Arkansas EPSCoR seeking scientific research, workforce development project ideas

Dec. 13, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arkansas EPSCoR seeking scientific research, workforce development project ideas

The Arkansas National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) Central Office is seeking scientific research, education, and workforce development project ideas through Jan. 9 to support the upcoming NSF EPSCoR proposal to expand data science research and education in the state.

The Central Office is part of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Division of Science and Technology.

Faculty at Arkansas higher education institutions are eligible to submit proposals. This includes community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, private institutions, and Ph.D. granting institutions. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with faculty at other campuses and departments for these projects.

NSF has identified data analytics and data science education as one of 10 priority areas for research funding, and the Arkansas NSF EPSCoR Science Advisory Committee plans to create a statewide proposal that will leverage the state’s strengths in the field in order to build the its research capacity as well as create industry-university relationships that will impact the quality and quantity of skilled workers.

“Arkansas is not new to the world of data analytics and computing,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “We have a history of both successful innovative companies and established industry leaders breaking new ground in the use of advanced computing and data analytics. But, we know that the competition around the transformation of Big Data and its applications is stiff, and the stakes are high for our state’s leading industries and future economic prosperity.”

Two focus areas have been identified for Arkansas’s submission:

Research Focus Area – Development of Techniques and Technologies for Identifying, Analyzing, Extracting, Testing, Labeling, and Life Cycle Managing of Value from Big Data (Large Unstructred Data Sets). Arkansas’ submission for this project will capitalize on the state’s expertise in data quality, visualization, data ethics, and machine learning.

Workforce Development and Education Focus Area – The purpose is to foster high-skilled, high-paying career pathways for Arkansans in data analytics and computing. Faculty can submit a project idea revolving around these four categories: post-secondary curriculum, apprenticeships, certification programs, and K12 engagement; all with emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and equity.

“The future of Arkansas’s economic development is tied to our ability to succeed in data analytics and computing,” said Charles Morgan, founder and past chairman and CEO of Acxiom and current chairman/CEO of First Orion Corporation. “If we are to succeed in retaining and growing existing jobs and recruiting industry, we have to have the talent and technical capabilities to meet this opportunity.”

Project proposals must be submitted electronically to the Central Office by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. The forms and specific requirements for submission can be found on Arkansas EPSCoR’s website at arkansasedc.com/science-technology/division/arkansas-nsf-epscor.

Arkansas’s statewide EPSCoR proposal will be submitted to NSF by July 31, 2019, with an anticipated award period of Aug. 1, 2020 through July 31, 2025.

About Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC): Created in 1955 to make Arkansas more competitive in the post-World War II era, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) seeks to create economic opportunity by attracting higher-paying jobs, expanding and diversifying local economies in the state, increasing incomes and investment, and generating positive growth throughout The Natural State. Arkansas is a pro-business environment operating leaner, faster and more focused through a streamlined state government designed to act on corporate interests quickly and decisively.

About Arkansas NSF EPSCoR: The Arkansas National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is a federal-state partnership designed to strengthen basic research competitiveness in Arkansas and advance research of national significance with major economic development potential. Arkansas NSF EPSCoR’s goals are to provide strategic programs and opportunities for Arkansas participants that stimulate sustainable improvements in their R&D capacity and competitiveness; and to advance science and engineering capabilities in Arkansas for discovery, innovation and overall knowledge-based prosperity.