Oklahoma EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement

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9720651 Williams The EPSCoR program has served as a major stimulus to improvements in the competitiveness of Oklahoma researchers and the status of university science and technology research in Oklahoma. The state and the three comprehensive universities (The University of Oklahoma and its Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma State University, and The University of Tulsa) have demonstrated a commitment to develop their research bases and to improve the quality of their science, mathematics, and engineering research. Oklahoma EPSCoR will focus on three Science and Technology Centers: the Oklahoma Biotechnology Network; the Center for Environmental Applications of the Oklahoma Mesonet; and the Center for Photonic and Electronic Materials and Devices. The Oklahoma Biotechnology Network will stress technical support for core facilities, technical workshops as a primary outreach mechanism, and selected new initiatives in bioinformatics, mass spectrometry, and DNA chip technology. The Center for Environmental Applications of the Oklahoma Mesonet, a network of 114 automated environmental monitoring sites across Oklahoma that relay data via radio links to a central location, will stress accessibility and usability of Mesonet data, add Mesonet stations and sensors around the Norman Landfill, and will develop an aerobiology sensor network in western Oklahoma. The Center for Photonic and Electronic Materials and Devices will stress pre-competitive applied research projects to establish linkages with private sector companies and will provide support to research facilities and for selected equipment upgrades. The goal of the Cooperative Agreement is to make the three Centers self-sufficient and to graduate them from EPSCoR support by the end of the award period. This will be accomplished by providing support to the underlying research infrastructure in the Centers, through selective funding for new initiatives, and through support for research outreach and project developme nt. These initiatives will be directed towards securing non-EPSCoR support for the research projects and research infrastructure from federal, state, institution, and private sources. A co-funding initiative in high capacity computer networking will support ongoing efforts and new initiatives to expand Oklahoma's capabilities in networking. The Centers and Network goals are complemented by: support for research outreach and proposal development; technology showcases to bring together university researchers and the private sector; programs to promote public and legislative awareness of university research; a new Faculty Fellows program for senior research faculty to interact with state leaders; and, human resources programs including two Women in Science conferences and an entrepreneurship program.