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Alaska EPSCoR research and education/outreach seed funding opportunities

August 29, 2019

University Relations

Note: The deadline for the research seed grants has been extended to midnight Oct. 21, 2019. See the announcement about the new date here.

The Alaska NSF EPSCoR, or National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, Fire and Ice project will competitively award a series of seed grants to University of Alaska faculty, staff and students. Faculty and students who have not previously received EPSCoR funding are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submission of proposals is midnight Alaska time Oct. 14, 2019.

Grants will be awarded in three categories:

  1. Faculty Research Seed Grants of up to $20,000 each will be awarded to early- and mid-career, full-time faculty members of the University of Alaska to carry out proposals for new and innovative research projects that support the goals of the Alaska NSF EPSCoR “Fire and Ice” research project.

  2. Student Research Seed Grants of up to $4,000 each will be awarded for similar proposals from graduate or undergraduate students at the University of Alaska.

  3. Education and Outreach Seed Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to UA faculty or staff to carry out innovative proposals to build key competencies among stakeholders to address ecological change; to build a diverse pool of STEM learners and workers in Alaska; and/or to increase capacity for Fire and Ice science and teaching among UA faculty and students.


Projects should address themes relevant to the “Fire and Ice” project, which consists of two research components: a Boreal Fires team studying climate-driven changes to fire regimes in the boreal forest, and a Coastal Margins team studying the impacts of climate-driven changes to nearshore ecosystems and organisms in the Gulf of Alaska.

Research seed grant applicants will need to identify the component with which their proposed project best aligns. Applicants are strongly encouraged to talk with the appropriate component leads (Boreal Fires: Uma Bhatt or Todd Brinkman; Coastal Margins: Anne Beaudreau or Brenda Konar) to ensure that their proposed research fits within team goals. Research projects that strive to increase diversity in STEM engagement will be given priority over other, equally ranked proposals.

We plan to award up to four faculty research, five student research and five education and outreach grants, with an expected award period of Jan. 1-Sept. 30, 2020. Awards will be announced by Nov. 27, 2019. Visit the EPSCoR awards page for full criteria and to apply.

For more information, please contact Faye Gallant at fsgallant@alaska.edu or 474-6288.