VT EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Awardees Attend National Science Foundation Convergence Meeting
Photo by Lillian Gamache, Project Administrator and Assistant VT State EPSCoR Director
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) held a first ever meeting with all Research Infrastructure Improvement Awardees (RII) Tracks 1 -2 and 4 in Old Alexandria, Virginia on May 15 – 17, 2019. The meeting theme focused on “Convergence” and provided the opportunity for Principle Investigators (PIs) from all EPSCoR states and jurisdictions around the country to hear about funding trends at the NSF and other EPSCoR-like programs including the newly announced funding opportunities expected from the Department of Defense (DEPSCoR) program. The forum also provided a venue for PIs from different RII funding mechanisms to network and discover potential future collaborative areas of common interest – and convergence.
Vermont EPSCoR was well represented with awardees from all three RII Track Awards. Seen in this photo from left to right are: Laurie Grigg, Ph.D., Norwich University, RII Track-4: Paleoecological insights into the impacts of climate change on Vermont lakes.
Heather J. Axen, Ph.D., Salve Regina University, RI, Track 2 FEC Co-PI: From Genome to Phenome in a Stressful World: Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanisms Mediating Thermal Plasticity in Drosophila
Mina Peshavaria, Ph.D., Director of Sponsored Programs, Norwich University.
Arne Bomblies, Ph.D., VT State EPSCoR Director and RII Track 1 Project Director (in back row). Lake Champlain Basin Resilience to Extreme Events.
Sara Helms Cahan, Ph.D., University of Vermont, RII Track -2 FEC PI and lead institution. From Genome to Phenome in a Stressful World: Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanisms Mediating Thermal Plasticity in Drosophila
Brent Lockwood, Ph.D., University of Vermont, RII Track -2 Co-PI. From Genome to Phenome in a Stressful World: Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanisms Mediating Thermal Plasticity in Drosophila
Loretta Moore, Ph.D., NSF EPSCoR Section Head.