None of the three people who attended Tuesday’s public hearing to solicit ideas for the upcoming round of National Science Foundation funding to the University of the Virgin Islands’ VI-EPSCoR program offered any suggestions, but the window to do so remains open.
The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research has until October to submit funding proposals so there is still time to come up with ideas.
The EPSCoR program, although better known by its acronym, remains largely unknown, according to its director, Nicholas Drayton, in an overview during the hearing at St. Ursula’s Multipurpose Center on St. John.
A total of 29 states and territories have EPSCoR programs funded by the NSF aimed at states and jurisdictions that lag behind in scientific capacity.
The V.I. program is applying for its third round of funding, Drayton said.
The first round covered 2004 to 2008 and was funded to the tune of $5 million, he said, adding that it focused on the bio complexity of Caribbean coral reefs.
The second round of funding totaled $17 million, for 2008 to 2013, and centered on what Drayton called ridge-to-reef relationships.
He said the October funding request will be for a time frame starting in 2013.
“In the next cycle, we’re hoping to introduce the human dimension,” Drayton said.
Drayton said that most of the territory’s research is done at UVI, so suggestions for projects should center on UVI’s capacity to do the research.
In discussing projects funded in the two previous funding cycles, Drayton said the territory’s growing lionfish problem was addressed when EPSCoR funding paid for the development of a Lionfish Response Management Manual.
“EPSCoR is stepping up to the plate,” Drayton said, adding that the funding is flexible enough to respond to problems like the lionfish as they become known.
The program’s tentacles are far reaching since the EPSCoR-funded projects pump money into the community, he said. “The next award will open many more diverse opportunities.”
Consultant Lloyd Gardner of the St. Thomas-based Environmental Support Services urged those gathered at the public hearing to “help UVI become competitive in grant seeking.”
EPSCoR will also listen to suggestions at hearings on St. Croix and St. Thomas.
The St. Croix hearing will be held Wednesday at UVI’s Northwest Wing.
The St. Thomas hearing will be held Thursday at the Windward Passage Hotel.
Both begin at 6 p.m.
Learn more about the EPSCoR program at http://epscor.uvi.edu/. Send comments to viepscor@uvi.edu.
