Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) is designed to expand participation in innovation ecosystems that drive key technologies and help colleges and universities build their capacity to grow external partnerships. The National Science Foundation (NSF), including its new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP), created this program to speed up scientific and technological innovation across the country and ensure everyone can take part in the U.S. research and innovation landscape.

To build more inclusive innovation ecosystems, broad networks of partners need to come together to support research that’s practical and can lead to real-world applications or commercial use. This also means developing a skilled workforce. The NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program, under the TIP Directorate, focuses on creating these inclusive ecosystems nationwide. For this to work, all interested colleges and universities in a region need to be able to participate and bring their unique skills to the table.

However, NSF recognizes that many Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), and two-year colleges often don’t have the resources or infrastructure to build external partnerships and fully engage in innovation ecosystems. This limits their ability to connect with programs like NSF Engines.

That’s where EPIIC comes in. It’s designed to support these institutions, helping them become equal partners in NSF Engines projects. Importantly, you don’t need to already have a partnership with an organization applying for NSF Engines funding to participate. The goal is to fund capacity-building efforts that open up innovation opportunities, whether or not there’s future involvement in an NSF Engine project.

Check out the EPIIC Awards.