Terri Sindelar

Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

January 28, 1994
(Phone: 202/358-1977)
4 p.m. EST

RELEASE: 94-13

NASA FOSTERS AEROSPACE RESEARCH IN STATES

NASA today announced a new initiative that will strengthen the

research capability of six states and increase their
competitiveness in space and aeronautics research activities.

The NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

(EPSCoR) Program will provide funding to enable the states to
develop an academic research enterprise directed toward long-term,
self-sustaining, nationally competitive capability in space
science and applications and aeronautical and space research and
technology programs. This capability will contribute to the
state's economic viability.

The six states selected for the 3-year, $500,000 annual award
include Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

"After a thorough peer review process, we determined that these

six state proposals clearly showed the most potential to
contribute to NASA's mission and to build the states' long term
capability," said Spence Armstrong, Associate Administrator for
NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education. Armstrong also
indicated that NASA will work through existing programs, such as
the Space Grant Capability Enhancement Program, to build upon the
excellent components found in the other proposals.

The states eligible to apply for this award were designated by

the National Science Foundation (NSF) as eligible for the NSF
EPSCoR and/or those states currently designated as Capability
Enhancement grantees in NASA's National Space Grant College and
Fellowship Program.

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NSF established EPSCoR in 1979 in response to congressional

concerns that federal R&D efforts supported only a handful of
states. A decade later, in 1990, Congress began the process of
expanding EPSCoR beyond NSF. Consequently, NASA along with the
Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Defense, the Environmental
Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health are
developing or implementing EPSCoR programs.

The NASA EPSCoR program was conceived to improve a states

competitive research capacity in areas relevant to the agency's
mission. NASA EPSCoR should contribute to a stronger science and
technology base, broaden geographic participation of
technologically sophisticated businesses and industries while
supporting a more competitive national economy, strengthen science
education and expand science and engineering training
opportunities particularly for women and minorities and reinforce
the importance of supporting science and technology.

The selected states will use the award for research funding and
to enhance the existing infrastructure by purchasing equipment,
supporting graduate students and funding interdisciplinary
research activities. Developing the infrastructure will require
enhanced interaction and cooperation in research and in technology
information dissemination among universities, state government and
business and industry in the state.

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Editor's Note: A list of participating institutions in the

selected states can be obtained by contacting the NASA
Headquarters Newsroom on 202/358-1600.