EPSCoR Interagency Coordinating Committee (EICC)

In 1978, Congress authorized the U.S. National Science Foundation to conduct an Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research in response to broad public concerns about the geographical concentration of federal funding for research and development. Eligibility for EPSCoR participation was limited to those jurisdictions that had historically received lesser amounts of federal R&D funding and had demonstrated a commitment to developing their research bases and improving the quality of science and engineering research conducted at their universities and colleges.

The success of the NSF EPSCoR program during the 1980s prompted the creation of EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs in six other federal agencies. In Fiscal Year 1992, the Interagency Coordinating Committee, or EICC, was established among the federal agencies with EPSCoR or EPSCoR-like programs.

The major objectives of the EICC focus on improving coordination among and between the federal agencies in implementing EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs consistent with the policies of those agencies. Member agencies of the EICC are:

The EICC serves as a working group for interagency coordination and communication. The committee meets on a regular basis to pursue the following goals:

Coordinate federal EPSCoR and EPSCoR-like programs to maximize the impact of federal support while eliminating duplication in jurisdictions receiving EPSCoR support from more than one agency.
Coordinate agency objectives with jurisdiction and institutional goals, to ensure continued nonfederal support of research and training in science and technology.
Coordinate the development of metrics to assess gains in academic research quality and competitiveness and in human resource development in science and technology.
Exchange information on pending legislation, agency policies and relevant programs related to research and training in science and technology, and to coordinate responses on issues of common concern.