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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Please see the message below on behalf of Ramu. -Arden</span></p>
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Dear researchers:</div>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Due to a strict limit by NSF of one submission as a lead institution as well as the amount of interest already evident, it appears
that we will need an internal competition to select the University’s single submission to the 2026
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><a href="https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/epscor-research-infrastructure-improvement-program-focused/nsf24-573/solicitation" id="OWA6bb9734b-f6b7-058d-e084-6daa30899b5b" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><u>NSF
EPSCoR Track-2 FEC</u></a></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> opportunity. In the current cycle, the letter of intent is due to NSF by
<b>December 15, 2026</b>, and proposals are due by <b>January 26, 2027</b>. The program website (linked above) says: “Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise
and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently.”</span></p>
<p class="elementToProof" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The internal competition will be managed
by the Interim VP for Research. If you wish to lead a proposal in response to this opportunity, please send the following
<u>as a single PDF</u> by <b>October 5, 2026</b> (two weeks from Monday, September 21) to
<b>ramu@latech.edu</b>. We hope to have a decision by mid to late October.</span></p>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cover page:</span></p>
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<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Tentative title.</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Collaborating institutions.</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Names of participating investigators from Tech,</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Names of non-Louisiana Tech investigators and affiliations,</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Approx number of PhD and/or MS students to be supported at Tech</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Approx number of postdocs to be supported at Tech</span></li></ol>
</ol>
<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Page 2:</span></p>
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<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">Project summary in NSF format (see below).</span></li></ol>
</ol>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Project Summary (approximately a page
in length):</b></span></p>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The solicitation has the following
<u>instructions for the Project Summary</u>:</span></p>
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<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">In accordance with the guidance in the PAPPG, the Project Summary must include three separate sections labeled Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts. In the Overview section, briefly describe the
collaborating organizations; the vision and goals of the collaboration; a statement of the objectives and methods to be employed; expected impacts of the proposed activities; and plans for sustaining collaborations and impacts beyond the award period. At the
end of the Broader Impacts section, indicate the Letter of Intent (LOI) number (not needed for the internal competition, obviously), the NSF Directorate(s), Division(s), and Program(s) that most closely align with the proposal's research focus.</span></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;" role="presentation">At the end of the Broader Impacts section, provide five keywords or key phrases that describe the proposal research topic, and the NSF Directorate(s), Division(s), and Program(s) that most closely align with
the proposal's research focus.</span></li></ol>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Terri Murray and Shengnian Wang are PIs of active Track-2 FEC awards. I am sure they will be happy to share what they have learned
from their experiences.</span></p>
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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Best regards,</span></p>
<p class="elementToProof" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ramu</span></p>
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<pre class="elementToProof"><div class="elementToProof" style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Arden L. Moore, Ph. D.
Associate Dean of Research, College of Engineering and Science
Director, Institute for Micromanufacturing
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Contractor's Trust #1 Endowed Chair
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
Phone: (318) 257-5106
Email: amoore@latech.edu
Website: http://www2.latech.edu/~amoore</div></pre>
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