	Introduction

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)—originally named the E xperimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) —is a set-aside funding program that began as an effort to avoid an "undue concentration" of federal research funds by providing competitive grant opportunities to states that historically received little federal research and development (R&D) funding. Since the first program began at NSF, EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs have been established at other federal agencies, with active programs at the Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 1992, the EPSCoR Interagency Coordinating Committee (EICC) was established through a Memorandum of Understanding to improve coordination among the programs. Congress directed initial appropriations for the program in FY1979. A jurisdiction becomes eligible to participate in the EPSCoR program "if their most recent 3-year funding level of NSF research support is equal to or less than 0.75% of the total NSF Research and Related Activities (RRA) budget." National Aeronautics and Space Administration

In 1992, the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research on Space and Aeronautics Act established the NASA EPSCoR program, directing NASA to conduct a merit-based grant competition among states eligible for NSF's EPSCoR program. National Institutes of Health

The NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program is also an EPSCoR-like program. In FY2016, estimated funding for the RII component is $128 million, which is 80% of the total NSF EPSCoR funding; the co-funding component accounts for 19% ($30 million), and the outreach/workshop component accounts for about 1% ($2 million). The committee's goals include the following:
To coordinate federal EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs to maximize the impact of federal support while eliminating duplication in states receiving EPSCoR support from more than one agency; To coordinate agency objectives with state and institutional goals, to obtain continued nonfederal support of science and technology (S&T) research and training; To coordinate the development of metrics to assess gains in academic research quality and competitiveness and in S&T human resource development; and To exchange information on pending legislation, as appropriate, agency policies, and relevant programs related to S&T research and training, and to provide responses on issues of common concern. Topics included EICC and NSF responses to the National Academy of Sciences EPSCoR assessment report (discussed in the " Program Assessments " section); NSF eligibility criteria and the "graduation" of Iowa, Tennessee, and Utah from the NSF, NASA, and DOE EPSCoR programs; and the role of, and need for, jurisdictional EPSCoR steering committees. Program Assessments

As the EPSCoR program has grown and developed, Congress and others have expressed interest in determining how successfully it has achieved its mission of helping states with less developed R&D capacity to improve their ability to compete for federal R&D funding. In summary, assessment activities over the years have included repeated recommendations in certain areas: reevaluating eligibility and graduation criteria, improving data collection and program evaluation processes, and focusing on flexible and sustainable program strategies. Selected Issues

An overarching challenge for the EPSCoR program since its inception has been crafting a balance between supporting sustainable research capacity development equitably across states while also supporting high-quality science through the merit review process. Initially, EPSCoR was termed "experimental" in its approach to building research capacity in certain states. Developing a common federal eligibility criterion (or criteria) might help address concerns voiced by some Members of Congress that eligibility for EPSCoR funding at DOE is based on NSF research award expenditures rather than on DOE Office of Science award expenditures (as discussed in the " Recent Congressional Activity " section). Determining Success

Program assessments, peer-reviewed literature, and Members of Congress have all raised broad questions about how to determine EPSCoR's success. A 2009 study concluded that, for some states, greater success in securing federal R&D funding may have led to reduced state contributions to academic institutions. The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA, P.L. 114-329 ), enacted on January 6, 2017, revises program requirements and renames EPSCoR as the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, among other provisions.
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)—originally named the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)—was established at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1978 to address congressional concerns about an "undue concentration" of federal research and development (R&D) funding in certain states. The program is designed to help institutions in eligible states build infrastructure, research capabilities, and training and human resource capacities to enable them to compete more successfully for open federal R&D funding awards. Eligibility for NSF EPSCoR funding is limited to states (including some territories and the District of Columbia) that received 0.75% or less of total NSF research and related activities (RRA) funds over the most recent three-year period. EPSCoR awards are made through merit-based proposal reviews.
EPSCoR funding and program reach have increased over the years. Congress first directed funding for the NSF EPSCoR program in FY1979 at a level of around $1 million. EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs are now active at five agencies and have a collective annual program budget of over $500 million. In addition to NSF, agencies with active programs include the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, whose program is called the Institutional Development Award [IDeA] program). In FY2015, program budgets were $273 million at NIH, $166 million at NSF, $34 million at USDA, $18 million at NASA, and $10 million at DOE. While these programs vary in some operations and policies, their common focus is to help eligible states build R&D capacity and improve their ability to compete for federal R&D funding. The EPSCoR Interagency Coordinating Committee (EICC), chaired by NSF, was formed in 1992 to help integrate the activities of EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs across the agencies and to create a unified effort.
While EPSCoR was originally proposed as a short-term effort for certain states, it has grown in size and scope, generating debate among stakeholders about program goals and policies. As the programs have evolved, a number of assessments have been conducted to evaluate EPSCoR's challenges and success, and to inform future directions. These assessments, and research literature, have repeatedly raised some broad issues. For instance, an overarching concern is finding an appropriate balance between supporting research development equitably across states while also supporting high-quality science through the merit review process. Common topics of discussion among stakeholders include the expansion and focus of EPSCoR goals, program coordination among federal agencies, criteria for state eligibility and graduation from the program, and metrics for assessing EPSCoR's success.
Congress has a long-standing interest in the EPSCoR program. Some Members of Congress have questioned the fairness of the program, which is unique at NSF in its state-targeted approach. Additionally, some have expressed concern that the EPSCoR approach does not fit within the broader merit-based grant-making process at NSF. Others Members of Congress have supported the program, stating that it has been successful in contributing to research of national interest, helping to balance federal R&D funding among states, and providing broader research education opportunities to create a skilled workforce. In the 114th Congress, legislation and amendments were introduced both in opposition (e.g., prohibiting the use of any funding for EPSCoR programs) and in support of the program. The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA, P.L. 114-329), enacted on January 6, 2017, renamed EPSCoR as an established—rather than experimental—program, revised various program components, and included language in support of continuing EPSCoR.