NSF EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows

NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows is a grant from the National Science Foundation EPSCoR program that funds early- and mid-career investigators in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions to conduct high-quality research with a trainee component. The NSF track provides approximately $12 million for around 40 awards, while the NASA track provides approximately $3 million for around 10 awards.

Eligible applicants are researchers affiliated with higher education institutions or nonprofits in EPSCoR-eligible states who include at least one undergraduate student, graduate student, or postdoctoral researcher in their project. The next application deadline is April 13, 2027. The program aims to strengthen research capacity in states historically underrepresented in federal research funding.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement : EPSCoR Research Fellows | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement : EPSCoR Research Fellows NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website .

These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements.

Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Updates to NSF Research Security Policies On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.

Supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation's private, government or academic research institutions. Investigators may be affiliated with institutions of higher education or nonprofits. Supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation's private, government or academic research institutions.

Investigators may be affiliated with institutions of higher education or nonprofits. 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 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 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 EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA supports faculty from eligible institutions (See Section "IV.

Eligibility Information" for more details) to collaborate with researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research centers. PIs who are eligible for both tracks may apply for only one track per competition cycle. Proposals from both tracks are submitted to and merit reviewed by NSF.

Awards in the EPSCoR Research Fellows: @NASA track are referred to NASA EPSCoR for distribution of additional NASA funds and other needed NASA coordination required for the award.

In both tracks, the EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows program 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.

April 7, 2026 - NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours March 16, 2026 - NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours February 24, 2026 - NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours February 5, 2026 - NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours April 11, 2024 - EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours March 21, 2024 - EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours February 29, 2024 - EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours February 8, 2024 - EPSCoR Research Fellows Office Hours January 25, 2024 - EPSCoR Office Hour on EPSCoR Research Fellows opportunity March 17, 2023 - NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows: Office Hour Sessions--Register… Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Office of Integrative Activities (OD/OIA)