MADE in SC | SC EPSCoR

The purpose of this program is to provide proposal development funds for the designated Lead Principal Investigators of institutional/organizational proposals being prepared in response to NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Solicitation (FEC) 22-523. For FY 2022, RII Track-2 FEC competitions, all proposals must promote collaborations among researchers in EPSCoR jurisdictions and emphasize the recruitment/development of diverse early career faculty and STEM education and workforce development on the single topic: “Advancing Research Towards Industries of the Tomorrow to Ensure Economic Growth for EPSCoR Jurisdictions”. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two RII eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or rapidly independently. The STEM research and education activities should seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of diverse individuals, institutions, and sectors throughout the project. Proposals must describe a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies diversity of all types (e.g., individual, institutional, geographic, and disciplinary). The development of diverse early-career faculty is a critical component of this sustainable STEM capacity.

All PDP proposed activities must be consistent with those that will provide added value to the proposal development process. Activities proposed must be tied to the research, workforce development, or diversity goals of the proposal under development. Sample activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Travel of South Carolina personnel to a collaborating institution/organization located in South Carolina or in a collaborating EPSCoR jurisdiction.
• Costs associated with hosting a proposal development meeting in the state of South Carolina. Travel costs associated with other EPSCoR jurisdictional personnel are not allowed.
• Costs associated with consultants (e.g. travel, honoraria) to perform either on-site or off-site review of proposal prior to submission. Please note that all consultants must reside in non-EPSCoR jurisdictions and should have technical expertise in the subject area of the proposal.

Award Information

Award Type: Grant
Award Amount: Up to $7,000.00

Who May Apply?

Each institution/organization in the state of South Carolina is eligible to submit a single LEAD application in response to NSF 22-523. The SC EPSCoR State Office requires that Principal Investigators requesting funds under this PDP offer must have been designated by their institution/organization as the LEAD PI who will submit the proposal to NSF.

Deadlines

Full Proposal – Monday, January 24, 2022

Full Proposal Content

The sections below represent the body of the proposal. Failure to submit the required sections will result in the proposal not being accepted or being returned without review. Note: Where indicated, the number of pages refers to the maximum number of pages allowed and must not be exceeded.

Use the Cover Page form in Appendix A. The start date can be as early as November 1, 2021 and the end date can be no later than January 24, 2022.

The Project Description should describe the activities to be performed and must include the following:

Use the Budget Page form in Appendix B.

Describe the specific justification for each proposed major expenditure. Include support requested or support available from other sources, such as institutional, local, and federal agencies.

A Biographical Sketch is required for the Principal Investigator in NSF format.

1. Cover Page (2 Pages)

• Use the Cover Page form in Appendix A. The start date can be as early as November 1, 2021 and the end date can be no later than January 24, 2022. 

1. Project Description 
   • A letter from the designated Principal Investigator stating the relationship of the proposed activities to the goals of the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 program as defined in NSF 22-523
   • A letter from the Chief Research Officer of the Lead institution/organization committing to the submission of a proposal as the Lead institution/organization under NSF 22-523.
   • A list of all collaborating institutions/organizations and a Project Summary (not binding) that delineates the Scientific and Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts of the program to be proposed under NSF 22-523.
   • A copy of the Letter of Intent (LOI) submitted to NSF responding to NSF 22-523. LOIs will not be shared outside of SC EPSCoR staff and will be secured at the State Office.
2. Budget (1 Page)
3. Budget Justification (1 Page)
4. Biographical Sketch (2 Pages)
   • Professional Preparation – undergraduate and graduate education and postdoctoral training (including location).
   • Appointments – A list, in reverse chronological order by start date of all the individual's academic, professional, or institutional appointments, beginning with the current appointment.
   • Products – A list of: (i) up to five products most closely related to the proposed project; and (ii) up to five other significant products, where or not related to the proposed project.
   • Synergistic Activities – A list of up to five distinct examples that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual's professional and scholarly activities that focus on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation.

For more information on NSF format, visit NSF Biosketches.

Proposal Guidelines

All proposals must be assembled as a single PDF in the following sequence (the number of pages in parentheses is the maximum number of pages allowed):

• Cover Page (Appendix A) (2 Pages) for proposal to the SC EPSCoR Program
• Project Description 
• Budget (Appendix B) (1 Page)
• Budget Justification (1 Page)
• Biographical Sketch (3 Pages) of Principal Investigator

Budget Information

• The budget requested may not exceed $7,000.00.
• Awardees should ensure that costs claimed under SC EPSCoR Program grants are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
• Desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and printers are unallowable costs.
• Indirect costs are not allowed under this solicitation.

Submission Instructions

• Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file to the South Carolina EPSCoR Program via email to april.heyward@scra.org
• Complete proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on Monday, January 24, 2022. No Exceptions Will Be Made.
• Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

Proposal Review Process

All proposals will be administratively reviewed to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements and guidelines. 

Award and Reporting Requirements

• Cost reimbursement is predicated on successful submission and acceptance by NSF. NSF proposals must pass the NSF compliance check in order for SC EPSCoR to process invoice for reimbursement.
• Award recipients are required to provide the SC EPSCoR state office with information for evaluation and reporting purposes.
• A copy of the proof of proposal submission for NSF Solicitation 22-523 is required to be provided to the SC EPSCoR Program.

Contact Information

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
April Heyward, MRA
Program Manager, SC EPSCoR Program
1000 Catawba Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
T: 803.733.9068
E: april.heyward@scra.org