ND EPSCoR

08/03/2026

ND EPSCoR invites you to attend our 2026 ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference. This one-day, statewide conference to be held at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center in Minot on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, is intended for all ND faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, and STEM professionals. The conference will be preceded by a No-Stress Networking event on the evening of Monday, October 19.

The conference's focus is to provide opportunities to share research results and promote opportunities for collaboration in STEM fields. We encourage presentations and posters on topics related to fundamental and applied research, broader impacts, broadening participation, K-20 STEM education, and workforce development. We encourage faculty who are newcomers to EPSCoR programs to engage to learn more about statewide collaboration opportunities.

Registration is open until October 5. There is no cost to attend the conference.

Interested in presenting at our conference? Abstracts for oral or poster presentations on any STEM topic including research, broader impacts, broadening participation, workforce development, and education may be submitted by undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty from any educational institution in ND.

Visit our website for links to register and submit an abstract.

ND EPSCoR invites you to attend our 2026 ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference. This one-day, statewide conference to be held at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center in Minot on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, is intended for all ND faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, and....

07/29/2026

ND ESPCoR has opened the following new funding opportunities. Please note that both are limited submissions, and close on September 30. You can find more details about these opportunities on our website.

SPARK-ND 2026 Broadening Participation Research

ND EPSCoR and SPARK-ND invite multi-institutional teams to apply for planning or pilot grants of up to $30,000 (total costs) to support the development of collaborative research proposals focused on broadening participation in STEM. To build a more diverse and competitive STEM workforce in North Dakota, this program funds the early-stage development of cross-institutional teams. Funded projects must include substantial participation from at least one researcher at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) or a Tribal College or University (TCU).

SPARK-ND Intentional Collision Research Seed Award: Pollinators and Cover Crops

ND EPSCoR and SPARK-ND seek to provide research seed awards of up to $70,000 (total costs) to researchers at ND institutions of higher education. The focus of the proposed research must be directly related to April 22, 2026, Intentional Collision event topic of Cover Crops & Pollinators. A goal of this program is to support cross-institutional team development that leads to competitive extramural funding. Therefore, proposals must include substantial participation by at least one researcher from a PUI or TCU and state a targeted external funding solicitation. Funds may be used for materials and supplies, student support (undergraduate and graduate), and operating services (e.g., recharge center fees for sample analysis).

ND ESPCoR has opened the following new funding opportunities: SPARK-ND 2026 Broadening Participation Research and SPARK-ND Intentional Collision Research Seed Award.

07/27/2026

Jim Doolittle has let us know that he plans to retire at the end of this year. We thank Jim for his invaluable leadership in his time at ND EPSCoR, and his willingness to stay on to help the new Director get off to a successful start. We have now begun the search for his replacement.

We seek a champion to lead the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research, education and workforce competitiveness and capacity for the state of North Dakota in order to increase success and funding from the National Science Foundation. Under the auspices of the North Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ND EPSCoR) office, housed at North Dakota State University (NDSU), the director will partner throughout the state to ensure that North Dakota grows its federal funding portfolio for research, education and workforce from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NSF EPSCoR programs.

Thanks to state support, ND EPSCoR plays a vital role statewide by building research capacity, ensuring participation for all, and enhancing the research productivity, and competitiveness and national recognition of North Dakota’s scientists and engineers. The director will play a key role in ND K-12 student participation in STEM research and advance economic development. The new director of ND EPSCoR will benefit from an experienced office staff, existing solid partnerships, and a supportive State Steering Committee for the jurisdiction. With significant changes in the NSF EPSCoR funding programs, the state’s higher education research leaders see an opportunity to attract an enthusiastic communicator and coalition builder, and to attract someone able to build a business model for ND EPSCoR that is responsive to a dynamic federal landscape. Especially critical to this role is productive interaction with North Dakota’s Tribal Colleges and the North Dakota University System’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. North Dakota has the nation’s only Tribal College System (the ND Tribal College System), numbering five Tribal Colleges, all of which receive funding from NSF.

You can learn more about the position, required qualifications, and the application process on our website.

Jim Doolittle has let us know that he plans to retire at the end of this year. We thank Jim for his invaluable leadership in his time at ND EPSCoR, and his willingness to stay on to help the new Director get off to a successful start. We have now begun the search for his replacement.

07/16/2026

AAAS will hold the next EPSCoR Live! session on Wednesday, July 22, at 3 PM CT.

In this session, NSF colleagues will discuss the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Education and Training Application (ETAP) platform, which is a way to address the education and training needs of the scientific community by connecting researchers with applicants via its interactive one-stop platform. Researchers advertise their research opportunities and manage the applications they receive. Graduate students, post-docs, undergraduate students, high school students, teachers, and post-baccalaureate students search one online platform to see available NSF supported education, research, training, and scholarship opportunities. Register at the link below.

U.S. National Science Foundation’s Education and Training Application (ETAP) platform is a way to address the education and training needs of the scientific community by connecting researchers with applicants via its interactive one-stop platform. Researchers advertise their research opportunities...

07/07/2026

The July 2026 News and Notes newsletter is now available. In this issue:

- Note from the Director
- SPARK-ND leadership learns what makes teams effective
- Call for speakers and poster presentations at the ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference
- NSF encourages investigator-initiated proposals
- ND EPSCoR launches Tribal partnerships resources page
- Reminder: let us know about your E-RISE or E-CORE proposals and resubmissions
- 2026 NATURE University Summer Camp photos
- ND STEM highlights
- STEM workshops, webinars, and events
- Other funding opportunities

06/22/2026

Are you a researcher interested in partnering with a Tribal college or university (TCU) or a Tribal nation? ND EPSCoR has put together some information on what you need to know before you start. Our “Working with Tribal Partners” page includes advice on how to approach Tribal partners for a collaboration, as well as what to do during and after an award. You’ll also find a link to NSF’s guidance on seeking or obtaining Tribal nation approval for proposals that may impact Tribal resources or interests.

To learn more about working with Tribal partners, or to suggest additional information for inclusion on the resources page, contact ND EPSCoR Director of Tribal Partnerships Sheridan McNeil, Oyate Ohowicada Win (Respects the People Woman)-Damakota, at [email protected].

Are you a researcher interested in partnering with a Tribal college or university (TCU) or a Tribal nation? Here is what you need to know before you start.

06/02/2026

Our June newsletter is now available. In this issue:

- Note from the Director
- Advice from NSF: Submit investigator-initiated proposals
- Call for speakers and poster presentations at the ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference
- ND EPSCoR funding opportunities
- ND EPSCoR launches Tribal partnerships resources page
- Reminder: let us know about your E-RISE or E-CORE proposals and resubmissions
- ND STEM highlights
- STEM workshops, webinars, and events
- Other funding opportunities

Our June newsletter is now available. In this issue: - Note from the Director - Advice from NSF: Submit investigator-initiated proposals - Call for speakers and poster presentations at the ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference - ND EPSCoR funding opportunities - ND EPSCoR launches Tribal partnerships re...

05/05/2026

The May 2026 ND EPSCoR News and Notes newsletter is now available. In this issue:

- Note from the Director
- “It was a great experience”: ND-ACES researcher Hanmant Gaikwad looks back and looks ahead
- Call for speakers and poster presentations at the ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference
- ND EPSCoR funding opportunities
- ND EPSCoR launches Tribal partnerships resources page
- Reminder: let us know about your E-RISE or E-CORE proposal
- ND STEM highlights
- STEM workshops, webinars, and events
- Other funding opportunities

The May 2026 ND EPSCoR News and Notes newsletter is now available.

05/04/2026

As he prepares to defend his dissertation this week, Hanmant Gaikwad, a doctoral student at NDSU, reflects on a research journey shaped by interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning, and the opportunities made possible through ND-ACES and ND EPSCoR.

As he prepares to defend his dissertation this spring, Hanmant Gaikwad, a doctoral student at NDSU, reflects on a research journey shaped by interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning, and the opportunities made possible through ND-ACES and ND EPSCoR.

04/07/2026

The April 2026 News and Notes newsletter is now available. In this issue:
- Note from the Director
- ND EPSCoR supports student research showcase at AIHEC Student Conference
- Call for speakers and poster presentations at the ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference
- ND EPSCoR funding opportunities
- ND EPSCoR FY26 STEM research seed awards announced
- Reminder: let us know about your E-RISE or E-CORE proposal
- ND STEM highlights
- STEM workshops, webinars, and events
- Other funding opportunities

The April 2026 News and Notes newsletter is now available. In this issue: - Note from the Director - ND EPSCoR supports student research showcase at AIHEC Student Conference - Call for speakers and poster presentations at the ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference - ND EPSCoR funding opportunities - ND E...