Program Information
ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) promotes scientific progress in states that have traditionally received lesser amounts of NSF research and development funding. The primary mechanism the NSF uses to achieve this goal is the Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) program. NSF RII awards enable states like Kansas to enhance their competitiveness for research funding. RII proposals are submitted by Kansas NSF EPSCoR on behalf of the program partners in the state. Other NSF EPSCoR mechanisms include Co-funding, Workshops, and Outreach.

State Affiliated Resources and Information
Kansas Board of Regents State EPSCoR Committee
Kansas Building an Environment for Science and Technology for Innovation
Kansas NSF EPSCoR Structure and Organization Chart


Archived Past Projects
Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plants, and Soils Systems across Kansas
(MAPS)
Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006
MAPS research is addressing the challenge of simultaneously feeding a growing population, sustaining agriculture, maintaining soil quality, and minimizing greenhouse gases and water contaminants using new data-driven solutions.
MAPS Funding Opportunities
The MAPS First Award Program helps early-career faculty become competitive for funding from the research directorates at the National Science Foundation.
Current solicitation is closed
The MAPS Research and Education Innovative (REI) Award Program funds small projects that will either allow for networking and planning or for the immediate pursuit of larger projects for developing new transformational concepts.
MAPS Museum Projects Award Program provides funds for developing museum outreach programs that intersect the natural science and engineering aspects of MAPS research with fine art or visual and graphic design elements.
Learn more about our current program: Microbes on the Move
a mobile pop-up exhibit

National Science Foundation
EPSCoR Investment Strategies
NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Program:
RII Track-1 Awards provide up to 20 million dollars over 5 years to support and improve the jurisdiction’s research and development competitiveness. The jurisdiction’s EPSCoR steering committee selects the project and the research activities associated with it must align with the specific research priorities identified in the approved Science and Technology (S&T) Plan of the jurisdiction.
RII Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC) Awards build inter-jurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in scientific focus areas consistent with NSF priorities.
RII Track-4 EPSCoR Research Fellows Awards provide support to non-tenured investigators to enhance their individual research potential and their jurisdictions’ research capacity through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers.
Upcoming
Kansas NSF EPSCoR
Events
and Past Event
Information
MAPS Annual Research Symposium
March 8-9, 2021
To register click here
______________________
NSF EPSCoR is hosting virtual office hours to share
information about the RII Track 4 at 3 pm:
3/17/2021; 3/31/ 2021; and 4/21/2021 – Register here
The Haskell Environmental Research Studies Institute
June 6 – July 30, 2021
For more information click here
Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute
June 7-11, 2021
For more information click here
Check here the first Thursday of the month new episodes of the MAPS Kansas Ecosystems for Elementary Students (KEES) lessons in collaboration with the KU Natural History Museum and Kansas Biological Survey
Virtual elementary school level lessons on ecology and hands-on activities developed in accordance with Next Generation Science Standards Virtual lessons are in
both English and Spanish
—————————————
March 1 & 2, 2020 MAPS Annual Research Symposium Presentations
Kansas NSF EPSCoR News
NSF EPSCoR is hosting virtual office hours to share information about the RII Track 4
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is hosting virtual office hours to share information about the Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows solicitation. This opportunity provides awards to build...
MAPS REU student, Gretchen Wichman, makes it rain over the riparian zone to better understand riparian-stream connections.
Dr. Walter Dodds and Gretchen collecting soil water from miniature lysimeters in the riparian zone before the rainfall simulation.Monitoring rivers at a local preserve after joining the Watershed Environments and Ecology Lab was an influential factor that led...