NSF-EPIIC-CAFE

Fairleigh Dickinson University is a proud recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) – Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) grant. The EPIIC program seeks to broaden participation in innovation ecosystems by supporting capacity-building efforts at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), and two-year institutions with limited research capacity. The goal is to empower these institutions to become equitable partners in advancing key technologies and contributing to the NSF Engines program’s inclusive innovation ecosystems.

With our cohort partner, the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) we will achieve our goals through our CAFE (Collaborate, Advance, Facilitate, Empower) framework, which is designed to build institutional research infrastructure, enhance faculty expertise, and create pathways for meaningful industry and academic collaborations.

Key activities during the three-year period include opportunities for seed grant funding, workshops and trainings, professional development support, research infrastructure enhancements, opportunities for collaboration with industry partners, and opportunities to enhance cross-institutional research capacity.

About the Program

The National Science Foundation (NSF) EPIIC (Enhancing Participatory Infrastructure for Inclusive Collaboration) initiative represents a strategic effort to strengthen institutional capacity for research and innovation. This collaborative program, involving Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) and the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), addresses critical challenges in fostering academic-industry partnerships, increasing research productivity, and enhancing workforce development through its CAFE (Collaborate, Advance, Facilitate, Empower) framework. The initiative focuses on four main objectives:

1. Collaborate: Establish interdisciplinary research opportunities and partnerships with external entities, particularly in key sectors such as biotechnology, healthcare, and engineering.
2. Advance: Enhance institutional visibility by promoting faculty expertise and research capabilities, creating opportunities to engage with private-sector partners and funding agencies.
3. Facilitate: Strengthen research infrastructure by consolidating resources, streamlining processes for external engagement, and implementing tools to support grant development and project management.
4. Empower: Equip faculty, staff, and students with resources and training to secure external funding and engage in meaningful, innovative research collaborations.