WHAT IS LOUISIANA EPSCoR?
As early as FY 1988-89, the Board was co-sponsoring research projects with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supporting the development of Louisiana’s scientific research and educational infrastructure under NSF’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The Board’s involvement in EPSCoR has grown over the years to include programs with NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
EPSCoR is designed to build and expand the science and engineering research, education, and technology capabilities in states that have historically received lesser amounts of federal research and development (R&D) funding. EPSCoR’s goal is to establish and strengthen collaborations among the State’s R&D constituents in order to:
- Become more competitive in gaining national research and development support;
- Increase science and technology transfer activities with business and industry; and
- Educate larger numbers of science and engineering undergraduate and graduate students, especially minorities.
To help accomplish these goals, Louisiana EPSCoR strives to:
- Identify research strengths within the State;
- Foster research competitiveness among faculty;
- Leverage State government R&D investments; and
- Change the State’s research culture through promotion of multi-institutional collaborations.