Planning Grant for EPSCoR Missouri

University Of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO

Investigators

Abstract

This EPSCoR planning grant will identify the most powerful points of leverage for building Missouri's research and technology enterprise. The NSF Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-1 (RII Track-1) proposal will use those leverage points to develop and sustain a national leadership role. The EPSCoR governing committee will solicit concept papers and convene stakeholder discussions to define research themes and inform the plans for cyberinfrastructure, external engagement, workforce development, diversity, evaluation and assessment, and sustainability. The EPSCoR team will work with state officials to finalize the Science and Technology Plan. The governing committee will ensure all stakeholders are fairly represented, and an external advisory board and experienced EPSCoR consultant will guide the planning process. Intellectual Merit. The focal area for EPSCoR Missouri will be biosciences as supported by cyberinfrastructure. This focus was determined by examining comprehensive research on Missouri's job and wealth generation potential, relevant support services, educational opportunities, research activity, recent events, infrastructure, and stakeholder input. The research identified seven "target clusters" as key to Missouri's economic development, and NSF funding across these clusters points very clearly to a state-wide strength in the biosciences. The biosciences are increasingly dependent on the ability to manage, mine and store very large datasets, that can traverse widely divergent phylogenies and span molecular, cellular and population scales. Missouri's overall cyberinfrastructure, however, limits further growth in bioscience research. With the opportunity to increase the power and breadth of the state's cyberinfrastructure, Missouri scientists can expand work in areas of strength - among them modeling of protein structure, metabolic networks and ecological interactions. Broader Impacts. The Missouri EPSCoR planning process will build a network of stakeholders who are invested in education and workforce development initiatives. This network will include all relevant research, education, government, and industry stakeholders as we increase collaborative capabilities through better communication and cyberinfrastructure, and plan for a sustainable steady state through an RII Track-1 award. With 34 institutions of higher education (including top-notch private universities, a Research-I land grant university, an HBCU and a large network of 2- and 4-year institutions) and world-class research centers and industry, Missouri can become a national leader in bioscience, producing and sustaining a diverse STEM workforce.