The History of
Kansas NSF EPSCoR
Kansas and NSF EPSCoR
Since its inception in 1992, we have supported collaborative initiatives to improve research capacity across the state. Funding for these initiatives comes from the National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) along with the Kansas Board of Regents.
As a result Kansas scientists have become more competitive in acquiring federal funding, especially in areas critical to the state’s long-term science and technology priorities. In fact, for every dollar we pump into research, Kansas receives more than double that in non-EPSCoR research funding.
NSF EPSCoR funds also provide for major investments in people, thus significantly enhancing the creation of a well-educated, diverse workforce for the state of Kansas. This useful primer explains more about NSF EPSCoR.
Kansas projects supported by NSF EPSCoR include:
Kansas NSF EPSCoR Projects
RII Track-1:
2022 – 2027 (NSF Award No. OIA-2148878, Current Project) PI: Belinda Sturm
Adaptive and Resilient Infrastructures driven by Social Equity (ARISE); project overview
2017 – 2022 (NSF Award No. OIA-1656006, Current Project) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas (MAPS)
Project Proposal, Strategic Plan and Internal Award Application Forms
2009 – 2017 (NSF Award No. EPS-0903806) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Phase VI: Climate Change and Energy: Basic Science, Impacts, and Mitigation Science
Project Proposal, Strategic Plan, Awards and Highlights
2006 – 2009 (NSF Award No. EPS-0553722) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Phase V: Building Research Infrastructure to Address Grand Challenge Problems in Ecological Forecasting and Biomaterials Design
2003 – 2006 (NSF Award No. 0236913) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Phase IV: Improvement of the Academic Research Infrastructure
1999 – 2004 (NSF Award No.9874732) PI: Thomas Taylor
Phase III: Improvement of the Academic Research Infrastructure
1995 – 1999 (NSF Award No. 9550487) PI: Theodore Kuwana
Kansas EPSCoR Improvement Program
1992 -1996 (NSF Award No. 9255223) PI: Theodore Kuwana
K*STAR Grant for Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research in Kansas
RII Track-2 and RII Track-2 FEC
2022-2026 (NSF Award No. 2119753) PI: Vaishali Sharda
BioWRAP: Bioplastics With Regenerative Agricultural Properties
2021 – 2025 (NSF Award No. 2119754) PI: Bala Subramaniam
Advanced Manufacturing of Renewable and Recyclable Polymers
2020-2024 (NSF Award No. 2019603) PI: Amy Burgin
Aquatic Intermittency Effects on Microbiomes in Streams (AIMS)
2019 – 2023 (NSF Award No. 1920946) PI: A. Townsend Peterson
Marshalling Diverse Big Data Streams to Understand Risk of Tick-Borne Diseases in the Great Plains
2018 – 2022 (NSF Award No. 1826820) PI: Stephen Welch
Building Field-Based Ecophysiological Genome-to-Phenome Prediction
2016 – 2020 (NSF Award No. 1632892) PI: Edward Peltier
Improving Water Management, Treatment and Recovery in Oil and Gas Production
2015 – 2019 (NSF Award No. 1539105) PI: Bala Subramaniam
Catalysis for Renewables: Applications, Fundamentals and Technologies (CRAFT)
2014 – 2017 (NSF Award No. IIA-1430493) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Collaborative Research: Imaging and Controlling Ultrafast Dynamics of Atoms, Molecules, and Nanostructures
2009 – 2012 (NSF Award No. EPS-0553722) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Collaborative Research: EPSCoR RII Track 2 Oklahoma and Kansas: A cyberCommons for Ecological Forecasting
RII Cyber Connectivity (C2)
2010 – 2012 (NSF Award No. EPS-1006860) PI: Kristin Bowman-James
Prairie Light: Next Generation Networking for Mid-continent Science
RII Track-4
2021-2023 (NSF Award No. 2033210) PI: Kapildeb Ambal, WSU
Metrology and spectroscopy of individual nanomagnets? dynamics using quantum sensor-based (NV- center) nano-magnetometry
2019-2020 (NSF Award No. 1929187) PI: Gisuk Hwang
Tailored Flow Boiling Mechanisms Using 3D Printed Multifuncitonal Wick Structures
2019-2020 (NSF Award No. 1929147) PI: Hongyu Wu
Robust Matrix Completion State Estimation in Low-Observability Distribution Systems under False Data Injection Attacks
2018 -2019 (NSF Award No. 1833025) PI: Abigail Langston
Using Novel Applications of Luminescence Techniques to Evaluate Channel Mobility and Bedrock Valley Development
2018-2019 (NSF Award No. 1833087) PI: James Blakemore
Pulse Radiolysis Studies of H2 Generation by [Cp*Rh] Complexes to Characterize Design Rules for Improved Catalysts
2018-2019 (NSF Award No. 1833048) PI: Xianglin Li
Pore-Scale Transport Phenomena in Li-O2 Battery Electrodes Characterized by Nano-Tomography
2017-2018 (NSF Award No. 1738708) PI: Katie Mitchell-Koch
Electronic Structure Calculations to Characterize Mechanisms of Regioselective Additions to Olefins and to Advance P-31 NMR as a Reporter of Catalytic Intermediates
2017-2018 (NSF Award No. 1738757) PI: Jocelyn McDonald
Dynamic Live Imaging and Manipulation of Migrating Collectives Inside Tissues
Past Project Newsletters and Publications
Archived Blog Articles
9/6/2017 KS EPSCoR sponsors KU Natural History Museum’s present to KU TRIO Talent MS students
8/30/2017 KS Elementary Teachers Learn About the Nature of Matter
8/24/2017 KS NSF EPSCoR extends AMO Outreach to MS Students attending ESU’s Scholars Program
8/2/2017 KS NSF EPSCoR Phase VI: Nanotechnology for Renewable Energy Faculty Receive NSF Award
7/17/2017 The EPSCoR Partnership receives NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 Award
5/31/2017 Kansas EPSCoR Researchers and Teachers work together to on AMO Physics Curricular Connections
5/12/2017 Kansas State EPSCoR physicist uses X-ray lasers to create molecular black hole
5/3/2017 Kansas EPSCoR 2017 “Modeling the Unseen in the Physical Sciences” teachers present at KATS Camp
4/19/2017 Kansas NSF EPSCoR Director’s discovery featured in the DOE Office of Science Highlights
4/4/2017 KS High School Women attend the 2017 Women In Science Conference at the University of Nebraska
2/20/2017 Kansas State University hosts 2017 Kansas and Nebraska EPSCoR Collaborative Research Symposium
2/15/2017 2017 Kansas NSF EPSCoR Physics Teacher Workshop at Kansas State APPLY NOW
2/8/2017 KS EPSCoR Track 2 Researcher and KU Physicist, Dr. Hui Zhao, discovers a new bilayer material
12/5/2016 Faculty Collaboration with KU brings SERS Instrument to MidAmerica Nazarene University
11/21/2016 REU in AMO Physics at Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. APPLY NOW!
11/16/2016 KS EPSCoR TW Collaboration results in KS HS Acquiring Access to Cosmic Ray Detector
11/7/2016 Kansas EPSCoR AMO Physics Researcher Delivers Words of Encouragement to Hispanic STEM Students
11/1/2016 KU EPSCoR Track-2 REU Student Investigates Behaviors of Heterogeneous Catalytic Materials
10/26/2016 2016-2017 Community College Innovative Challenge Announced
10/20/2016 Funding opportunity: NSF EPSCoR RII Track 4 “EPSCoR Research Fellows”
10/13/2016 Kansas EPSCoR Researcher featured in KSU News Release
10/11/2016 The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative Issue a Challenge
10/4/2016 KSU Distinguished Professor of Physics Creates works with FHSU Professor and Students
9/29/2016 Nebraska NSF EPSCoR Hosts the 2016 Kansas and Nebraska Track 2 Review
9/20/2016 University of Kansas and West Virginia University collaborate on Water Restoration Project
9/19/2016 Acclaimed Hydrologist to Speak Oct. 3 at Kansas State University about Global Water Supply
9/19/2016 Wichita State University Assistant Professor Awarded an NSF/ACI grant
8/17/2016 Update from the National Science Foundation’s SBIR/STTR Program: Fall 2016
7/1/2016 Nebraska student travels to Kansas State University to conduct summer research in AMO Physics
4/26/2016 KS Physics and Physical Science Teachers “Model the Unseen” with KS NSF EPSCoR AMO Researchers
2/9/2016 2015 KS NSF EPSCoR Teacher Workshop Participants Present at the 2016 KATS Conference
2/2/2016 Manhattan High School Student Explores Growing Nanowires
1/15/2016 Emporia State Partners with AVID Climate Initiative to Explore Aerosols
1/6/2016 Kansas EPSCoR Climate and Energy Exhibit travels to the Courtland Art Center
12/8/2015 2015-2016 Kansas EPSCoR First Awards Announced
12/2/2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity in AMO Physics
11/13/2015 EPSCoR Interjurisdictional Collaborative Funding Opportunity: FY 2016 RII Track-2 FEC
11/6/2015 Students Explore Fiber Optics at ESU Si Se Puede Hacer Ciencias y Matimaticas Program
10/22/2015 EPSCoR EOD Grant Provides KS Teachers with “STEM Education Through Sustainable Energy”
10/12/2015 NSF Track 2 Grant supports collaborative outreach to small college faculty
10/8/2015 KS and NE present Ultrafast Dynamics of Atoms, Molecules and Nanostructures Symposium
10/2/2015 KU Geography PhD Candidate and HERS Alum featured in Spring 2015 Edition of “Winds of Change”
9/14/2015 Teachers Explore Improving Climate Education at Fort Hays State University
9/10/2015 ESU collaborates with Flint Hills Technical School to “Energize” Students in rural region of Kansas
9/2/2015 NSF Awards a Kansas And South Carolina Research Collaboration Four Million Dollars
8/26/2015 “Fun in the Sun” with KU and Project CREATE
8/26/2015 KS NSF EPSCoR Phase VI funding opportunity – First Awards for Tenure Track Faculty
8/24/2015 New series of videos address growing water issues in Kansas
8/18/2015 FHSU student explores Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics at Kansas State University
6/22/2015 REU student explores the Chemistry associated with Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics at KU
6/15/2015 KS Physics Teachers Convene at KSU to study Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
6/12/2015 KS EPSCoR AMO Researcher encourages STEM interests through the EXCITE Summer Program
6/5/2015 HERS Student receives the NAPIRE Award
4/1/2015 NSF EPSCoR Track 2 Researchers Host Impressive Research Review
3/18/2015 CALL FOR WHITE PAPERS – Major Initiatives Research Infrastructure Improvement Track‐1
3/12/2015 Technology Tuesday at the Bioscience & Technology Business Center
2/19/2015 Science: Becoming the Messenger – Workshop at K-State
2/12/2015 KNE to Sponsor Summer Research Experience for Undergraduate Students in Physics
12/23/2014 Webinar: SEES: Interactions of Food Systems with Water and Energy Systems
12/9/2014 KS NSF EPSCoR presents First Award Grants for Climate and Energy Research and AMO Sciences
12/8/2014 Faculty Receive EOD Grants Building on Kansas NSF EPSCoR Climate and Energy Research or AMO
11/19/2014 Research yields material made of single-atom layers that snap together like Legos
11/19/2014 KU, K-State field stations key sites in 30-year NSF project
11/14/2014 Soliciting Proposals: RII Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations
11/7/2014 KU to host Big 12 universities water workshop
10/27/2014 Konza Prairie research program receives $6.76 million NSF grant renewal
10/21/2014 Climate and Energy Museum Exhibit Travels
10/16/2014 Kansas Researchers Talk About Water and What It Means for the State
10/7/2014 Upcoming Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas to be held in Manhattan
10/6/2014 Going Green: KU students grow algae for biofuel, cleaner water
10/3/2014 KNE Welcomes New Education, Outreach and Diversity Coordinator
9/22/2014 Request for Proposals: Kansas NSF EPSCoR Education & Diversity Grants
8/25/2014 NSF announces the Community College Innovation Challenge
8/13/2014 Request for Proposals: Kansas NSF EPSCoR First Awards
8/8/2014 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) application period is now open!
8/6/2014 Ultrafast laser technology research in Kansas, Nebraska receives NSF EPSCoR Track 2 grant
6/2/2014 Calling all Scientists and Engineers… Announcing The Vizzies!
5/9/2014 Early-Career Faculty Receive First Awards Building on Climate and Energy Research
5/6/2014 Climate and Energy: Education Outreach Activities Summer 2014
4/30/2014 Student’s Research SOARS to New Level
4/30/2014 Kansas Geographer Receives Fellowship to Co-author Book
2/19/2014 NSF CAREER Award Follows on KNE Funding
2/14/2014 New DOE EPSCoR Funding Opportunity for Kansas
12/19/2013 KNE First Awardee Finds Success
12/3/2013 Funding Opportunity for 2014 First Awards Announced
11/20/2013 CCM Faculty Present Seminars in Vietnam
11/14/2013 Climate Change Discussed at Community Events
10/14/2013 Students Represent Kansas EPSCoR at National Conference
9/11/2013 Kansas NSF EPSCoR Annual Meeting a Success
9/10/2013 New Faculty Receive KNE First Awards for Climate and Energy Research
9/6/2013 1 Kansas Farmer
9/6/2013 Hybrid Materials on Nanostructured Templates to Improve Lithium-ion Batteries
9/6/2013 Energy-Related Education Programs Benefit Kids and Scientists Alike
9/6/2013 Adaption Strategies for Grain Sorghum for a Varying Climate