Montana NASA EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development (RID) FY 2015-2017

Since the beginning of the NASA EPSCoR program in Montana in 1994, great strides have been made in developing and coordinating Montana research and education activities aimed at solving current technical and scientific problems facing NASA and the aerospace community. These accomplishments and their resulting infrastructure have allowed many Montana researchers, including students, to have opportunities to work with NASA that were not present prior to the implementation of NASA EPSCoR and the National Space Grant programs. Due to the success achieved thus far, the goals outlined below for the Montana NASA EPSCoR program for the next three years will remain consistent with those of the earlier program. RID-Specific Goal: To help boost the research programs of Montana college and university faculty research in areas that match scientific and technical problems of importance to NASA to a new level of national prominence, enabling them to compete successfully for regular NASA research funding. General Montana NASA EPSCoR Goals: To make NASA better aware of nationally competitive researchers and capabilities already existing in Montana. To build research infrastructure at institutions of higher education throughout Montana that can benefit individual researchers and groups working on scientific and technical problems of importance to NASA by developing expertise and capabilities not currently available within the state. To assist in Montana's economic development in aerospace-related fields by: - utilizing EPSCoR research to strengthen existing Montana high-tech companies. - seeking new connections between Montana faculty researchers and state industries. - building university research enterprises that will foster "spin-off" startup enterprises. To maintain a focused effort to build nationally prominent, competitive research groups at Montana's major universities, while at the same time providing opportunities for research involvement to interested, committed faculty and students at smaller institutions. To coordinate the Montana NASA EPSCoR and Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) programs in a seamless, unified approach to enhance aerospace-related education, research, economic development, and public outreach throughout the state with a plan grounded in the state's capabilities, priorities, and goals. RID OBJECTIVES Research Initiation Grant Objectives A1. Continue to evaluate Research Initiation Grant proposals on 1) Scientific/Engineering impact, 2) NASA connection, 3) Technical feasibility, 4) Broader impacts (such as state research infrastructure and economic development), 5) Suitability of the proposed research team, and 6) Probability of the work resulting in further NASA funding. A2. Continue to require letters of support from NASA personnel in Research Initiation Grant proposals. A3. Maintain at least 70% of students working on Research Initiation Grant projects presenting at the MSGC Student Research Symposium held annually at Montana State University-Bozeman. Travel Grant Objectives B1. Continue to evaluate Travel Grant proposals on 1) Scientific/Engineering impact, 2) NASA connection, and 3) Broader impacts (such as state research infrastructure and economic development). B2. Continue to recommend that faculty make a presentation during their visit to the NASA site. B3. Continue to coordinate Travel Grant efforts with NSF EPSCoR, NIH INBRE, and other state and federal agencies.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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