NSF EPSCoR Polar Conference Orono, Maine, 9 March 2000

Date

20 January 2000

The National Science Foundation wishes to inform the research
community about the EPSCoR Polar Conference to be held at the
University of Maine, March 9, 2000. The conference described below is
an EPSCoR function, limited to participants who live in EPSCoR
states. All scientists from EPSCoR states (list provided below) are
invited. This message describes the EPSCoR program, who is eligible
to participate, lists a draft agenda for the conference, and provides
registration materials for interested participants.

For more information about the EPSCoR Polar Conference contact:
EPSCoR coordinator for OPP
Dr. Fae Korsmo
Office of Polar Programs (OPP) - Arctic Social Sciences
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230
703/306-1029
703/306-0648 fax

fkorsmo [at] nsf.gov

NSF EPSCoR Polar Conference
March 9, 2000
University Of Maine
Wells Conference Center, Orono, Maine

THE EPSCoR PROGRAM

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), is
based on the premise that universities and their science and engineering
faculty and students are valuable resources that can potentially influence
a state's development in the twenty-first century much in the same way that
agricultural, industrial, and natural resources did in the twentieth
century. EPSCoR's goal, therefore, is to identify, develop, and utilize a
state's academic science and technology resources in a way that will
support wealth creation and a more productive and fulfilling way of life for
a state's citizenry.

The NSF EPSCoR Office actively cooperates with state leaders in
government, higher education, and business to establish productive long-term
partnerships. In each EPSCoR state, the NSF's role is catalytic in nature
and is designed to stimulate local action that will result in lasting
improvements to the state's academic research infrastructure and increased
national R&D competitiveness.

EPSCoR increases the R&D competitiveness of an eligible state through the
development and utilization of the science and technology (S&T) resources
residing in its major research universities. EPSCoR achieves its objective
by:

(1) stimulating sustainable S&T infrastructure improvements at the
state and institutional levels that significantly increase the
ability of EPSCoR researchers to compete for federal and private
sector R&D funding; and
(2) accelerating the movement of EPSCoR researchers and institutions
into the mainstream of federal and private sector R&D support.

Eligibility

EPSCoR is restricted to those states that have historically received
lesser amounts of Federal R&D funding and have demonstrated a commitment to
develop their research bases and to improve the quality of science and
engineering research conducted at their universities and colleges. The
program currently operates in 19 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West
Virginia, and Wyoming, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

List of EPSCoR states and their year of entry into program:

Year of
Entry States

FY 1980 AR, ME, MT, SC, WV
FY 1985 AL, NV, OK, VT, KY, ND, PR, WY
FY 1987 ID, LA, MS, SD
FY 1992 KS, NE
FY 2000 AK

To learn more about the EPSCoR program visit it's web site at:
http://red.www.nsf.gov/EHR/epscor/start.htm

The Conference at
Univesity of Maine, Orino

DRAFT AGENDA

NSF Funding Opportunities in Polar Research and Education

8:30 am - "Welcome" - Daniel J. Dwyer, Vice President for Research,
and Maine NSF EPSCoR Project Director

           "EPSCoR Overview" - Nancy P. Dixon, Program Director for
           Outreach

9:00 am - "Overview of Polar Initiatives" - Dennis Peacock, Section
Head for Antarctic Sciences

9:30 am - "Information Technology Research", George Strawn, Executive
Officer, Directorate for Computer and Information Science
and Engineering

10:00 am - Break

10:15 am - "Biocomplexity and the Polar Regions", Polly Penhale, Program
Manager, Biology and Medicine

10:45 am - "Polar Earth Sciences and Glaciology", Scott Borg, Program
Manager, Geology and Geophysics

11:15 am - Individual and Small Group Meetings with NSF Program Officers

12:00 pm - Working Lunch/Partnership Development (Seating by Research
Interests)

1:15 pm - "Arctic Natural Sciences", Jane Dionne, Program Manager,
Arctic Natural Sciences

1:45 pm - "Arctic System Sciences", John Christiansen, Associate
Program Manager, Arctic Systems Sciences

2:15 pm - Break

2:30 pm - "Arctic Social Sciences", Fae L. Korsmo, Program Manager,
Social Science

3:00 pm - Continued Meetings with NSF Program Officers

REGISTRATION

Registration Deadline: February 24, 2000.
Space is limited.

[ Note: this forms looks best when viewed or printed with a mono-spaced or
typewriter font such as Courier]

Includes continental breakfast, breaks, lunch, administrative fee,
conference materials and facility fee

HOTEL INFORMATION

Rooms have been blocked at the following hotels for the nights of
March 8 and 9. Please mention EPSCoR Polar Conference to receive the
special conference rate.

Best Western Black Bear Inn
($59.95/night double occupancy)
207-866-7120 or
1-800-528-1234
4 Godfrey Road
Orono, ME 04473

University Motor Inn
($36.00/night single $46.00/night double occupancy)
207-866-4921 or
1-800-321-4921
5 College Avenue
Orono, ME 04473

Room reservations should be made no later than February 9, 2000.

The University of Maine will provide shuttle service between the
above hotels and Wells Conference Center.

Pick-up from hotels at 8 AM and return to hotels at 3:30 PM.

Cost of Taxi from airport to the hotels is approximately $15.00.

Please send completed registration from to:
Conference Services Division
EPSCoR Polar Conference
207 Crossland Hall
Orono, ME 04469-5719
Fax: (207) 581-4097
Phone: (207) 581-4092
adriane.ross [at] umit.maine.edu