EPSCoR establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state or region’s research infrastructure, research and development capacity, and its national research and development competitiveness.

Iowa Impacts

NASA EPSCoR allows Iowa to participate in NASA’s research enterprise, creates a broader base of research expertise available to the agency to meet its mission, and expands the workforce of STEM-educated and trained students capable of meeting global challenges.

NASA EPSCoR acts as an incubator for innovation. Through increased research capacity, the program provides opportunities for high-tech economic growth in the local communities and helps educate high-skilled workers for those industries.

Three NASA EPSCoR RID awards have been awarded to the State of Iowa that have allowed Iowa NASA EPSCoR to fund 30 seed grants involving 42 researchers and numerous graduate research assistants since 2019. The NASA collaborations in these projects have and continue to lead to strong proposals to nationally competitive awards. To date, these seed grants have led to over $21 million in additional funding to Iowa.

Latest Posts

  • ISGC and NASA EPSCoR Spring Research Symposium

    When: April 15, 2025 Where: Howe Hall, Iowa State University; 537 Bissell Rd, Ames, IA 50011. Join us for our annual Spring Research Symposium at Iowa State University where Iowa Space Grant Consortium supported students and faculty, as well as Iowa NASA EPSCoR supported researchers and students, will come together to showcase their innovative and…

  • Request for Information on infrastructure and capabilities for large scale rodent research to characterize space radiation exposure carcinogenesis

    Solicitation Number: NNJ25ZSA003LRelease Date: February 25, 2025Response Date: March 11, 2025 The Human Research Program investigates and mitigates the highest risks to astronaut health and performance in exploration missions. The goal of the HRP is to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration,…

  • Opportunity: 2025 TRISH Appendix A – Enhancing eXploration Platforms and ANalog Definition (EXPAND) Exploratory Studies

    Release date: March 4, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ETStep-1 proposals due date: April 16, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ETStep-2 proposals due date: July 2, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET The NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is now accepting proposals through the 2025 TRISH Appendix A – Enhancing eXploration Platforms and ANalog Definition (EXPAND) Exploratory Studies call to advance research…

  • Unveiling a Groundbreaking NASA-Funded Project on Sex Differences in Spaceflight Responses

    Iowa NASA EPSCoR – Research Building Seed Grant FY25  Team:  In a groundbreaking research initiative recently funded by NASA, Dr. Khaled Kamal from Iowa State University’s Department of Kinesiology, in collaboration with NASA Ames Research Center, will delve into how biological sex impacts the response to spaceflight stressors through the lens of extracellular vesicles, known…

  • Iowa NASA EPSCoR Announces Research Building Seed Grant Awards to Enhance Research Capacity in Iowa 

    Article by Sarah Bernick Iowa NASA EPSCoR is excited to announce the recipients of its annual seed grants, aimed at expanding research capacity in Iowa as part of a larger initiative funded by NASA’s Research Infrastructure Development (RID) grant. This multi-year effort, which runs from 2022 to 2027, seeks to empower researchers across the state…

  • Subramanian earns Iowa NASA EPSCoR Research Building Seed Grant

    Credit: Simpson College Simpson College Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Dr. Aswati Subramanian has been awarded an Iowa NASA EPSCoR Research Building Seed grant. EPSCoR stands for “Established Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research.” Dr. Subramanian’s $30,600 grant supports NASA-relevant science and engineering research within Iowa.  Subramanian will use the funding to support a Simpson undergraduate…