THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IS COMMITTED TO DEVELOPMENT OF ITS R&D CAPACITY BOTH FOR THEEDUCATIONAL VALUE (WORKFORCE) AND FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. LOUISIANA PARTICIPATES IN ALL OFTHE AGENCY EPSCOR PROGRAMS FOR WHICH IT IS ELIGIBLE THROUGH THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF REGENTS(BOR) WHICH PROVIDES STATE MATCHING FUNDS AND CONSEQUENTLY ACTS AS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR THEEPSCOR PROGRAMS. (THIS ARRANGEMENT WORKED WELL FOR LOUISIANA'S SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION INTHE THREE PREVIOUS NASA EPSCOR PROGRAMS.) THE STATE'S FOCUS FOR THE MAJOR EPSCORPROGRAMS (NSF NIH) HAS BEEN ON BIOLOGICAL/MEDICAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL/HEALTH AND MATERIALS SCIENCE WHILE FOR THE SMALLER MORE MISSION-RELATEDAGENCIES' EPSCOR PROGRAMS THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ADAPT TO THOSE MISSION AGENCY REQUIREMENTSWHILE REMAINING CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL LOUISIANA EPSCOR EFFORT. NASA EPSCOR HAS BEENSUCCESSFUL IN DEVELOPING RESEARCH CAPACITY IN SPACE/AEROSPACE FIELDS THAT ALSO SUPPORTS THEOVERALL STATE GOALS