The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the NSF to promote scientific progress nationwide. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, R&D capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness.

EPSCoR RII Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows directly aligns with NSF EPSCoR strategic goal of establishing sustainable Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance workforce development in STEM and effects engagement in STEM at national and global levels. EPSCoR RII Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. The fellowship provides opportunities to establish strong collaborations through extended or periodic collaborative visits to a selected host site. Through collaborative research activities with the host site, Fellows will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations, advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows' research trajectories well beyond the award period. The benefits to the Fellows are also expected to improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions more broadly. In 2024, NSF is accepting proposals in the RII Track-4:NSF subtrack only. The RII Track-4 provides opportunities for the participation of one trainee, who must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled full-time in an accredited degree program, or a postdoctoral researcher from an EPSCoR jurisdiction. Staff members, such as technicians or lab assistants could be considered as trainees when properly justified.

NSF Full Proposal Deadline: April 8, 2025

Link to FOA Here

Eligibility:  

Principal Investigators must either:
1) hold a non-tenured faculty position at a degree-granting institution of higher education; or a faculty member who hold long-term
positions outside of the tenure track regardless of their position title or rank.
2) be in an early-career, career-track position at an eligible non-degree-granting organization;
3) hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank (or in an equivalent position) at an
institution that is eligible to submit as described under "Who May Submit Proposals;" or
4) For the faculty category of applicants, the faculty ranking should be determined by the faculty rank at the proposal's deadline date.

Additional eligibility restrictions are as follows:
1) Only single-PI proposals will be considered. No co-PIs should be included in the proposal.
2) Persons who hold transitional fixed-term postdoctoral appointments are not eligible to apply as PI, even if their organizations classify such appointments as 'faculty' for administrative purposes.
3) In all cases, the required letter from the PI's supervisory administrator should verify the PI's eligibility relative to these criteria.
4) The PI may hold or accept fellowships of equal caliber (i.e., similar intent, funding level, and or prestige) concurrently with a Track-4 Fellow award.

Any questions regarding PI eligibility should be directed toward the cognizant Program Officers listed above.

Institutional Limit: A maximum of four (4) RII Track -4: NSF proposals may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in an RII-eligible jurisdiction.

Application Information:  All UD limited submission white papers must use this template found on the Research Office limited submission webpage. Applications not adhering to this requirement will be returned without review.  

Review Criteria: Internal white papers will be reviewed based on the merit review criteria found in the solicitation.