Outline
• What are RII awards?
• What is the application process?
• What’s the timeline?
NSF EPSCoR
• Jurisdictions eligible to participate if NSF
research support < 0.75% total NSF research
funding
• Based on partnerships with government,
higher education, and industry
• Designed to effect sustainable improvements
in research infrastructure and R&D capacity
throughout the state
RII Track 1 awards
• Up to $4 million/year for up to 5 years
• Designed to support physical, human, and
cyber infrastructure improvements in research
areas having the best potential to improve
future R&D competitiveness with NSF
• Aligned with Wyoming’s Science and
Technology Plan, University Plan (UP4), and
leveraging existing high performance
computation facilities.
RII Track 2 awards
• Must be in collaboration with at least one
other EPSCoR jurisdiction
• 2 jurisdictions: up to $1 million/year
• 3+ jurisdictions: up to $1.5 million/year
• Up to 4 years funding
• Designed to support physical, human, and
cyber infrastructure improvements in research
areas having the best potential to improve
future R&D competitiveness
Currently eligible jurisdictions
Alabama
Kansas
Nebraska
Rhode Island
Alaska
Kentucky
Nevada
South Carolina
Arkansas
Louisiana
New Hampshire South Dakota
Delaware
Maine
New Mexico
Vermont
Guam
Mississippi
North Dakota
US Virgin Islands
Hawaii
Missouri
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Idaho
Montana
Puerto Rico
Wyoming
Track 1 Themes
• NSF priority: Innovations at the Nexus of Food,
Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS)
• Cross-disciplinary
• Heavy computational use/development
Track 2 Themes
• Same as Track 1
• Plus, the human brain
INFEWS
Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy,
and Water Systems
• Water  Energy-Food
– 40-50% of water withdrawals in the US are for
thermoelectric plant cooling
– 30-40% of water withdrawals in the US are for watering
crops
• Energy  Water-Food
– 3-20% of US Energy budget is used to pump, treat,
transport, and heat water
– Up to 90% of energy use on farms is associated with water
(pumping, irrigation)
– 10% of the US energy budget is associated with food
production, processing, distribution, etc.
Food, Energy, and Water Trilemma
• The water security, food security and energy
security trilemma creates a multidimensional
web that is a structurally complex network with
dynamic links among resources that vary…
• …finding solutions to our global water, food, and
energy security problems will require significant
action, either through institutional and
behavioral paths or technological and
infrastructural paths. –Perrone and Hornberger,
2014
Food, Water, and Energy in 2050
Over 2 billion increase in world population which will become increasingly urban
Food
production
will need to
increase
~60%
Water demand
will increase
~60%
Energy production will
need to increase ~50%
NSF INFEWS
FY16 – Planned ~75M allocation
• Understanding the complex nature of the FEW
system through integrated modeling
• Methodologies for effective data
integration/cyber elements at multiple temporal
and spatial scales of terrestrial systems
• Fundamental science and engineering to solve
FEW challenges
• Technology advances
• Education and workforce development
Components of RII Awards
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Research Program
Diversity Plan
Workforce Development Plan
Cyberinfrastructure Plan
External Engagement Plan
Evaluation and Assessment Plan
Sustainability Plan
Management Plan
Physical
Infrastructure
Research
Outreach and
Diversity
Education
Examples of RII Activities
• Research: comprehensive and integrative
approach to a grand challenge
• Faculty acquisition and enhancement
• Small business alliances
• Expansion of diversity in STEM fields
• Support for community college projects
Track 1 Timeline
Nov. 20
Dec. 5
Jan. 29
July 2016
August 2016
Early 2017
Concept Papers Due
Moderated Retreat
Pre-proposals Due
Letter of Intent Due
Full proposal Due
NSF Announces Awards
Track 2 Timeline
Nov. 20
Feb. 2016
Summer 2016
Pre-proposals Due
Full Proposal Due
NSF Announces Awards