South Dakota NASA EPSCoR
Overview
NASA's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
NASA's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research was authorized by Congress in 1992 to strengthen research capabilities in states and territories that have historically been underrepresented in competitive aerospace research. The program builds research partnerships between government, higher education and industry, helping participating jurisdictions grow into self-sustaining, nationally competitive research hubs.
NASA EPSCoR currently supports 28 eligible jurisdictions across the U.S.
South Dakota NASA EPSCoR
The South Dakota NASA EPSCoR program provides seed funding to enhance the state's research capacity in science and engineering fields critical to NASA's priorities. The program is administered by the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium and supports a network of eight institutional members and 22 affiliates, spanning public, private and tribal universities, informal science centers, industry partners and government agencies across South Dakota.
Funding is provided through several mechanisms, including research seed grants, travel funding to NASA centers, tribal college collaboration grants, and nationally competitive research awards. The program's core research infrastructure development component provides $200,000 in annual base funding to support research capacity statewide.
Since 2007, South Dakota NASA EPSCoR funding has supported hundreds of researchers and students, generated more than 470 peer-reviewed publications and leveraged over $87 million in follow-on grants from NASA and other federal agencies.
Through NASA's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, South Dakota Space Grant Consortium serves as South Dakota's official NASA EPSCoR jurisdiction, reviewing, endorsing and submitting research proposals to NASA on behalf of the state's institutions. NASA EPSCoR offers five funding categories nationwide, and consortium-affiliated researchers are eligible to apply for all of them:
- Research Solicitation
- Research Infrastructure Development
- Rapid Response Research
- ISS Flight Opportunity
- Suborbital Flight Opportunity
As of the most recent solicitation cycles, no awards have been granted for ISS flight opportunity (2024) or suborbital flight opportunity (2023-2024).
EPSCoR Awards at a Glance
| Award | Period | Funding | Cost Share | Proposal Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Solicitation | Three years | $750,000 total ($250,000/year) | 50% required | One per jurisdiction, per solicitation |
| Research Infrastructure Development | Five years | Up to $1,000,000 total ($200,000/year) | 20% required | One per jurisdiction |
| Rapid Response Research | One year | $100,000 total | Not required (voluntary allowed) | One per task (multiple proposals and awards possible per jurisdiction) |
| ISS Flight Opportunity | Three years | $100,000 total | Not required | One per jurisdiction, per solicitation |
| Suborbital Flight Opportunity | Three years | Up to $250,000 (plus flight cost) | Not required | One per jurisdiction, per solicitation |
Qualifying Jurisdictions
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Submission
All NASA Notices of Funding Opportunity are accessible through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System and through grants.gov (type "NASA" into the search bar).
Notes
Proposal deadlines and funding amounts are set annually by NASA and subject to change. Visit NASA's official EPSCoR page for current solicitation details.
Research Solicitation
- SMD: High Spatial-Temporal Resolution Soil Moisture Retrieval Using Deep Learning Fusion of Multimodal Satellite Data Streams
- Principal Investigator: Edward F. Duke
- Expected End Date: June 17, 2028
- Scalable, High Energy Density Lithium Sulfur Batteries
- Principal Investigator: Edward F. Duke
- Expected End Date: Aug. 21, 2027
Research Infrastructure Development
- SD NASA EPSCoR 2022: Research Infrastructure Development Program
- Seed Funding
- Expected End Date: Sept. 30, 2027
Rapid Response Research
- Investigating the Deleterious Effects of Radiation in a Human Microphysiological Vascular Platform, HEOMD
- Principal Investigator: To be updated
- Expected End Date: Aug. 31, 2027
- Development of Nb Refractory Alloys Using Hybrid Manufacturing Combining Cold Spray Deposition and Friction Stir Processing
- Principal Investigator: To be updated
- Expected End Date: July 16, 2027
ISS Flight Opportunity
- To be updated
Suborbital Flight Opportunity
- To be updated
