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Wyoming Statistics and Facts:
Dynamics of Technology-Based Economic Development: State Science and Technology Indicators, Dept. of Commerce, 2000

Program Activities:

Wyoming Undergraduate Research Fellowships

Summer Research Apprentice Program

National Science Foundation

NSF EPSCoR

NSF Co-funding Program

NSF FastLane

EPSCoR stands for Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.  EPSCoR is a state/federal matching grant program that is enabling Wyoming to become nationally competitive in science and technology. Currently, for each dollar of state investment, EPSCoR generates $2.00 dollars of additional funding from the National Science Foundation in partnership.   Federal funds match state appropriations to build science and engineering in higher education and in so doing, a technology-based economy for the future. 

• EPSCoR is specifically designed to strengthen Wyoming’s science and technology competitiveness—the program’s performance is monitored by Wyoming citizens, nationally prominent scientists and university faculty.
   

• EPSCoR acts on the premise that the quality of research is inextricably linked to the quality of the scientists who perform it.  The development of science and engineering faculty and students at universities are valuable resources that can improve a state’s development in the 21^st century.

Faculty – Strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

The new Wyoming NSF EPSCoR grant focuses on building a critical mass of research faculty and multidisciplinary facilities in ecology.  Particular emphasis is placed on bridging between ecological topology and global change, a vital need in the field that UW is well placed to develop.  Ecological topology, an emerging research area, is the integrated study of spatial and temporal patterns and dynamics of ecological systems.  Global change, including climate change and variability, human land-use and habitat alteration, and biotic disruption (through invasive species, pathogen outbreaks, wildfires, and other disturbances), comprises a major challenge for management of natural resources and maintenance of vital ecosystem services in the 21^st Century.   

Understanding the spatial and temporal dimensions of global change and its impacts on natural and managed ecological systems is critical to scientifically informed decision-making in Wyoming and elsewhere.  The EPSCoR project will complement and interface with the new doctoral Program in Ecology at the University of Wyoming. 

EPSCoR Hires: Over the period of the grant, 5 faculty will be hired in 5  key areas necessary for the development of the Ecology group infrastructure . 

Enhanced Research Capacity: Research capacity will be advanced by hiring of Academic Professional Research Scientists and associated equipment for three interdisciplinary research facilities on campus:  UW Stable Isotope Facility (SIF), Wyoming Geographic Information Sciences Center (WyGISC), and UW Nucleic Acids Exploration Facility (NAEF). 

Economic Development Activities:
A Technical Assistance Plan for Incubator Businesses: A three-way partnership between the State, UW and private funding has been formed to build a technology incubator adjacent to the University. Wyoming NSF EPSCoR will support the development of courses for new businesses in Wyoming. These courses, Practical Accounting for Technology Businesses and Practical Management for Technology Businesses, will provide key practices and information to help the businesses succeed upon leaving the incubator.  We also will fund internships for students in the Business College to assist potential Wyoming businesses in marketing, business plan development and product assessments.

Student Educational/Research Activities

High School Students. Working with the UW Multicultural Affairs Office, EPSCoR sponsors an annual program for high school students who are first-generation college students. This program is a residential, seven-week summer internship in a research laboratory. Results show a greater than 85% college entrance rate with 60% graduating with STEM majors.

Research Experiences for Secondary Education Majors.    In collaboration with the UW College of Education, secondary science ed majors will be paired with graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas to conduct a research project designed to give them familiarity and confidence in scientific experimentation.  Additionally, these students will be provided with a set of experiments and curricular materials developed by a team of Education and STEM faculty for their use during their teacher training.

Undergraduates. The EPSCoR program is committed to increasing the number of students choosing STEM careers. Research fellowships are provided to undergraduates on a competitive basis during the school year and during the summer term. We have provided 388 fellowships over the past 11 years; 99.6% of these students graduated and 89% remained in STEM careers – clearly a major success.

Graduate Student Stipend Program.  Supplements of $3,000/year are for Ph.D. students who have completed their preliminary examination or the equivalent and who take two new courses.  The courses developed with funding from Wyoming NSF EPSCoR are Business for Scientists and Engineers and Teaching for Scientists and Engineers.

Community College Program 
Wyoming EPSCoR Community College Grants are designed to:
§         Provide research experiences for community college students.
§         Provide research opportunities for community college faculty.

Since 1997, Wyoming EPSCoR has funded:
§         84 Wyoming Community College Students.
§        52 Wyoming Community College Research Projects.

NSF EPSCoR Successful Management Strategies Workshop

June, 2002

Wyoming EPSCoR Committee

Organizational Chart