James P. Wicksted, Associate Director

Oklahoma EPSCoR

Presented at the Grant Writing Institute

The Oklahoma History Center

August 5, 2007

Oklahoma Higher Education Grantsmanship: Oklahoma Higher Education Grantsmanship: EPSCoR’s InvolvementEPSCoR’s Involvement

Brief Outline

Brief History and Overview

2007 Research Infrastructure Improvement Competition

EPSCoR Opportunities for Researchers

WHAT IS EPSCoR?

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research”

EPSCoR is a merit based science and technology (S&T) initiative to improve the

research capacity capability and competitiveness in states that historically

have not received significant federal research and development (R&D) funding.

EPSCoR Mission

To assist NSF in its statutory function to strengthen research and education in science and engineering throughout the United States and to avoid undue concentration of such research and education.

ArkansasMaine

MontanaNorth Dakota

South CarolinaSouth DakotaWest Virginia

1980 AlabamaKentuckyNevada

North DakotaOklahoma

Puerto RicoSouth Dakota

VermontWyoming

1985 HawaiiNew Mexico

2001

U.S. Virgin Islands

2002

DelawareRhode Island

New Hampshire

2003

1992Kansas

Nebraska

Alaska2000

1987Idaho

LouisianaMississippi

South Dakota

NSF EPSCoR State ParticipationBy Year of Program Entrance

DISTRIBUTION OF NSF RESEARCH DISTRIBUTION OF NSF RESEARCH FUNDING AMONG 53 U.S. FUNDING AMONG 53 U.S.

JURISDICTIONS (FY 2002-04)JURISDICTIONS (FY 2002-04)

0.00 – 0.75%

0.76 – 1.50%

1.51 – 2.25%

2.26 – 3.00%

3.01 – 3.75%

3.76 – 4.50%

4.51 – 16.0%

27 6 6 5 2 1 6

9% 32% 59%

How EPSCoR Works

Federal Agencies Request Research Proposals from EPSCoR States

Universities Collaborate to Submit Proposal(s)

Developed Proposals Submitted to Oklahoma EPSCoR Committee

Selected Proposals are Submitted to the Federal Agency

Federal Agencies Identify Areas of Research Needs

Federal Agency Selects Proposals from EPSCoR States for Funding

State EPSCoR Committee Solicits State Proposals

Federal Agencies with EPSCoR Programs

Active Oklahoma EPSCoR Awards

$62.3 million - NIH IDeA COBRE FY00, FY02, FY03, FY04, FY05 Centers of Biomedical Research

Excellence (COBRE)

$17.95 million - NIH IDeA INBRE FY04

IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)

$9 million - NSF EPSCoR FY05

Research Infrastructure Improvement Award

$5.9 million – DEPSCoR FY03, FY04, FY05

$5.5 million - NASA EPSCoR FY01

$3.4 million – DOE EPSCoR FY04

$0

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$60

$80

$100

$120

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National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationResearch Infrastructure Improvement Grants:

Supports infrastructure improvements in S&T areas selected by the state’s EPSCoR governing committee as being critical to its future R&D competitiveness.

Current Research Themes: (i) Nanotechnology (ii) Plant Virus Biodiversity and Ecology

Current Project: $9 million for 36 months – Frank Waxman, PI - 2005-2008

Co-Funding Initiative:

Joint support of proposals submitted to the Foundation’s ongoing grant programs and special competitions (EPSCoR funds half of first $300 K and then 20% of funds above this amount)

Outreach Initiative: Financial support for outreach visits of NSF staff to acquaint EPSCoR

researchers with NSF priorities, programs and policies and

to more fully acquaint NSF staff with the R&D

resources residing within EPSCoR states.

Dr. Matthew KaneProgram Director

Division of Molecular Cellular BiosciencesNational Science Foundation

Plant Virus Biodiversity and Ecology (PVBE)

Thorough understanding of virus biodiversity in an ecological context

Profound advances in understanding ecology of both viruses and higher organisms

NanotechnologyThe Oklahoma goal is to be internationally competitive in selected areas of

nanotechnology.

• Carbon nanotubes

• Fuel cell materials

• Optoelectronic devices

Improve infrastructure for nanoscale materials research at four campuses.

• Shared instrumentation

• Staff to implement instrumentation and instruct users

Spawn a NSEC, MRSEC (like C-SPIN), ERC or other federally supported research center via the Interdisciplinary Research Groups of the RII grant

EHR Outreach InitiativesEntrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial Workshops Industry Internships Business Plan Competitions i2E Commercialization Vouchers

 

Public Outreach Research Day at the State Capitol Partnerships Science Museums Sci Tech Student Reporting Awards

 

K-12 Student Development Integrating GPS & GIS into K-12 Classroom OSU Upward Bound Math & Science Center K-12 Field Trips to Science Museums

Postsecondary Outreach Comanche Nation Math Tutor Supplemental Instruction Program

at Langston University GRE Preparation at Langston University Research Experiences for Undergraduates Oklahoma Research Day for Regional Universities Women in Science Conference NSF SURE-STEP at University of Central Oklahoma Travel for Students to Professional Meetings

Faculty Development Research Opportunity Awards - ROAs Annual State Conference Tallgrass Prairie Retreat NSF Grants Workshop Grant Writing Institute OU Supercomputing Symposium Coordinator for Grant Writing & External

Funding Technical Assistance

New Projects Virtual Tours of OU Research Labs CASMEO Summit Meeting CASMEO Checkpoints Project Stillwater Children’s Museum – “Museum

Without Walls”

 

Department of Defense (DoD)DEPSCoR

The DoD EPSCoR program (DEPSCoR) is administered through three DoD research agencies:

Army Research Office (ARO)

Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)

DEPSCoR is intended to take advantage of the state-based EPSCoR infrastructure improvement programs already in place. The program supports research to assist EPSCoR states to become more competitive for regular DoD research and training grants. Each state is permitted to submit a single package of up to 5 three-year proposals.

Active Oklahoma DEPSCoR Awards$5.9 Million

2006

Phased Array Weather Radar System (OU)

Manybody Applications to Quantum Confined Systems (OU)

Quantum Dot Nanocrystals (TU)

2005

Secure Framework for Sensor Networks (OSU)

Ultracold Collisions Studied Using Translational Energy Distributions (OU)

Security Certification Models (TU)

Life Prediction of High Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites of Aircraft Engine and Airframe Application (OSU)

2004

Integrated Target Detection, Tracking, Classification, and Learning for Dual-Band Infrared Imagery (OU)

Novel Tunable Lead Salt Mid-Infrared Diode Lasers for Chemical Sensing (OU)

National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)

The NASA EPSCoR research projects are closely related to one of NASA's four strategic enterprises: Aeronautics, Human Exploration and Development of Space, Earth System Science, and Space Science. The project clusters collaborate frequently with NASA's field installations and program offices.

NASA awards up to $700K per state annually. The awards have a matching funds requirement and are guaranteed for three years, with the possibility of a two year renewal and Oklahoma’s grant was recently renewed.

Oklahoma 2001 NASA EPSCoR Award

NASA Funding: $2.5 Million OSRHE Match: $1.4 Million

1. Core funding for Research InfrastructureTravel Grant AwardsTen awards averaging $1,500 for faculty and students to visit a NASA Center for up to three days.Research Initiation GrantsFive awards averaging $21,000 to help develop research ideas and initiate projects with researchers at NASA Centers of Excellence.Student Fellowship AwardsThree awards of $7,333 to students who will work at least 20 hours per week in support of proposed research activities.

2. Second Generation Photocatalytic Oxidation Processes for the NASA Advanced Water Recovery

3. Development of Technology Addressing Power Generation and Storage Challenges Faced by NASA

Implementation Grants – provide six-year maximum funding of up to $750,000 per year to support a comprehensive statewide plan to build research capacity in targeted areas and to enhance the state’s human resource infrastructure. A minimum two-to one match is required on the part of the states.

State-Laboratory Partnership Grants – awarded for one to three years up to $150,000 per year for collaboration by the state faculty with scientists from DoE national laboratories where unique capabilities are present. Minimum 10% match required by state.

DOE EPSCoRDOE EPSCoR

Oklahoma Center for High Energy Physics (OCHEP) was established in 2004 after receiving a DOE EPSCoR Implementation Grant PI: Dr. Satya Nandi – Oklahoma State Univ. (OSU) Co PI: Dr. Mike Strauss – Oklahoma Univ. (OU) Co-PI: Dr. Joel Snow – Langston Univ. (LU)

Two major objectives of the initial DOE EPSCoR grant were: To initiate an experimental High Energy Physics (HEP)

program at OSU To establish a Grid Computing Facility at OU

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National Institutes of Health (NIH)IDeA Program

The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, established in FY 1993, is administered by NIH’s National Center for Research Resources. The program is similar in general intent to the National Science Foundation's EPSCoR program. IDeA was designed to broaden the geographic distribution of NIH funding for health research.

The IDeA program funded Biomedical Research Infrastructure Networks (BRIN) in IDeA eligible states to further enhance the research capacity of institutions through collaborative partnerships to allow them to more fully participate in the competition

for NIH awards. In 2004, the program was renamed IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE).

COBRE Awards (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence) IDeA eligible states are invited to apply for this award to augment and strengthen the institutional biomedical research capabilities by providing support to expand and develop biomedical faculty research capability through support of a multi-disciplinary center.

Oklahoma NIH COBRE Awards - 64 Million

(FY03) Biofilm Formation and Metabolism on Dental Surfaces - The Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to study microbial biofilm formation on natural and artificial dental surfaces.

(FY02) Mentoring Vision Research in Oklahoma – The Center supports research to enhance knowledge and its translation to the treatment and prevention of debilitating and blinding eye diseases.

(FY00 & 05) Center for Functional Genomics / Proteomics for Bacterial/Host Interactions – This Center is devoted to examining how infectious microorganisms cause disease and how the human host responds to infection.

(FY04) Molecular Mechanisms and Genetics of Autoimmunity - This research will provide a much deeper level of understanding to human autoimmune diseases and will foster the independent career development of a strong group of Junior Investigators.

(FY03) Post-Translational Modifications in Host Defense - This Center interfaces glycobiology with existing and emerging expertise in cardiovascular biology, bioengineering, and immunology.

(FY00 & 05) Mentoring Immunology in Oklahoma: A Biomedical Program – This program provides mentoring to junior faculty, starter grants and joint research projects in the discipline of Immunology.

Major Research Projects (10)

Cancer, Neuroscience & Micro & Immunology

Cores and Facilities

Bioinformatics Core (OUHSC)Microarray Facility (OMRF)MRI Facility (OMRF)OU Norman Bioinformatics/Microarray Satellite FacilityOSU Bioinformatics/Microarray Satellite FacilityTU Bioinformatics/Microarray Satellite Facility

Undergraduate Institution Activities

Research ProjectsStatewide Undergraduate Research DayResearch WhipMulti-campus Bioinformatics Education SpecialistUndergraduate Summer Research ProgramCollaborative Research GrantsFaculty Mini GrantsEquipment and Faculty Recruitment FundResearch Opportunity AwardsOutreach Core

Bioinformatics Faculty Position (OCCC)Science Faculty Position (Comanche Nation College)Summer Research Internships

Oklahoma IDeA Network of

Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)$17.9 Million – Frank Waxman, PI - 2004-2009

The University of Tulsa

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Oklahoma State University

University of Oklahoma

Northeastern State University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Langston University

University of Central Oklahoma

Cameron UniversitySoutheastern Oklahoma State University

INBRE Participating Institutions

Comanche Nation College

Oklahoma City Community College

Redlands Community College

Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)

NSF EPSCoR RII Grant Program

The purpose of an RII grant is to provide support for lasting improvements in a jurisdiction's academic research infrastructure and increased national competitiveness.

EPSCoR support is intended to add specific value to the jurisdiction's academic infrastructure not generally available through other funding sources.

Keys to Success

Successful infrastructure improvement plans are likely to be those that enhance academic R&D competitiveness among a jurisdiction's universities, including pragmatic plans for the generation of sustained non-EPSCoR support.

With EPSCoR support, it is expected that the improvement strategies will enable targeted research areas to become nationally competitive.

Oklahoma Selection Criteria

Applicants should make a case that their project will build infrastructure that creates strategic fidelity and adds value at the institutional, jurisdictional and regional levels in research, education and innovation. A multi-disciplinary, multi-campus project that includes compelling outreach components along with a sustainability plan will be favored.

Budget Considerations

NSF budget: $3-5 million per year

Period of support: 36-60 months

State Regents match: NA

Partition of funds will be approximately one-third for outreach and management activities and two-thirds for science theme(s)

Plan for 2007 Competition Project Director regional meetings with scientific community

(January 2007 - OU, OUHSC, TU, OSU)

Plenary meeting: 5 minute presentations (40) – March 23

Project teams submit white papers (18) – April 11

Oral presentations to OK EPSCoR Comm. – April 25

One project selected by OK EPSCoR Comm. – April 27

NSF Releases RFA – Summer 2007

Oklahoma proposal submitted – October, 2007

BUILDING OKLAHOMA’S LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CELLULOSIC BIOENERGY

Objective 1. Discover molecular mechanisms and tools for biomass development

Utilizing molecular-genetic, genomic and transgenic approaches to improve biomass accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance, and decrease lignin content in switchgrass

1.2. Functional genomic and molecular mapping approaches to identify expressed unigenes, major genes or QTLs for improved biomass production and reduced cell wall in switchgrass

Objective 2. Effective conversion of biomass to liquid fuels Microbial conversion Catalytic/chemical conversion

EPSCoR Opportunities for Researchers

Single Investigator Proposals/New Projects

Research Opportunity Awards

Proposal workshops

I2e-commercialization vouchers

Long-Term Impact – Case StudiesBruce Roe at OU purchased his first DNA sequencer with EPSCoR funds and

went on to sequence human chromosome 22 and microbial and plant genomes.

Kelvin Droegemeier at OU received early EPSCoR support and is now the lead Oklahoma investigator on a recently funded NSF ERC, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts, focused on the development of weather radar technology. Droegemeier is also a member of the National Science Board.

Michael Gilmore at HSC received his first external funding from NSF EPSCoR in 1986 for a project to study a membrane protein expressed by a soil bacterium. This launched a highly successful career in which Gilmore has competed for >$8 million in external funding for studies on antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Stephen McKeever at OSU also received his first EPSCoR funding in 1986. Through this funding, he established a luminescence dosimetry system leading to the development of a new model for charge photoelectric effects in quartz, which McKeever later applied to aluminum oxide. This in turn led to >$1.2 million in funding from Landauer Inc. and commercialization of a radiation dosimeter that has generated nearly $1 million in royalty income for the University.

Impact on State R&DOklahoma entered the NSF EPSCoR Program in 1985. The EPSCoR

vision of was to create Federal-State partnerships. Although EPSCoR certainly cannot claim sole credit for prompting Oklahoma to develop programs to exploit scientific discoveries, the increased awareness of S&T as a result of EPSCoR contributed to several State initiatives to enhance high tech economic development.

In 1987, the State-funded Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST) was created. OCAST supports basic and applied research, small business assistance programs, business internships, and inventors assistance programs. In 2006, State funding was increased by $10 million bringing the annual appropriation to $23 million and permitting the formation of a Seed Capital Fund, the Oklahoma Plant Sciences Research Program, and the Oklahoma Nanotechnology Applications Project ($2 million).

In 1997, the State-funded Turning Innovation into Enterprise (i2E) was created. i2E provides direct support for technology commercialization.

Research Opportunity Awards (ROAs)GOAL 1: Provide funds ($10 K) and opportunities for faculty at Regional

Colleges to conduct Research at Oklahoma’s Comprehensive Universities (OSU, OU, TU)

GOAL 2: Encourage collaboration

Mauricio A. Sanchez of UCO worked with Dr. Feng C. Lai at OU on a project titled “Discrete Ordinate Simulation of the Propagation of Incident Flux In Aoritc Tissue”.

Dr. Xiaomin Ma of ORU worked with Dr. Hazem H. Refai at OU on a project titled "Summer Research on Vehicular Ad Hoc Wireless Communication System”.

Dr. Evan Lemley of UCO worked with Dr. Dimitrios V. Papavassiliou at OU on a project titled “Microfluidic Pressure Losses in T and Y Junctions”.

Dr. Mohamed Bingabr of UCO worked with Dr. Robert Rennaker at OU on a project titled “Auditory Nervous System Coding of Sound”.

Faculty Development

Annual State Conferences – 195 faculty & students Gather to share research results & future trends Scientific poster session for both RII theme areas

NSF Grants Workshops – 142 faculty & students Nuts & bolts of grant writing

NSF Program Officers share info on directorates & funding opportunities

Summer Grantwriting Institutes – 44 faculty Faculty from regional universities are paired with

mentors and complete at least one grant proposal during the institute

Attendees mentor other faculty on home campuses

GOAL 1: Increase the number and quality of proposals submitted to NSF and other funding agencies

GOAL 2: Encourage collaboration

EntrepreneurshipGOAL: In collaboration with i2E, Inc., provide resources for students and faculty in pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities and support development of high tech business in the state

OK Governor’s Cup Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition

Competition sponsored by Donald W. Reynolds Foundation with partners including EPSCoR & i2E to encourage students to develop and implement businesses

Competition kick-off: “Who Wants to Be an Entrepreneur?” workshop

8 businesses launched by winners

One winner received $80K SBIR grant (USDA)

I2E Commercialization Vouchers

$1K vouchers to researchers for commercialization assessment of inventions

30 technologies assessed

7 resulted in new start-up companies

655 Research Parkway, Suite 200Oklahoma City, OK 73104405.225.9459Fax 405.225.9230

Oklahoma CityDr. Frank Waxman, State DirectorDawn Scott, Administrative CoordinatorShelley Wear, Programs Coordinator

StillwaterDr. Jim Wicksted, Assoc. Dir.Valerie Pogue, Program ManagerPat Greer, Administrative Asst.

415 WhitehurstStillwater, OK 74078-1038405.744.9964Fax 405.744.7688

Oklahoma EPSCoR Websitehttp://okepscor.org

Oklahoma EPSCoR