The University of Nebraska’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, often known as EPSCoR, has acquired a four-year, $10 million award from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The award will strengthen statewide analysis partnerships, increase STEM alternatives and help innovation throughout Nebraska.
EPSCoR applications throughout the nation are designed to increase analysis investments in states which have traditionally acquired much less federal analysis funding than their friends. At Nebraska, EPSCoR applications deal with constructing analysis capability and competitiveness, investing in workforce improvement and fostering public-private partnerships in STEM.
The new mission, Nebraska Strengthening Partnerships for Innovation, Research and Education, or NSPIRE, is Nebraska’s first mission funded by a brand new EPSCoR class, EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems, or E-CORE, designed to strengthen analysis and innovation ecosystems. The preliminary 2026-2030 NSPIRE mission focuses on increasing profession pathways in STEM and strengthening connections to science in Nebraskans’ day by day lives.
“NSPIRE looks forward to collaborating with higher education partners across the state, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Community College, Mid-Plains Community College and Creighton University,” stated Matt Andrews, director of Nebraska’s NSF EPSCoR Office, professor with the UNL School of Natural Resources and principal investigator on the mission.
Additional organizations concerned throughout Nebraska embrace:
- NUtech Ventures, UNeMed Corporation and Nebraska I-Corps within the areas of know-how switch and entrepreneurship;
- Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences and the Northeast Nebraska Agricultural Science and Natural Resources Education Compact within the areas of STEM training, outreach and workforce improvement; and
- the Nebraska Statewide Workforce and Education Reporting System, which can present long-term analysis information to assist form statewide methods connecting academic pathways with in-demand STEM careers.
“E-CORE investments build sustainable research capacity and partnerships,” stated José Colom Ustariz, NSF EPSCoR program officer. “The program’s goal is to enhance the research ecosystem in EPSCoR jurisdictions, especially their research and innovation competitiveness, via sustainable infrastructure.”
Andrews stated NSPIRE will create a web-based listing of analysis gear, amenities and companies throughout establishments and companies statewide.
“Another feature will be a statewide pipeline for intellectual property to help innovations from smaller communities gain commercialization resources,” Andrews said.
Nebraska EPSCoR staff members are pictured during the 2024 NSF National EPSCoR Conference, which they organized for 500 attendees visiting Omaha. From left are Jodi Sangster, Carole Allen, Nancy Simnitt, Aaron An and Matt Andrews.
Andrews said NSPIRE will also support programming to boost STEM experiences for students, K-12 teachers and higher education faculty. The Young Nebraska Scientists program — offering summer STEM experiences and year-round free mobile labs for classrooms statewide for more than 15 years — is one of several funded initiatives.
“The NSF award recognizes the importance of collaboration in driving innovation,” stated Jeffrey P. Gold, president of the University of Nebraska System. “The NSPIRE project will strengthen connections between research, education and community engagement while expanding opportunities for our students, communities and state.”
The NSPIRE mission contains a chance for renewal. In its 35-year historical past, NSF EPSCoR tasks have to date introduced greater than $217 million in science funding to Nebraska, together with a Center for Root and Rhizobiome Innovation and, most lately, Nebraska’s Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies collaboration.