Research Infrastructure Development (RID) in West Virginia: A Proposal to NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

The NASA West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) requests $375,000 for the fiscal years 2016-19 for implementation of the WV Research Infrastructure Development (WV RID) Project. The NASA WV EPSCoR has tailored its programs to the unique configuration of the state’s needs and strengths and limitations of various colleges and universities in the state in a way that seems to make the best use of the opportunity represented by NASA’s vision in establishing the NASA EPSCoR program. WV RID consists of three programs which have been designed to supplement WV Space Grant Consortium menu of programs. These programs are: 1. NASA EPSCoR Research Seed Grants: designed to support faculty at all WV colleges and universities in their efforts to initiate research activities, conduct pilot experiments, or demonstrate new concepts that might lead to significant projects in the future. Each applicant may request up to $10,000 of NASA WV EPSCoR funds to be supplemented with at least a one-to-one cost share from the applicant’s home institution. 2. NASA EPSCoR College-University Collaboration program: Science faculties at West Virginia’s predominately undergraduate institutions need support in establishing competitive research programs. To address this problem, the NASA WV EPSCoR Committee will make one, $20,000 collaborative grants available each year (requiring a cost share of at least one-to-one). 3 NASA EPSCoR Travel Grant Program The NASA WV EPSCoR Committee provides support to researchers at WV colleges and universities to travel to NASA Centers or NASA Headquarters to meet and initiate collaborative projects with NASA scientists.

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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