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U.S. National Science Foundation

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows

Open · Opportunity 24-528 · Assistance Listing 47.083, 47.075, 47.079, 47.041, 47.074, 47.049, 47.076, 47.084, 47.070, 47.050

Key facts

Deadline
Due Apr 13, 2027 · 188 days left
Award size
Not specified — see notice
Total available
$15M
Cost share / match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Other (see eligibility)
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Grant-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
  • No cost share required
  • Tennessee recipients since 2023: 214

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

More from U.S. National Science Foundation

Read the official notice View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar Sign in to save

About this grant

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. NSF EPSCoR facilitates the establishment of partnerships among academic institutions, government, industry, and non-profit sectors that are designed to promote sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and R&D competitiveness of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions (i.e., states, territories, and commonwealths). Eligibility to participate in the EPSCoR funding opportunities, including the EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows program, is described on theNSF EPSCoR website. EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows directly aligns with the NSF EPSCoR strategic goal of establishing sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance workforce development and effects engagement in STEM at national and global levels. EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows provides awards to build researchcapacityin 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 institutions and/or 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. EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows offers the following two tracks: 1)EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF; and 2) EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA  While the two tracks have similar goals, EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF is open to a broad community and...

Eligibility (from the notice)

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - EPSCoR jurisdictions that are RII-eligible for the FY2024 competition are listed in the RII Eligibility table, which can be foundhere. Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows: • Institutions of higher education (Ph.D.-granting and non-Ph.D.-granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories or possessions. Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions. • Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research or educational activities. These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an Office of Sponsored Projects) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status. In addition, for the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA opportunity, PIs must be employed by an institution that is from at least one of the following categories: • Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two-year colleges, that award associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and/or master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years; • Institutions of higher education that are dedicated to serve students with disabilities, as listed in Table 1, page 5, of NSF’s 2008 Broadening Participation report (https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf); and • Minority-serving institutions as in42 §USC 18901 *Who May Serve as PI: Principal Investigatorsmust either: • Be in an early-career, or mid-career-track position at an eligible non-degree-granting organization or • Hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Lecturer, Research Faculty, Assistant or Associate Professor rank...

Should we apply? (2-minute check) Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Mar23
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need time to write and sign letters.
  3. Apr6
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    University grant offices require final versions about 5 business days before the sponsor deadline. Emory Office of Sponsored Programs
  4. Apr11
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Apr13
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in your tracker and private calendar.

Who in Tennessee has won this program

214 awards to Tennessee recipients in 9 counties since federal FY2023. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee recipients
RecipientWhereAmountFY
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$15M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$13.3M2019
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$11.7M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$9.3M2024
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$9M2026
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$5M2025
Fisk UniversityNashville, Davidson County$5M2021
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$5M2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$5M2022
Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, Putnam County$4.7M2021
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4M2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4M2025

Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds; they don't guarantee future awards.

About the program (47.041)

Engineering — (ENG)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.049)

Mathematical and Physical Sciences — (MPS)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.050)

Geosciences — (GEO)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.070)

Computer and Information Science and Engineering — (CISE)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.074)

Biological Sciences — (BIO)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.075)

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences — (SBE)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.076)

STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) — (EDU)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.079)

International Science and Engineering

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.083)

Integrative Activities — (OIA)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.084)

Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships — NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

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