Delaware-NSF EPSCoR RII Track 1 2021 Competition Guidelines

There are a number of important guidelines to be considered when applying for an EPSCoR RII Track-1 program:

A group of networked higher education institutions in the State of Delaware must be directly involved.

The areas of focus proposed must be in alignment with the State’s Science and Technology interests and plan. There are seven sectors with six areas specifically related to NSF priorities marked by an double asterisk:

The subject matter of the new grant must:

Two Key Items to Note:

The Track 1 is not designed for individual, single institution, or small group faculty research proposals. ‪A proposal that fails to demonstrate broader participation of diverse individuals, institutions and organizations in the project’s science and engineering research, education and workforce development initiatives will not be considered. 

The selected team will work with the Delaware EPSCoR State Office to develop and submit the final proposal to NSF. If the proposal is selected for funding, the Delaware EPSCoR State Office will manage the project and oversee the Education, Outreach and Diversity activities of the project. 

Pre-proposal Format – 10-15 Pages Maximum Minimum Font – 11point

The research and education program is the central piece of the RII Track-1 proposal. The intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed activities provide the rationale for the requested infrastructure investments that, in turn, enhance the overall research capacity and competitiveness of the jurisdiction.

Project Description:

Status and Overview (1 page maximum) – Describe the current status of the jurisdiction’s academic R&D enterprise and provide a convincing rationale for the project’s scientific vision and relevance to the state’s needs. It should also be indicated how the overall strategy, proposed implementation mechanisms and infrastructure support will improve academic research competitiveness and enhance economic development.

Research Program – (5 pages maximum) – Description of the scientific hypotheses, goals, and research and training methods (laboratory, field, theoretical, computational, or other) such that experts in the field of proposed research or closely related fields may accurately judge the intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed research. Any proposed activities to develop, improve, and deploy cyberinfrastructure must be integrated with, and be appropriate to the pursuit of the goals of the RII Track-1 project. Innovative use of cyberinfrastructure and technologies to broadly engage institutions, organizations, and sectors across the jurisdiction are encouraged.

Identify the senior leadership and estimate the numbers of postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate research participants. 

Education and Workforce Development Plan (2 pages maximum).Describe briefly planned STEM workforce development activities that are integrated with the research and education program 

Seed Funding and Emerging Areas(1 page maximum) – Describe briefly the mechanisms that will be employed to catalyze research in emerging areas. 

Diversity and Inclusion Plan(1 page maximum) – Describe strategies for increasing diversity. The narrative must describe how the full diversity of the jurisdiction’s resources will be engaged in the STEM enterprise.

Partnerships and Collaborations(1 page maximum) – Describe any planned activities that demonstrate how the project will enhance partnerships and collaborations to increase research competitiveness, build and strengthen the STEM pipeline, provide opportunities for commercialization of research and education products, or pave the way for economic development.

Communication and Dissemination Plan (1 page maximum)– Describe briefly how the project activities will promote sharing of data and findings, and ways to broadly disseminate results. The proposal should clearly describe plans for two-way communication with stakeholders and broad dissemination of the project’s results and impacts.

Sustainability Plan (1 pages maximum) – Describe briefly plans for long-term sustainability of the proposed activities and the education and human resources development goals for sustainability.

Post RII Track-1 extramural funding (1/2 page)– Describe briefly a vision and specific plans for sustaining the research and education activities beyond the duration of RII Track-1 support. 

Project Management Plan (1/2 page).Describe the ability and experiences of the team in managing large interdisciplinary programs/projects. 

Evaluation and Assessment Plan (1 page maximum)– Briefly describe plans for evaluation and assessment of the RII Track-1 project goals, objectives and milestones.