The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (2013) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Appendix A: Agency Profiles
Appendix A: Agency Profiles
Pages 61-92
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 61... ...
Although all the agency programs emerge from the same underlying motivation to expand and enhance research capacity, they differ in significant ways as a result of each agency's size, mission, management structure, related programs, and research priorities.
|
From page 63... ...
The program is designed to assist NSF in achieving 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."47 An overview of the program is given in Box A-1. Specifically, NSF EPSCoR promotes sustainable improvements in R&D capacity and competitiveness among eligible states and territories.
|
From page 64... ...
Workshops & Outreach activities develop and promote best practices for promoting capacity building, workforce diversity, and science education. Legislative Goals Help develop "the research infrastructure that will make [eligible states]
|
From page 65... ...
, accounting for more than 80 percent of the NSF EPSCoR budget, is divided into three tracks: oTrack 1 awards provide up to $4 million a year for up to 5 years to improve the capacity and competitiveness of research institutions in EPSCoR states and territories. Funds are used to build infrastructure, hire new faculty, and support graduate students in fields of research supported both by NSF and the state's science and technology plan.
|
From page 66... ...
Process Assessment NSF EPSCoR's proposal process attempts to ensure local commitment to science and technology. EPSCoR state committees -- comprised of university administrators, researchers, and representatives from the private sector, among others -- seek to integrate the program into state strategies for scientific capacity and economic development.
|
From page 67... ...
Observers also note that NSF has collected scant evidence supporting the program's long-term impact in these areas. Regarding NSF EPSCoR's legislative objectives, NSF strongly emphasizes its effort to integrate EPSCoR states into its general research grants programs and administrative frameworks.
|
From page 68... ...
The share of non-EPSCoR funding to academic and nonprofit organizations in EPSCoR states has not changed dramatically since the program's inception. Despite the program's limited or negligible impacts, officials and administrators involved in EPSCoR express high regard for the program, claiming that it has not only strengthened scientific capabilities but has also changed cultural attitudes towards science by raising the profile and importance of science in economic development strategies.
|
From page 69... ...
IDeA provides opportunities for underserved populations, augments national biomedical research capacity, and promotes economic and workforce development. An overview of the program is given in Box A-2.
|
From page 70... ...
a plan for biomedical or behavioral research proposals" "Enhance the competitiveness of [IDeA institutions] in obtaining funds from the national research institutes" Additional Agency Goals "Augment and strengthen biomedical research capacity" "Build on the established multi-disciplinary research network" "Provide research opportunities for students from primarily undergraduate institutions, community colleges and minority serving institutions" "Include accomplishments in … workforce and economy" Process Assessment Programmatic evaluations underscore IDEA's effectiveness in sustainably strengthening institutional research infrastructure and training junior investigators.
|
From page 71... ...
While freezing eligibility prevents growth in the number of IDeA states and safeguards the budget, it may also prevent states with growing research capabilities from graduating from the program. Program Assessment IDeA concentrates on strengthening institutional research capacity and competiveness largely by helping institutions to build laboratories, purchase equipment, and support mentorship activities for faculty and students.
|
From page 72... ...
Self-reported data collected by NIH indicate that IDeA supports significant shares of published articles in several IDeA states. However, the ability of IDeA to increase the competitiveness of participating institutions for federal funding remains difficult to measure (see
|
From page 73... ...
IDeA-supported mentoring and recruitment efforts, moreover, have been uneven. For example, the program has been more successful in recruiting male researchers than it has been in recruiting female researchers.51 More broadly, all of the indices and testimonials pointing to success beg the question of whether investments in IDeA represent the most effective way to spend NIH's resources, especially when the success rate for NIH general research grants continues to fall due to declining federal budgets for R&D.
|
From page 75... ...
Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) program gives EPSCoR states special consideration for fellowships, new investigator and strengthening awards.
|
From page 76... ...
In addition, the FASE budget framework provides greater financial protection from direct budget cuts than other EPSCoR programs since reductions in FASE funding require similar reductions in the AFRI budget. Finally, FASE's eligibility requirements allow for a changing roster of participants and permit graduation.
|
From page 77... ...
While the number of FASE-eligible states has remained fairly stable, FASE funding has fluctuated with the AFRI budget. Objectives Assessment Limited information exists for assessing the ability of USDA EPSCoR to achieve its long-term goals.
|
From page 78... ...
Months Standard Grants 546 $158 17,628 Seed Grants 124 $15 1,926 Unmarked/Other 219 $14 2,456 Equipment 229 $10 36 CAP Grants 2 $7 54 Career Enhancement 50 $3 (no data) Sabbatical 5 $0.3 7 Subtotal 1.175 $206 22,107 Total ARFI 4.117 $1,413 136,001 Strengthening % 29% 15% 16% Finally, USDA data suggest that EPSCoR states actively participate in USDA activities.
|
From page 79... ...
Initially designed to help states develop competitive proposals through planning grants, the program has increasingly focused on developing research clusters, fostering collaborative relationships between EPSCoR states and national laboratories, and providing financial support to graduate students, postdoctorate students, and young faculty. As of FY 2012, the program budget had declined to $8.5 million, a significant reduction from FY2 011's $22 million budget allocation.
|
From page 80... ...
Legislative Goals "Enhance the competitiveness of the peer review process within academic institutions "Increase the probability of long-term growth of competitive funding to investigators" Additional Agency Goals "Jumpstart infrastructure development…through increased human and technical resources [and] training scientists and engineers "Build beneficial relationships between scientists and engineers in the designated states and territories with the 10 world-class laboratories managed by the Office of Science" Process Assessment The DOE EPSCoR proposal assessment process includes several measures to ensure that EPSCoR funding supports both the agency mission and the state's science and technology strategy.
|
From page 81... ...
Despite operating with less than 1 percent of the BES budget on average, EPSCoR funded approximately two-thirds of eligible states in the years surveyed. Program Assessment Unlike other EPSCoR programs, DOE EPSCoR's legislative mandate focuses exclusively on institutions and individual researchers rather than on states as a whole.
|
From page 82... ...
The data required to assess EPSCoR's impact on scientific collaboration and researcher development are similarly limited. Only data regarding the number of students supported in 2011 were available (see Figure A-10)
|
From page 83... ...
Research awards address high-priority NASA research and technology development needs. Legislative Goals "Ensure the resilience of the national space and aeronautics infrastructure" "Foster competitive research capacity in all geographic areas of the Nation" "Enhance the ability of researchers in the State to become more competitive" "Improve the environment for science, mathematics, and engineering education" As at NSF, NASA EPSCoR's governing legislation addresses equity issues, requiring the NASA Administrator to seek the "maximum distribution of grants among eligible states, consistent with merit."52 The legislation further asserts that strengthening the research capacity of previously unsuccessful states strengthens the U.S.
|
From page 84... ...
In FY 2012, NASA EPSCoR operated with a budget of $18.4 million, a decline from the $25 million FY 2010 budget. At the same time, the number of eligible states grew to 31 in 2012.
|
From page 85... ...
Whereas the number of RID awards is limited to one per state, RA awards are limited by proposal merit and the available budget. Program Assessment NASA collects extensive data on the benefits of its EPSCoR program.
|
From page 86... ...
An assessment of existing funding data suggests that there have not been significant changes in the geographic distribution of funds or that NASA EPSCoR states have grown more competitive. Instead, the share of funds claimed by the 2012 EPSCoR states has fallen since the program's inception (see Figure A-13)
|
From page 87... ...
The typical DEPSCoR research award: about $100,000 a year for three years. Legislative Goals "Enhance the capability of institutions of higher education" "To develop, plan, and execute competitive science and engineering research" "Increase probability of long-term growth in competitively awarded federal funds" Agency Goals "Enhance existing or develop new research capabilities in support of DoD research goals" "Intent of the DEPSCoR program to build infrastructure (human or physical capital)
|
From page 88... ...
DEPSCoR funding and number of awards: FY1995 – FY2009. These figures shed light on several aspects of DEPSCoR.
|
From page 89... ...
. The appropriation for DEPSCoR in FY 1997 further altered eligibility requirements by no longer requiring DEPSCoR states to also be eligible for EPSCoR.
|
From page 90... ...
: Final Report Volume I, Institute for Defense Analyses, Oct. 2008; Broad Agency Announcement No.
|
From page 91... ...
On the positive side, the report found: The DEPSCoR states' share of non-DEPSCoR DOD funding to universities increased between FY 1995 and FY 2005 despite fluctuations in DEPSCoR funding levels. 15 percent of the states that were eligible for DEPSCoR achieved funding levels above the 1.2 percent threshold and were no longer eligible for the program.
|
From page 92... ...
Once the DEPSCoR objectives have been clarified, the program should be redesigned with a clearer and more focused strategy for enhancing the competitiveness of individual researchers, research institutions and eligible states. Due to the discontinuation of DEPSCoR, none of these reform measures were put into place.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.