[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 2, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E94]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION'S ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO 
                     STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SHARICE DAVIDS

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 2, 2022

  Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
National Science Foundation's (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate 
Competitive Research (EPSCoR). For decades, the EPSCoR program has been 
instrumental in supporting groundbreaking research and development in 
states that don't receive a majority of federal science funding. 28 
states and territories benefit from this program, including my home 
state of Kansas.
  Nationwide, EPSCoR has inspired a generation of STEM professionals 
and created new opportunities for student researchers to succeed. 
Through its most recent award, the Kansas EPSCoR program has been 
researching microbiomes in our water, plants, and soil to enable more 
sustainable food production and lasting ecosystem protections. This 
federal funding has also allowed recipients to launch an internship 
program, a summer course for high school teachers, and more. From the 
University of Kansas to Haskell Indian Nations University, students and 
faculty that benefit from EPSCoR will help ensure that the United 
States leads well into the future when it comes to science, 
sustainability, and life-saving research.
  As the House and Senate consider legislation to make our nation more 
competitive, bolster our supply chains, and boost domestic 
manufacturing, I urge the inclusion of robust funding for the EPSCoR 
program. In 2020, EPSCoR states received just $190 million in federal 
funding--only two percent of the NSF's budget. Increasing dedicated 
EPSCoR funding to 20 percent of the NSF's budget, along with the large 
investments in research and development we are considering, will spur 
innovation in underserved communities without sacrificing support to 
states that have historically received high amounts of federal science 
funding.
  Student researchers in Kansas and other smaller states have so much 
to offer. I urge my colleagues to continue supporting them, their work, 
and the EPSCoR program with increased dedicated funding in the America 
COMPETES Act.

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