UND to host ND EPSCoR state conference Sept. 18 at Alerus Center

David L. Dodds

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

9-6-2012

Campus Unit

College of Arts & Sciences

Abstract

The University of North Dakota will be hosting the ND EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) 2012 State Conference on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.

The conference, titled "Beginnings, Breakthroughs and Beautiful Ideas, will bring together the best and brightest minds in undergraduate and graduate research from across North Dakota.

The event, which runs from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature keynote speaker Dr. Naomi Oreskes, American Science Historian and professor of history and science studies at the University of California San Diego. Oreskes has worked on studies of geophysics and environmental issues such as global warming, and the history of science. Her work focuses on issues related to science and public policy.

The overall goal of ND EPSCoR is to increase the competitiveness of North Dakota for merit-based grants and contracts in support of science and technology research from federal funding agencies

Here is a rundown of the conference schedule.

About EPSCoR

The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) in 1979 in response to Congressional concerns about the geographic concentration of federal support for academic research and development (R&D). EPSCoR is designed to expand and enhance the research capability of scientists in states that traditionally have lacked strong university-based research efforts, to compete more successfully for a portion of the federal academic R&D budget.

Congress began expanding EPSCoR beyond NSF in 1990. Today, EPSCoR is a family of competitive merit-based programs at seven federal research and development agencies: the National Science Foundation; the National Institutes of Health; the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Agriculture; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the Environmental Protection Agency.

These programs represent a federal-state partnership to enhance the science and engineering research, education, and technology capabilities of states that receive smaller amounts of federal R&D funds. Through EPSCoR, participating states are building a high-quality, university-based research effort that is serving as the backbone of their scientific and technological enterprise, capable of ensuring a strong and stable economic base into the next century.

EPSCoR operates in the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The list of eligible states varies somewhat for certain agencies.

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