RII-FEC Internal Guidance

RII-FEC program (formerly known as “EPSCoR Track-2 program”)

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused

Synopsis

WVU may only submit one proposal to the RII-FEC competition as lead, however, WVU may serve as a non-lead in a collaborative submission or as sub-awardee on any number of additional proposals.

As you consider this program, you may want to have your non-WVU partners apply to lead at their home institution as well to increase your odds of selection for submission. This is an EPSCoR program which requires that a WVU team partner with another team from least one other EPSCoR jurisdiction.

EPSCoR Eligibility

PIs and Co-PIs must have experience in the disciplinary expertise in the area of proposed focus. It is encouraged that at least one collaborative partner be an institution from one of the following categories: an institutions of higher education less than $50,000,000 in Federal research expenditures; a minority-serving institution (HBCU, Tribal College, HSI or as defined by the DoEd; primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), including two-year colleges, that award associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and/or master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years; institutions dedicated to serving students with disabilities; and/or women's colleges.

The theme this year: use-inspired research questions in any STEM area that NSF supports. By “use-inspired” the NSF is looking for research that has applications and offers solutions to known challenging problems.

Budget

If organizations from two eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions collaborate on a proposal, the award amount may not exceed $4 million for up to four years. If organizations from three or more eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions collaborate on a proposal, the award amount may not exceed $6 million for up to four years. 

Internal Proposal Instructions

Email WVU_Internal@mail.wvu.edu with subject line “EPSCoR Collaborations” by the internal deadline. Please include the following in a cover page:

• List of  WVU PI and Co-PI(s) and faculty level Senior Personnel with Departmental 
• The co-PI(s) from your EPSCoR partnering institution(s) 
• If you have an emerging/MSI/women's college etc. institution as a partner, identify the institution and the point of contact

Project Description

Jargon free  |  No more than 3 pages

• What is your topical area?
• Explain how it is use-inspired.
• Describe your proposed research effort.
• What is its intellectual merit?
• How is your proposed effort different/unique?
• Provide the rationale for the specific selection of your team (complementary expertise and resources) and how this combined grouping allows you to tackle the problem more effectively than you would alone.
• Indicate if and how the team has collaborated previous to this submission.
• What are your plans for the  recruitment and/or development of early-career faculty as well as groups at all levels of this project who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields, including postdoctoral researchers, undergraduates, graduate students, and K-12 students?
• RII-FEC investments are expected to result in sustained improvements in research competitiveness?
• Explain how this will happen if your project is funded.
• How do you propose to provide the social and economic expertise to understand and assess the societal implications of the focus area?

Budget Outline

How much to each institution  |  Modify as necessary

Funded Personnel distribution for WVU

Example: If a student will be funded 50% put them in as 0.5
Modify table as necessary