URI awarded $8M NSF grant to support state research ecosystem

September 5, 2024
A student presents a project at the EPSCoR program’s annual undergraduate research conference held every July. Since 2004, the National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR program in Rhode Island has brought in millions of dollars in federal funds and supported faculty and students to conduct research impacting communities throughout Rhode Island. (URI Photo/Shaun Kirby)

Initiative will broaden participation in use-inspired research, economic development in R.I.

August 28, 2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced that the University of Rhode Island will lead a $8 million grant to strengthen science and technology efforts across Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island Inclusive Network of Excellence in Science and Technology (RII-NEST), which is a partnership of URI, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Brown University, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design, and Roger Williams University, will work across institutions to bolster the state’s research competitiveness, as well as support societal and economic growth.

“As Rhode Island’s flagship public research university, the University of Rhode Island is collaborating with partner institutions across the state to advance vital initiatives in STEM-related education and workforce development,” said Bethany D. Jenkins, URI’s vice president for research and economic development, in a statement to U.S. Sen. Jack Reed’s office. “Rhode Island has a unique and robust research ecosystem built through years of EPSCoR collaborations. Funding through the new RII-NEST EPSCoR award will enhance research infrastructure, build capacity for investigator expertise leading to sustained research, education and public engagement partnerships, and develop pathways to broaden the participation of students and institutions from across Rhode Island.”

Headshot of Elin Torrel.
Elin Torell, principal investigator of RII-NEST

URI will collaborate with these institutions to encourage unique partnerships with non-profit and industry organizations and develop use-inspired innovation that will benefit communities throughout the state and society at large. RII-NEST will also work with the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council to update the state’s science and technology plan, coordinating current and future research and workforce development opportunities.

“I look forward to supporting the state in growing its capacity to fund and implement inclusive and meaningful research that bolsters our blue economy and other areas of research,” said Elin Torell, principal investigator of RII-NEST, director of URI’s Coastal Institute and director for the Coastal Resources Center’s international programs at the Graduate School of Oceanography. “An important first step will be to identify Rhode Island’s science and technology needs together with the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Rhode Island Commerce, and other key partners.

“In the long run, I hope that RII-NEST will contribute to increasing federal research funding coming to our state and generate a number of productive partnerships with industry and communities.”

RII-NEST comprises four capacity-building themes: administration, workforce development, partnerships, and science communication. These themes, or “cores,” will broaden diverse and inclusive participation in Rhode Island’s research enterprise, supporting data-driven and accessible science and technology efforts. By providing new seed grants and programming for collaborative proposals, among other activities, RII-NEST seeks to grow the state’s science and technology ecosystem.

RII-NEST will be a part of the Rhode Island NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (RI NSF EPSCoR), which over the past five years has supported nearly 500 faculty and students in STEM fields and brought over $50 million in additional research funding into the state. Nationally, the NSF EPSCoR program builds fundamental research capacity and competitiveness in 25 states and three territories across the U.S., including Rhode Island, that have historically received less research funding from NSF.

For more information about RII-NEST, please visit: https://web.uri.edu/rinsfepscor/