Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund Advanced Development Strategy

路易斯安那州的刺激竞争性研究实验计划（EPSCoR）将提高在四个机构（西南路易斯安那大学、杜兰大学、路易斯安那州立大学和杜兰大学医学中心）的5个研究集群中工作的大约54名科学家的研究竞争力。研究方向为：(1)建立分子进化跨学科研究中心；(2)裂解肽的作用机制；(3)酶和其他生物聚合物性质的合成；(4)容错神经网络：设计理论与应用；(5)通过界面、膜和多孔介质的传输过程。NSF通过州EPSCoR委员会（“LaSER”）提供的资金为路易斯安那教育质量基金（LEQSF）的收入结构和目标提供了催化剂，LEQSF是一个5.5亿美元的信托基金，致力于加强教育。自1987年以来，LEQSF已将5600万美元用于精心挑选的科学和工程（S&amp；E）领域，以提高研究竞争力，加强部门，捐赠主席，并提供研究生培训。EPSCoR活动的目的是将五个优先领域的平均联邦支出水平比全国平均水平提高30至45个百分点，并将授予学士和博士学位的人数，特别是少数民族的学士和博士学位，提高到全国人均平均水平的90%左右。这些目标将通过继续成功的LEQSF/LaSER项目来实现，并建立在项目中发展或从中产生的优势，通过刺激形成强大的重点研究小组，并利用这些“集群”来促进S&amp；E人力资源开发。国家和机构将在三年内捐助超过1200万美元。

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) in the state of Louisiana will enhance the research competitiveness of approximately 54 scientists working in 5 research clusters at four institutions (University of Southwestern Louisiana, Tulane University, Louisiana State University, and Tulane University Medical Center). The research areas to be studied are: (1) Development of a Interdisciplinary Center in Molecular Evolution; (2) Mechanism of Action of Lytic Peptides; (3) Synthesis of Properties of Enzymes and Other Biopolymers; (4) Fault Tolerant Neural Networks: Design Theories and Applications; and (5) Transport Processes Through Interfaces, Membranes, and Porous Media. NSF funding through the state's EPSCoR Committee ("LaSER") has provided a catalyst to structure and target the earnings from the Louisiana Educational Quality Fund (LEQSF), a $550 million trust fund dedicated to enhancing education. Since 1987, $56 million has been expended from LEQSF in carefully targeted science and engineering (S&E) fields to increase research competitiveness, enhance departments, endow chairs, and provide graduate traineeships. EPSCoR activities are designed to increase the average federal expenditure level per S&E in five priority fields by 30 to 45 percentage points against the national average, and to increase the number of S&E bachelors and doctoral degrees awarded, particularly among minorities, to approximately 90 percent of the national per capita average. These objectives will be achieved by continuing successful LEQSF/LaSER programs and building on the strengths developed in, or emerging from, the projects being supported through stimulation the formation of strong focused research groups and using such "clusters" to promote S&E human resource development. The State and institutions will contribute over $12 million over 3 years.