success of the NSF EPSCoR program during the 1980s prompted the creation of EPSCoR and similar programs in five other federal agencies. The ND EPSCoR State Office submits an annual report to the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation about the impact these programs have on our state.
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Established in FY 1992, the EICC's major objectives focus on improving coordination among and between the federal agencies in implementing EPSCoR and programs similar to EPSCoR. Member agencies of the EICC are:
Department of Defense
The objectives of DEPSCoR, outlined on its website, are to: 1) enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education (IHE) in eligible states and territories (states/territories) to develop, plan, and execute science and engineering (S&E) research that is relevant to the mission of the DoD and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance; 2) increase the number of university researchers in eligible states/territories capable of performing S&E research responsive to the needs of the DoD; and 3) increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHE in eligible states/territories receive from the Federal Government for S&E research.
Department of Energy
The primary goals of DOE EPSCoR are three fold: 1) improve the capability of designated states and territories to conduct sustainable and nationally competitive energy-related research; 2) jumpstart infrastructure development in designated states and territories through increased human and technical resources, train scientists and engineers in energy-related areas; and 3) build beneficial relationships of designated states and territories with the 10 world-class laboratories managed by the Office of Science, leveraging DOE national user facilities and intellectual collaboration.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The goal of NASA EPSCoR, outlined on its website, is to provide seed funding that will enable jurisdictions to develop an academic research enterprise directed toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally-competitive capabilities in aerospace and aerospace-related research. UND is the prime institution for North Dakota NASA EPSCoR.
National Institute of Health
The NIH IDeA program, as outlined on its website, builds research capabilities in states that historically have had low levels of NIH funding by supporting basic, clinical, and translational research; faculty development; and infrastructure improvements. The program also enhances the ability of investigators to compete successfully for additional research funding and serves the research needs of medically underserved communities.
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IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE).
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In North Dakota, UND is the prime institution.
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Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE). The COBRE is an NIH IDEA institutional program.
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IDeA-Clinical and Translational Research (CTR). Designed to encourage applications from IDeA states to develop infrastructure and capacity in order to conduct clinical and translational research on diseases that affect the medically underserved populations and/or the disease prevalent in IDeA states. Provides for both mentoring and career development initiatives in clinical and translational research.​
U.S. Department of Agriculture
From the USDA website regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) about the FASE and EPSCoR: The Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants are designed to help institutions develop competitive projects and to attract new scientists and educators into careers in high-priority areas of national need in agriculture, food, and environmental sciences. FASE Grants consist of New Investigator Grants, Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants, and Strengthening Grants. Strengthening Grants are further divided into Sabbatical Grants, Equipment Grants, Seed Grants, Strengthening Standard Grants, Strengthening CAP (Coordinated Agricultural Project) Grants, and Strengthening Conference Grants. Fifteen percent of AFRI funding is set aside for Strengthening Grants and Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants.