EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE)

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) supports the mission of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) by promoting nationwide scientific progress. Through this program, NSF fosters partnerships among academic institutions, government entities, industry, and non-profits. These collaborations aim to drive long-term improvements in research infrastructure, enhance R&D capacity, and boost the research competitiveness of eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions, including states, territories, and commonwealths.  A jurisdiction’s research ecosystem is the interconnected network of institutions, organizations, researchers, trainees, community stakeholders, and resources that contribute to the process of research and innovation that advances fundamental knowledge, generates use-inspired products, and ultimately cultivates beneficial societal impacts for a jurisdiction. E-RISE supports hypothesis-driven or problem-driven research and fosters the development of research teams and products in a scientific topical area that aligns with a jurisdiction’s research ecosystem and priorities, as detailed in the jurisdiction’s Science and Technology (S&T) Plan or drawn from other jurisdiction plans, reports, or publications prepared by appropriate authorities or bodies. E-RISE invites innovative proposals within the chosen research area that will lead to development and implementation of sustainable broad networks of individuals, institutions, and organizations, and that will transform the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research capacity and competitiveness in a jurisdiction. E-RISE is particularly interested in proposals that justify exploring emerging or interdisciplinary research areas with high potential impact. E-RISE projects must have a clearly articulated research goal that will lead to new knowledge by addressing a clear hypothesis or problem. The E-RISE project  should promote (i) areas of research capacity-building within a chosen research topic; (ii) development of a skilled workforce that is relevant to the research topic, as well as the project and its outcomes; (iii) a culture of collaboration and engagement across different types of academic institutions and organizations, as well as non-academic sectors (e.g., industry and government); (iv) integration of the research with societal impacts; and (v) a clear sustainability plan to preserve the resulting research incubator's team and products beyond E-RISE funding.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE). Program guideline: NSF 25-522. Upcoming due date listed in NSF feed.

NSF 25-522: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Active funding opportunity This document is the current version.

Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements . All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects.

NSF 25-522: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) Posted: December 13, 2024 To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options. Program Solicitation NSF 25-522 U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization's local time): Second Tuesday in August, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes The total award budget was increased to $8 million for the initial four-year period. The eligibility criteria were expanded for submitting organizations that serve as the lead organization on a current E-RISE or RII Track-1 award.

Additional details were provided on the maximum number of E-RISE proposals or awards for a PI or co-PI. Additional details were provided on required jurisdictional connections between a jurisdiction's E-RISE awards, E-CORE awards, and EPSCoR/Jurisdiction State Offices. A requirement was added for E-RISE projects to include a networking/partnership manager as part of the project management team.

A requirement was added for notifying the Jurisdictional Steering Committee of an E-RISE proposal submission. The requirement that each collaborating organization be represented by a PI or at least one co-PI was extended to include senior personnel. Additional details were provided regarding renewal project proposals and awards.

The EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research: Infrastructure Improvement (E-RISE) Program responds directly to input from recent national studies and legislation, including the 2022 2M Study of EPSCoR , Envisioning the Future of NSF EPSCoR report, and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167).

E-RISE focuses on the development and sustainability of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions' research capacity and competitiveness in a scientific topical area. NSF EPSCoR eligibility is based on a jurisdiction's most recent five-year history of total funds awarded by NSF relative to the Foundation's total research budget for that same period. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (P.

L. 117-167) suspends inclusion of new or graduation of existing EPSCoR jurisdictions through fiscal year 2027. Additional details on the EPSCoR eligibility criteria are available on the NSF EPSCoR website (see RII eligibility ).

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted.

The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) supports the mission of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) by promoting nationwide scientific progress.

Through this program, NSF fosters partnerships among academic institutions, government entities, industry, and non-profits. These collaborations aim to drive long-term improvements in research infrastructure, enhance R&D capacity, and boost the research competitiveness of eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions, including states, territories, and commonwealths.

A jurisdiction's research ecosystem is the interconnected network of institutions, organizations, researchers, trainees, community stakeholders, and resources that contribute to the process of research and innovation that advances fundamental knowledge, generates use-inspired products, and ultimately cultivates beneficial societal impacts for a jurisdiction.

E-RISE supports hypothesis-driven or problem-driven research and fosters the development of research teams and products in a scientific topical area that aligns with a jurisdiction's research ecosystem and priorities, as detailed in the jurisdiction's Science and Technology (S&T) Plan or drawn from other jurisdiction plans, reports, or publications prepared by appropriate authorities or bodies.

E-RISE invites innovative proposals within the chosen research area that will lead to development and implementation of sustainable broad networks of individuals, institutions, and organizations, and that will transform the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research capacity and competitiveness in a jurisdiction.

E-RISE is particularly interested in proposals that justify exploring emerging or interdisciplinary research areas with high potential impact. E-RISE projects must have a clearly articulated research goal that will lead to new knowledge by addressing a clear hypothesis or problem.

The E-RISE project should promote (i) areas of research capacity-building within a chosen research topic; (ii) development of a skilled workforce that is relevant to the research topic, as well as the project and its outcomes; (iii) a culture of collaboration and engagement across different types of academic institutions and organizations, as well as non-academic sectors (e.g., industry and government); (iv) integration of the research with societal impacts; and (v) a clear sustainability plan to preserve the resulting research incubator's team and products beyond E-RISE funding.

Broadening Participation In STEM: NSF has a mandate to broaden participation in science and engineering, as articulated and reaffirmed in law since 1950. Congress has charged NSF to “develop intellectual capital, both people and ideas, with particular emphasis on groups and regions that traditionally have not participated fully in science, mathematics, and engineering."

Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact. E-RISE questions, telephone: (703) 292-2658, email: EPSCoR-RISE@nsf.

gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 47. 083 --- Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 15 Up to 15 awards annually (pending the quality of proposals and availability of funds). More than one award per jurisdiction will be considered pending the availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $31,500,000 Up to $31,500,000 annually, to support up to 15 newly funded E-RISE awards. Number of awards is approximate and subject to the availability of funds and quality of the proposals submitted.

Funding requests must be for a duration of four (4) years, with a maximum budget $8,000,000 total for four years and the potential for a renewal project award with a maximum budget of $4,500,000 total for an additional three (3) years. Within the maximum award budget, there is no restriction on the amount requested annually. When applicable, renewal project awards will only be made subsequent to the closure of the original award.

Note that in only rare and exceptional circumstances will no-cost extensions of the initial award or the renewal project award be granted beyond the grantee-approved no-cost extension.

NSF EPSCoR support of a proposed Research Infrastructure Improvement activity should not duplicate other available federal, jurisdictional, or institutional resources and should add significant and sustainable value to increasing the jurisdiction's scientific competitiveness at the national or regional level.

Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Institutions of higher education (PhD-granting and non-PhD-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 within multi-campus systems (e.g., campuses that award their own degrees and have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, and alumni associations) qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.

Campuses that plan to submit a proposal through the Sponsored Projects Office of other campuses or organizations should contact NSF EPSCoR to discuss eligibility as early as possible and at least six weeks before submitting such a proposal.

Non-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 research) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.

Tribal Governments with the governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a, et seq.) or Indigenous communities that are not recognized by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C.

479a, et seq.) E-RISE proposals may only be submitted by organizations within jurisdictions meeting the EPSCoR eligibility criteria . E-RISE proposals may not be submitted by organizations that serve as the lead organization on a current E-RISE or RII Track-1 award, unless that award is in its final year or under a no-cost extension and will not be renewed.

However, individuals employed by said organizations may serve as funded project participants or collaborators in roles other than PI or co-PI on an E-RISE proposal submitted by another organization within the jurisdiction. Such engagement must not be duplicative of currently funded activities, including current EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement awards.

E-RISE submissions should be multi-institutional or multi-organizational, with a lead organization and additional collaborating partner(s), which may include academic and non-academic organizations. E-RISE collaborations must be indicative of building a jurisdiction-wide network of expertise in the chosen research topic.

NSF encourages the participation of Emerging Research Institutions as lead organization and/or collaborative partners in E-RISE submissions: Emerging Research Institutions are defined in 42 § USC 18901 as institutions of higher education with an established undergraduate or graduate program that have less than $50,000,000 in Federal research expenditures within the year of the most currently available data.

Collaborations with other EPSCoR jurisdictions, non-EPSCoR jurisdictions, and international entities are allowed provided there is appropriate justification outlining a critical need that cannot be fulfilled in the home jurisdiction. However, since EPSCoR funds may only be allocated for activities and personnel within an EPSCoR jurisdiction, participation of collaborators in non-EPSCoR jurisdictions must be as unfunded collaborators.

Principal Investigators must hold at least 50% appointments in eligible organizations within an EPSCoR jurisdiction. Each collaborating organization must be represented by a PI, co-PI, or other senior/key personnel.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1 Only one submission per organization is allowed where the organization serves as the lead either on a single proposal with subawards or as the lead on a set of separately submitted collaborative proposals. An organization may be the lead on only one E-RISE award. There is no limit on the number of submissions per jurisdiction.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on only one RII Track-1 award, E-RISE submission, or E-RISE award at any given time (unless an existing RII Track-1 or E-RISE award is in its final year, or in a no-cost extension, and has not been selected for a renewal project award).

However, an individual may serve as other senior/key personnel, or in roles other than PI or co-PI, on any number of E-RISE submissions or awards. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research.

gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=pappg .

Full Proposals submitted via Grants. gov: NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.

gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=grantsgovguide ). Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization's local time): Second Tuesday in August, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information Standard NSF award conditions apply. Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

A. EPSCoR Mission and Goals The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) fulfills the mandate of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide.

NSF EPSCoR pursues a mission to enhance the research competitiveness of targeted jurisdictions (state, territory or commonwealth) by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) capacity and capability through a diverse portfolio of investments from talent development to local infrastructure. NSF envisions EPSCoR jurisdictions as recognized contributors to the national and global STEM research enterprise.

The goals of NSF EPSCoR are to: Catalyze the development of research capabilities and the creation of new knowledge that expands jurisdictions' contributions to scientific discovery, innovation, learning, and knowledge-based prosperity; Establish sustainable STEM education, training, and professional development pathways that advance jurisdiction-identified research areas and workforce development; Broaden direct participation of individuals, institutions, and organizations in the project's science and engineering research and education initiatives; Effect sustainable engagement of project participants and partners, the jurisdiction, the national research community, and the general public through data-sharing, communication, outreach, and dissemination; and Impact research, education, and economic development beyond the project at academic, government, and private sector levels.

B. EPSCoR and E-RISE Eligibility Criteria NSF EPSCoR eligibility is based on a jurisdiction's most recent five-year history of total funds awarded by NSF relative to the Foundation's total research budget for that same period (see EPSCoR eligibility ).

An EPSCoR-eligible jurisdiction is defined as a state, U.S. territory, or U.S. commonwealth that previously did not qualify via the established eligibility criteria in any prior year but has become eligible under the current NSF EPSCoR eligibility list. The CHIPS and Science Act ( P. L.

117-167 ) suspends inclusion of new or graduation of existing EPSCoR jurisdictions through fiscal year 2027. Additional details on EPSCoR eligibility are available on the NSF EPSCoR website (see RII eligibility ).

E-RISE seeks to provide investments in promoting and incubating sustainable research infrastructure and capacity to position teams of researchers in the jurisdiction to be leaders in a STEM topical area at a national and/or international level.

For entities to be eligible to apply for E-RISE funding, the EPSCoR-eligible jurisdiction must demonstrate its commitment to developing its research foundation and improving the quality of STEM research conducted at its universities and colleges by having an active Jurisdictional Steering Committee with current by-laws in place to support jurisdiction-wide STEM research and by having a jurisdictional Science and Technology (S&T) Plan the that been officially accepted and approved by the jurisdiction within the past five years.

C. Jurisdictional EPSCoR Steering Committee and Science & Technology (S&T) Plan Each jurisdiction is expected to have a single, active, Jurisdictional Steering Committee (although a different name may be used by the jurisdiction).

The Jurisdictional Steering Committee is expected to help identify areas of scientific strength and opportunity within the jurisdiction, as well as research infrastructure improvement strategies that will advance the development of sustainable research capabilities within the jurisdiction's research ecosystem.

The Jurisdictional Steering Committee is expected to work closely with, and be comprised of, leaders from academic institutions across the jurisdiction, local government, and the private sector.

This committee should: (i) aid in both the assessment of the entire research ecosystem present in a jurisdiction and the continuous improvement planning for a jurisdiction's research ecosystem; (ii) identify areas that may be beyond the sphere of influence of current EPSCoR investments within the jurisdiction; and (iii) co-produce, in collaboration with relevant entities in the jurisdiction (e.g. communities, state governments, industry, funded E-CORE projects, and leadership in other jurisdiction-wide federal research investments) the jurisdiction's S&T Plan.

The S&T Plan should establish the jurisdiction-wide research and research infrastructure priorities, including specific goals and objectives, and provide the framework that is expected to guide the jurisdiction's use of R&D infrastructure-improvement resources.

The S&T Plan should also be informed by the jurisdiction's economic development priorities and should describe pathways for bringing research outputs and outcomes to the marketplace, where appropriate.

The Jurisdictional Steering Committee's work should clearly articulate and address a jurisdiction's needs associated with workforce development, broadening participation in STEM, preparing a K-16 STEM pipeline, and enhancing the economic impact of the jurisdiction's R&D enterprise.

The structure, composition, and appointing authority for the Jurisdictional Steering Committee should be determined by leadership within the jurisdiction and should be based on the specific needs and circumstances of the jurisdiction.

As such, the Jurisdictional Steering Committee membership should be reflective of the needs and scope of the jurisdiction and must include the expertise to provide a balanced perspective to accomplish, at minimum, the three primary charges described above. To fulfill these charges in a consistent manner, each jurisdiction should have a single Jurisdictional Steering Committee.

An existing Jurisdictional Steering Committee within a jurisdiction may keep its structure or restructure based on the evolving needs of the jurisdiction. NSF's expectation is that the membership of the Jurisdictional Steering Committee, along with the current version of the S&T Plan, be publicly available . Voting and non-voting members of the committee should be clearly indicated.

NSF EPSCoR investments support and build STEM-driven, jurisdiction-wide research activities and incubators with the potential to position the team to be nationally and internationally competitive within a chosen research field. The E-RISE program is designed to provide EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions with funding to support the ability to competitively engage in high quality research in a scientific field.

It also incubates novel, leading-edge ideas that will lead to increased research capacity and competitiveness in the topical area and sustainable improvements in the jurisdiction's academic research infrastructure and human networks related to the chosen topical area.

E-RISE projects should include of the breadth of institutions in the jurisdiction, including primarily undergraduate institutions and two-year institutions, and minority-serving institutions and also should link to any NSF active areas of support.

E-RISE aims to support EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions to: Build a jurisdiction-wide network of teams of researchers and sectors that conduct and develop high-quality research in a defined STEM disciplinary area or topic of choice that is aligned with jurisdictional priority areas and EPSCoR's mission and goals.

Develop high quality hypothesis or problem-driven research projects, including projects that explore emerging or interdisciplinary research areas with high potential impact, and that will sustain project outcomes beyond the E-RISE funding.

Develop effective STEM education and workforce development opportunities within the research topic(s) that engage a breadth of audiences across the jurisdiction and establish meaningful partnerships at the individual and institutional levels both within the jurisdiction and beyond.

E-RISE projects are intended to result in sustainable infrastructure in a jurisdiction that positions research teams to be leaders in a STEM topical area at a national and/or international level. B. Key Elements of E-RISE Projects E-RISE proposals must detail alignment with EPSCoR goals.

The project's topical area should be identified and justified by leveraging an assessment of a jurisdiction's needs, challenges and opportunities, the strengths of the proposing team and the jurisdiction's priorities.

Those priorities are typically identified in the jurisdiction's S&T Plan, but may also be drawn from other jurisdiction plans, reports, or publications prepared by appropriate authorities or bodies, especially in cases where a jurisdiction's S&T plan has not yet been revised to include research infrastructure priorities. E-RISE projects should be designed using the six key elements outlined below.

1) Building of a jurisdiction-wide network of individuals, institutions, and organizations to develop high-quality research aligned with jurisdictional scientific priority areas and the EPSCoR mission and goals The focused research topic of a submission must include a comprehensive and integrative approach that aligns a scientific area of significant regional or jurisdictional importance and an area of recognized national or global interest.

Proposals should present high quality hypothesis-driven or problem- driven projects that will contribute to the field and that will prepare the E-RISE network for success beyond the award period.

A track record of prior collaboration with proposed collaborators is not required, but there is an expectation that project teams will include individuals with recognized expertise in the topic area and of individuals with a history of successfully collaborating.

To align with jurisdiction scientific priorities, a successful project will have a cohesive and evolving plan that details intended engagement with the jurisdiction's E-CORE team(s) and with other existing E-RISE teams. Project teams must include a networking/partnership manager who will manage project administration and coordinate communications, outreach, and other engagement efforts with the jurisdiction.

2) Collaborative engagement across different institution types and sectors E-RISE projects must demonstrate meaningful collaboration and engagement such that all team members are valued and welcomed, creatively contribute, and gain mutual benefit from participating.

Such efforts are essential for increasing capacity across institution types, retaining the STEM workforce within research ecosystems and for scaling the innovation, creativity and productivity of research ecosystems.

E-RISE projects should include and leverage individuals that represent the collective intellectual capacity of the jurisdiction regardless of institution type (e.g., research-intensive institutions, emerging research institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions, minority-serving institutions, two-year colleges) or sector (e.g., non-academic, government, industry).

There should be a plan to gather feedback from participants that allows the project leadership to assess its progress and adjust as needed to continuously improve efforts to ensure collaboration and engagement.

Submissions must document substantive partnerships that are clear, deep, and meaningful and contribute directly to a collaboration that is well-positioned to produce outcomes that leverage the research capacity of an entire jurisdiction.

In cases where jurisdictions may have limited expertise or resources to support needs in the area, collaboration with additional EPSCoR jurisdictions is allowable, providing the proposing team can justify the need and how the collaboration benefits the home jurisdiction.

Likewise, non-EPSCoR and international collaborations may be included with appropriate justification, but EPSCoR funds may not be directed to non-EPSCoR entities or organizations.

3) Development of a skilled workforce that is relevant to the project and its outcomes (Workforce Development) E-RISE projects should include development of innovative formal and/or informal educational plans to prepare a skilled workforce, at multiple levels (e.g., K-12, two-year college, undergraduate, graduate, university faculty), driven by the future education, workforce development, and labor market needs relevant to the E-RISE proposal's research topic.

Furthermore, in response to the anticipated needs of the future workforce, projects should develop strong educational programs in the proposed research areas that can be implemented across institutions of higher learning and directly contribute to building a skilled workforce in research topics associated with the proposal.

4) Incorporation of use-inspired perspectives and societal impact (SI) E-RISE projects should include components that address explicit connection of the research to its end use, and how this directly connects to innovation and policy, which in turn leads to societal impact.

Projects should enable the convergence of multidisciplinary teams, including social scientists, that span innovation research to understand and build the science, scale it up, and orient it within the perspective of socio-economic implications. 5) Building of a pathway to project sustainability 6) Development of a continual improvement cycle C.

Renewal Project Proposals Funded E-RISE projects will be allowed to submit a proposal for a single three-year renewal award by initiating the process in the third year of the initial E-RISE award. Renewal project proposals are accepted on any date (no deadline) but must be submitted no later than the end of the fourth quarter of the 3 rd year of the original E-RISE award.

Per the PAPPG, this submission window must occur at least six months before additional funding is required or consistent with an established deadline, target date or submission window.

The process for a renewal project award requires submission of a renewal project annual report and a renewal project proposal, as well as a renewal project site visit, as detailed in the guidance provided on the EPSCoR Annual Reporting Website ( https://new. nsf. gov/funding/initiatives/epscor/annual-reporting ).

See PDF documents at the bottom of the page entitled, " Guidelines for Preparing E-CORE RII and E-RISE RII Annual and Renewal Reports " and " E-CORE RII and E-RISE RII Renewal Site Visit Guidelines ." While committed cost sharing is not allowed for the initial four-year E-RISE period, cost share is required for the subsequent three-year renewal project, as detailed in "Section 5.

1 Renewal Cost-Share Requirements' section of the " Guidelines for Preparing E-CORE and E-RISE Annual and Renewal Reports " document. Cost sharing for a renewal project award is required at the level of 20% of the total amount requested from NSF in the renewal project's budget.

For collaborative projects with multiple proposals, the cost share amount can either be provided solely by the lead institution or the 20% can be distributed across all budgets in the collaboration. Planning proposals to support future E-RISE submissions may be submitted at any time in accordance with the guidance in Chapter II. F.

1 of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the Dear Colleague Letter NSF 24-097 , but such proposals are not required prior to the submission of an E-RISE proposal. Anticipated Funding Amount: $31,500,000 Up to $31,500,000 annually, to support up to 15 newly funded E-RISE awards. Number of awards is approximate and subject to the availability of funds and quality of the proposals submitted.

Funding requests must be for a duration of four (4) years, with a maximum budget $8,000,000 total for four years and the potential for a renewal project award with a maximum budget of $4,500,000 total for an additional three (3) years. Within the maximum award budget, there is no restriction on the amount requested annually. When applicable, renewal project awards will only be made subsequent to the closure of the original award.

Note that in only rare and exceptional circumstances will no-cost extensions of the initial award or the renewal project award be granted beyond the grantee-approved no-cost extension.

NSF EPSCoR support of a proposed Research Infrastructure Improvement activity should not duplicate other available federal, jurisdictional, or institutional resources and should add significant and sustainable value to increasing the jurisdiction’s scientific competitiveness at the national or regional level. IV.

Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Institutions of higher education (PhD-granting and non-PhD-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 within multi-campus systems (e.g., campuses that award their own degrees and have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, and alumni associations) qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.

Campuses that plan to submit a proposal through the Sponsored Projects Office of other campuses or organizations should contact NSF EPSCoR to discuss eligibility as early as possible and at least six weeks before submitting such a proposal.

Non-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 research) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.

Tribal Governments with the governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a, et seq.) or Indigenous communities that are not recognized by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C.

479a, et seq.) E-RISE proposals may only be submitted by organizations within jurisdictions meeting the EPSCoR eligibility criteria . E-RISE proposals may not be submitted by organizations that serve as the lead organization on a current E-RISE or RII Track-1 award, unless that award is in its final year or under a no-cost extension and will not be renewed.

However, individuals employed by said organizations may serve as funded project participants or collaborators in roles other than PI or co-PI on an E-RISE proposal submitted by another organization within the jurisdiction. Such engagement must not be duplicative of currently funded activities, including current EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement awards.

E-RISE submissions should be multi-institutional or multi-organizational, with a lead organization and additional collaborating partner(s), which may include academic and non-academic organizations. E-RISE collaborations must be indicative of building a jurisdiction-wide network of expertise in the chosen research topic.

NSF encourages the participation of Emerging Research Institutions as lead organization and/or collaborative partners in E-RISE submissions: Emerging Research Institutions are defined in 42 § USC 18901 as institutions of higher education with an established undergraduate or graduate program that have less than $50,000,000 in Federal research expenditures within the year of the most currently available data.

Collaborations with other EPSCoR jurisdictions, non-EPSCoR jurisdictions, and international entities are allowed provided there is appropriate justification outlining a critical need that cannot be fulfilled in the home jurisdiction. However, since EPSCoR funds may only be allocated for activities and personnel within an EPSCoR jurisdiction, participation of collaborators in non-EPSCoR jurisdictions must be as unfunded collaborators.

Principal Investigators must hold at least 50% appointments in eligible organizations within an EPSCoR jurisdiction. Each collaborating organization must be represented by a PI, co-PI, or other senior/key personnel.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1 Only one submission per organization is allowed where the organization serves as the lead either on a single proposal with subawards or as the lead on a set of separately submitted collaborative proposals. An organization may be the lead on only one E-RISE award. There is no limit on the number of submissions per jurisdiction.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on only