U.S. Senator Jack Reed presses U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, Ph.D., on the importance of strengthening investments in cutting-edge research through the NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ESPCoR) program.
EPSCoR is designed to fulfill NSF's mandate to promote scientific progress nationwide. Through the program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, research and development (R&D) capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.
EPSCoR awards are made through merit-based proposal reviews and are designed to ensure competitive U.S. research dollars reach diverse geographic areas, including smaller states like Rhode Island.
Senator Reed’s urging came during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2025 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and for the National Science Foundation (NSF). This hearing occurred on May 23, 2024.