Strategic Planning for NSF EPSCoR Initiatives in South Dakota and Mississippi

CONCUR has been retained to support strategic planning for Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) projects funded by the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) in both South Dakota and Mississippi. The RII projects in these two states are in the beginning phases and are intended to fund activities in eligible states to expand research opportunities, educate and train qualified students to support research activities, and promote technology-based economic development. Both states have new $20 million awards.

In Mississippi, the NSF funding is targeted at three scientific goals: (1) multi-scale simulation of biological systems; (2) modeling biological networks; and (3) modeling and simulation of nanoscale chemistry. Participants in the strategic planning session included representatives of the states four research universities: Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Southern Mississippi. In South Dakota, the RII funding is focused primarily on building infrastructure to support research and education in photo active nanoscale systems (PANS). The South Dakota meeting brought together representatives from eight educational institutions, two state government offices, program evaluators and NSF. CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary and Senior Associate Bennett Brooks co-facilitated both strategic planning sessions in October and November, 2009, working closely with the Principal Investigators from the respective states.

As part of its work in this area, CONCUR was earlier hired by the South Dakota research team to facilitate a one-day workshop in September 2009 designed to provide an update on existing cyber infrastructure activities in the state and support partnerships across the states research and education stakeholders. That effort was led by Scott McCreary and Associate Rebecca Tuden.