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The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new investment through its Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program, totaling nearly $19 million to 48 awardees at U.S. institutions of higher education, including teams from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions (MSIs), primarily undergraduate institutions, and community and technical colleges. Each awardee institution will receive up to $400,000 over three year. Combined with 47 awards made in 2023, NSF has invested almost $40 million in nearly 100 diverse institutions since NSF EPIIC's inception.
EPIIC awardees will receive support to develop capacity and institutional knowledge to help them build new partnerships, secure future external funding and tap into their regional innovation ecosystems — potentially into an NSF Regional Innovation Engine (NSF Engine), NSF Engine Development Awardee, and/or a U.S. Economic Development Administration Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (EDA Tech Hub).
"NSF is committed to catalyzing and empowering all Americans to participate in the nation's research and innovation enterprise," said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). "This starts with creating pathways for the full range of institutions of higher education, nonprofits, state and local governments, tribal nations and private industry to engage in their regional innovation ecosystems. The EPIIC awards being announced today build upon previous efforts to connect diverse partners to develop inclusive innovation ecosystems and work together to accelerate key technologies and address pressing national, societal and geostrategic challenges all across the U.S."
Launched by the TIP Directorate, EPIIC works with institutions interested in growing external partnerships and building innovation capacity. NSF recognizes that many institutions, including HBCUs, MSIs, small academic institutions and two-year institutions, stand to benefit from additional focused support for the infrastructure and resources needed to grow external partnerships and to tap into innovation ecosystems, including engaging with NSF Engines, NSF Engine Development Awards, and EDA Tech Hubs.
The full award list can be found on NSF's award search webpage.
About EPIIC
EPIIC program provides institutions with training and networking support to develop the capacity and institutional knowledge needed to help build more inclusive ecosystems and enable participation in regional innovation ecosystems, potentially connecting to NSF Engines. Learn more about EPIIC.
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