EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation

CDI Accomplishments: 2001-2006

INNOVATING A CENTERS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING SYSTEM

In four and a half years, the EPSCoR Centers Development Initiative (CDI) helped university research teams from EPSCoR states compete successfully for 20 NSF centers or large-scale projects, representing over $140 million in NSF funding. In addition, CDI organized 15 Centers Development Workshops that attracted over 500 participants from over 60 universities across all EPSCoR jurisdictions and included participation from approximately 50 NSF program managers and 60 outside experts (nationally-recognized science and engineering experts, including Directors or PIs from successful, ongoing centers supported by NSF and other agencies). A network of over 100 nationally-recognized science, engineering, and education discipline experts was developed and provided assistance to EPSCoR researchers. Additional information is presented below.

CDI Workshops

HOLDING 15 FOCUSED WORKSHOPS FOR THE EPSCOR COMMUNITY

 - EPSCoR University Research Leadership Retreat on Centers Development
 - Regional Research Partnership Assessment Workshops:
      - Biomodular Systems
      - Life in Extreme Environments
      - Networking for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
      - Marine Eco-Genomics
 - Workshop on Nucleating NSF Centers in Green Chemistry and Engineering
 - IGERT Assistance Workshop: 2002 | 2004
 - Workshop on EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure for Large-Scale Sci & Eng
 - Large-Scale NSF Biological Science Workshop
 - EPSCoR Materials Research Science and Engineering Workshop
 - Regional Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering
 - GK-12 Assistance Workshop
 - EPSCoR Environmental Observing Systems Workshop
 - Large-Scale NSF Computer and Information Sci & Eng Workshop

CDI Technical Assistance

HELPING EPSCOR COMPETE FOR 20 NSF CENTERS/LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS
(Listed in chronological order.)

 - MRSEC | Center for Response-Driven Polymeric Films | U. Southern Mississippi | 2002 | $7.8m
 - MRSEC | Center for Materials for Information Technology | U. Alabama | 2002 | $6.0m
 - MRSEC | Center for Quantum and Spin Phenomena in Nanomagnetic Structures | U. Nebraska | 2002 | $5.4m
 - ERC | Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis | U. Kansas | 2003 | $34.0m
 - CREST | Computational Center for Molecular Structure and Interactions | Jackson St. U. | 2003 | $5.4m
 - PFI | North Louisiana Partnership for Innovation | Northwestern St. U. of La. | 2003 | $600k
 - IGERT | Entrepreneurship at the Interface of Polymer Science and Medicinal Chemistry | U. Southern Mississippi | 2004 | $3.6m
 - IGERT | Multidisciplinary Graduate Education and Research Training in Nanomaterials Science and Engineering | Tuskegee U. | 2004 | $3.1m
 - CREST | Center for Forest Ecosystem Assessment | Alabama A&M U. | 2004 | $2.9m
 - I/UCRC | Center for Friction Stir Processing | South Dakota School of Mines & Technology | 2004 | $1.5m
 - NIRT | Fabrication of Functional Architectures through the Directed Assembly of Nanoscale Building Blocks | U. New Orleans | 2004 | $1.1m
 - STC | Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets | U. Kansas | 2005 | $38.0m
 - Polar Programs | ANDRILL: Investigating Antarctica's Role in Cenozoic Global Environmental Change | U. Nebraska | 2005 | $13.0m
 - MRSEC | Center for Semiconductor Physics in Nanostructures | U. Oklahoma/U. Arkansas | 2005 | $7.8m
 - IGERT | Assessing Change in Coastal Ecosystems: Integrating Natural and Social Sciences | U. Rhode Island | 2005 | $3.0m
 - IGERT | Montana-Ecology of Infectious Disease | U. Montana | 2005 | $3.0m
 - COSEE | Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence: Oceans in the Earth-Sun System | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | 2005 | $2.5m
 - PIRE | Microfluidic Technology and Applications | U. Rhode Island | 2005 | $2.4m
 - NSEC | Nanotechnology-in-Society: Project Imaging, Scientific Change, and Public Understanding of Emerging Nanotechnologies | U. South Carolina | 2005 | $1.4m
 - MRI | Development of Viz Tangibles and VizNet: Instrumentation for Interactive Visualization, Simulation, and Collaboration | Louisiana St. U. | 2005 | $400k

CDI Network of Experts

DEVELOPING A NETWORK OF EXTERNAL EXPERTS WORKING WITH EPSCOR

The recruitment and retention of high-level disciplinary experts to serve as members of CDI's technical assistance teams is a key CDI accomplishment. Over 100 experts — comprised of leading disciplinary researchers and experts, Directors of successful ongoing NSF centers, and scientific experts from industry and government laboratories — have collaborated with CDI. This network has disseminated information about NSF centers programs, provided direct technical assistance to EPSCoR research teams, and presented at CDI's Centers Development Workshops.

The experience and wisdom provided by these individuals about what is necessary to organize strong (often multi-disciplinary) teams; integrate required education, outreach, and other components with research; successfully compete for NSF centers; and manage and coordinate funded centers has been extremely helpful to the EPSCoR community in increasing its competitiveness for NSF centers. In addition to serving as a valuable resource for the EPSCoR community, the network of outside experts also serves as an effective way to communicate EPSCoR research strengths to the nation's S&E enterprise, leading to productive research collaborations between EPSCoR teams and ongoing NSF centers.

CDI was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0126795. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.