About Sponsored Programs
The Sponsored Programs division of the Board of Regents administers State and federal programs that provide funds and other resources to Louisiana’s post-secondary education community and interacts extensively with institutions and governmental agencies on issues related to post-secondary research and educational enhancement. The principal activity of Sponsored Programs is centered around the Board of Regents Support Fund (BoRSF) and its major related initiative, the Louisiana Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (LA EPSCoR).
February 2013 Profile
The Board of Regents Office of Sponsored Programs announced the Pilot Funding for New Research (Pfund) award recipients for 2013. The Pfund program is administered through the Office of Sponsored Programs but operates under the auspices of the Louisiana Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Forty-one proposals were chosen for funding, which will last through the year.
A group of over 200 expert reviewers from outside the state selected the recipients after an extensive proposal review process. Each recipient received up to $10,000 to use towards sharpening his/her research focus and developing cutting-edge techniques. Funds are provided to support students, travel and the purchase of scientific equipment and supplies.
“The ultimate goal of the Pfund program is to enable faculty to become more competitive for federal research funding,” said Dr. Michael Khonsari, Associate Commissioner for Sponsored Programs Research and Development.
Since the program’s first competition in 2004, 344 projects have been funded. Both tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible for Pfund awards, which stimulate and support science and engineering faculty in their exploration of novel research.