Conference: Enhancing Capacity for Research and Partnerships at Emerging Research Institutions

This project will support the EPIIC program by providing support for the capacity building workshops, providing consultants and mentors for EPIIC applicants, and by developing a "replication toolkit" to help replicate and adapt this process. The project represents a unique opportunity for researchers and administrators at Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) to join with one another and with experts in broader impacts and research development to identify areas of need and opportunities for collaboration as well as develop and submit collaborative research proposals with the goals of strengthening research at ERIs and more competitive grant applications from ERIs. This project serves the public interest and NSF’s mission to serve the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; or to secure the national defense by broadening participation in the NSF funding landscape in several ways: 1) providing support for 100 ERIs to identify partner institutions and resources that complement their strengths and 2) creating a Replication Toolkit to help others replicate and adapt innovative funding processes. This work will ultimately lead to more equitable distribution of research funds, allowing talented researchers at all institutions to have more access and ability to contribute meaningfully to the national research enterprise. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.