The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) was established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1979. The program goal: to strengthen U.S. research and education in science and engineering.
In 1991-92, other federal agencies formed similar EPSCoR programs. States qualifying for NSF EPSCoR funds are then eligible to apply for EPSCoR funds from other federal agencies.
In 2004, the National Science Foundation designated New Hampshire an EPSCoR state. That designation qualified N.H. researchers to apply for other federal agency EPSCoR funds.
New Hampshire's NASA EPSCoR is administerd throught the N.H. Space Grant at the University of New Hampshire.
Seven federal agencies now have EPSCoR programs: the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Dept. of Defense, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Dept. of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency.
NASA EPSCoR research priorities are defined by the Mission Directorates (Aeronautics Research, Human Exploration & Operations, Science, and Space Technology) at NASA's ten centers.
Each Mission Directorate and Center covers a major area of the agency's research and technology development.