EPSCoR--Vermont Infrastructure Improvement Program

根据三个研发重点领域对该州经济发展的潜在贡献以及在佛蒙特大学未来优势愿景中的重要性，选择了三个研发重点领域进行加强。它们是：先进材料（电子材料、传感器、多孔固体和聚合物，以及对生物材料的日益关注）；生物技术（现代分子生物学和遗传学到与生物过程有关的测量技术）；环境科学与工程（地下水模型，实地研究，跨部门和学院合作）。旨在提高个人和机构在重点领域竞争力的计划包括：1)通过与行业学术联络的资助机会（GOALI）计划为学术工业合作提供种子资金；2)教学博士后辅导/专业发展；3)为早期职业教师和小型科技企业推迟核心“服务收费”仪器的成本；4)研究生支持早期职业教师和鼓励跨部门/学院项目；5)多用户研究仪器的研究设备购置；6)为选定的重点领域教员提供新教员启动基金的补充。此外，三项主要举措将解决整个州的经济和人力资源开发问题。这些包括：1)小企业创新研究（SBIR）第0阶段拨款，为概念验证或初步数据收集提供种子资金；2)本科院校本科生科研参与奖励；3)在高中开展外展活动，向大量学生介绍科学和工程职业，并让一个选定的小组参与暑期研究活动。

Three R&D focus areas are selected for enhancement based on their potential for contributions to economic development in the state and importance in the future vision of strengths at the University of Vermont. They are: Advanced Materials (electronic materials, sensors, porous solids and polymers along with an increased focus on biomaterials); Biotechnology (modern molecular biology and genetics to measurement technologies related to biological processes); Environmental Science and Engineering (groundwater modeling, field based studies and cross departmental and college collaborations). Programs designed to improve competitiveness in the focus areas both at the individual and institutional levels include: 1) seed funding of academic industrial collaborations through Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) program; 2) a teaching post-doctoral mentoring/professional development; 3) minigrants to defer cost of core "fee for service" instrumentation for early career faculty and small science and technology based businesses; 4) graduate student support for early career faculty and for encouragement of cross department/college projects; 5) research equipment acquisition for the multi-user research instrumentation; and 6) supplements to new faculty start-up funds for selected focus area faculty. In addition, three major initiatives will address both economic and human resource development across the state. These include: 1) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase-0 grants to provide seed funds for proof of concept or preliminary data collection; 2) awards for undergraduate research participation at undergraduate institutions; 3) high school outreach to both introduce a large number students to science and engineering careers and to involve a select group in summer research activities.