What is Kentucky EPSCoR?

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Kentucky EPSCoR History

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) began in 1979 in response to Congressional concern over the uneven ability of selected states to compete for federal Research and Development (R&D) funds.  It was established first by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and began with the NSF awarding grants to four states which had the lowest federal R&D allocations on a per capita basis.  Seven states made proposals and only four were funded, South Carolina, Arkansas, Maine and Montana.

In 1985, another group of states was added to the list of seven.  Kentucky was included in this later group.  NSF approved a Statewide EPSCoR Committee in Kentucky, appointed by the Governor, to develop a planning grant for an EPSCoR program in the state.  The Committee included representatives from industry, state government and higher education.  Mr. Ted Lassiter, the Director of IBM Lexington, at that time, was selected as Chairman of the Statewide EPSCoR Committee.  In developing its plan, the Statewide Committee established an Advisory Committee consisting only of members of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering for the purpose of visiting all universities in the state and assessing research strengths, weaknesses and systemic deterrents to quality research.  The Advisory Committee made a report to the Statewide EPSCoR Planning Committee, which was shared with university presidents.

Utilizing the Advisory Committee’s report, the NSF EPSCoR Planning Committee issued a request for proposals from all universities in the state.  Upon receiving these proposals, the planning committee had the proposals peer reviewed by the Advisory Committee and about three experts in the field (suggested by the proposers).  Using this information the Planning Committee submitted a proposal to NSF that requested $3 million from NSF over a 5 year period matched by $3 million from the state, $10.6 million from industry and university in-kind match for a total project funding of $16.5 million.  NSF approved Kentucky’s proposal and made a grant of $3 million to the EPSCoR Committee with the University of Kentucky Research Foundation serving as fiscal agent.  Kentucky has been an NSF EPSCoR awardee in each succeeding phase.

After Mr. Lassiter left IBM, Dr. Lee Todd, founder of DataBeam, Inc. was made Chairman of the EPSCoR Committee and resigned his position on becoming the  President of the University of Kentucky.  Wimberly Royster is the current Chairman of Kentucky's Statewide EPSCoR Committee. 

In 1991, NSF funded phase two of the EPSCoR program for $1.3 million per year.  In addition, Congress expanded the EPSCoR program to a number of other agencies.  In 1992, the Statewide EPSCoR Committee decided that there needed to be coordination among the various agency EPSCoR programs.  It was at that time the Statewide Committee decided to affiliate with the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC) and Dr. Wimberly C. Royster, former Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Kentucky, was asked to assume the duties of the Director of the Statewide EPSCoR Program.   Dr. F. Richard Kurzynske, a former private sector member of the statewide committee, has succeeded Dr. Royster as Director.

The Statewide Committee has established subcommittees for each of the federal agencies that support an EPSCoR program.  Membership on these subcommittees consists of two Statewide Committee members, faculty and industry representatives.  This structure has served Kentucky EPSCoR well in that awards have been received from all agencies and a broader representation of university and non-university personnel is involved in the Kentucky EPSCoR program.

University Membership

The following is a list of Kentucky Universities currently participating in KY EPSCoR: