The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (2013) / Chapter Skim
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. In addition to pursuing the original mission of enabling universities in every state to be able to compete for federal research funding, EPSCoR programs have over the years added other goals, such as enhancing innovation to stimulate economic development and entrepreneurship and expanding the diversity of the science and engineering workforce.
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The first EPSCoR program began more than three decades ago at the National Science Foundation, which is mandated in its founding legislation not only to promote national excellence in science but also to avoid its "undue concentration." When several members of Congress complained that a small number of states were receiving a disproportionate share of NSF research funding, the agency responded by creating its EPSCoR program. It began in 1979 by distributing $1 million among five states with demonstrated subcompetitive ability to attract National Science Foundation research and development (R&D)
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It should also be noted, however, that the EPSCoR states have not lost ground, and it is clear that virtually all have improved their research capacity in absolute, if not relative, terms. Nevertheless, because EPSCoR funding constitutes a relatively small percentage of each EPSCoR state's total research funding, the precise role that the programs have played in this effort is difficult to determine.
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NIH initially admitted states where the success rate of research proposals was less than 20 percent, but it is now proposing a shift to a system that would admit all states that fall below the median in total NIH research funding. When total funding is the criterion for eligibility, state population becomes the dominant factor in determining a state's eligibility.
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With these caveats and restrictions in mind, the committee has arrived at the following findings and recommendations. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The committee supports the continuation of programs that support the proposition stated in the America COMPETES Act: "The Nation requires the talent, expertise, and research capabilities of all States in order to prepare sufficient numbers of scientists and engineers, remain globally competitive and support economic development." America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (111th Congress, 2009– 2010, April 22, 2010)
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For example, EPA and DOD terminated their EPSCoR programs. However, the mission agencies are the major source of engineering research funding and therefore critical to engineering education.
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EPSCoR programs should be restructured to combine beneficial aspects of current programs: oThe NIH and NSF EPSCoR programs should pursue a "blended" funding strategy with two tracks: A competitive-grant track that provides fewer and larger grants that are evaluated first for scientific merit and that are intended to produce focal points of research excellence and research opportunities for junior as well as senior faculty. A smaller-scale, infrastructure investment or statewide investment track that works with state committees to ensure that every state has the capacity to provide advanced education and research experience.
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The evaluation process conducted during and after an EPSCoR project's implementation should be made more rigorous by: oDeveloping and implementing an effective third-party evaluation design that is reliable and valid and that is consistent with other federal evaluation approaches, such as those developed by the Office of Management and Budget. In conclusion, the committee recommends that the newly refocused federal programs be renamed to better reflect their mission and to remove "experimental," which is now a misnomer.
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