The goal of NASA’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is to develop academic research enterprises that are long term, self-sustaining and nationally competitive for non- EPSCoR dollars. This program targets states with modest research infrastructure and provides funding to develop a more competitive research base within higher education research institutions. The Nevada NASA EPSCoR program encompasses all Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institutions: College of Southern Nevada; Desert Research Institute; Great Basin College; Nevada State College; Truckee Meadows Community College; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Nevada, Reno; and Western Nevada College.
The Nevada NASA EPSCoR office seeks to award funding for the purpose of building scientific expertise, building research infrastructure and strengthening collaborations between NSHE personnel, Industry, and NASA centers. The programmatic aim is to further engage and utilize Nevada’s unique resources and talent for enhancing greater scientific discovery, developing new technologies, and educating students to fulfill the nation’s need for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as they pertain to NASA’s research and exploration enterprises. The request for funds may be based on potential outcomes from prior workshops/meetings with NASA Personnel, team members must be from two or more NSHE institutions, and must produce at least one proposal that targets explicit NASA solicitations or missions. The seed awards will be for activities that accomplish one or more of the following: