Established in 1994 by the resource center for science and engineering (rcse) of the university of puerto rico (UPR) in conjunction with the national aeronautics and space administration (NASA), the…

This federal contract award, NNX15AK43A, was issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Office of the Vice President Division, doing business as Universidad De Puerto Rico. The $500,000.00 cooperative agreement is part of the Puerto Rico NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (PR NASA EPSCOR) Research Infrastructure Development (RID) program, which aims to enhance Puerto Rico's research capabilities and capacity to engage in technology development to support NASA's mission. The award does not have a set-aside designation. The contract supports the initiation of new research projects in collaboration with NASA centers and mission directorates to expand Puerto Rico's capabilities in NASA mission-related sciences and technology development.

Established in 1994 by the resource center for science and engineering (rcse) of the university of puerto rico (UPR) in conjunction with the national aeronautics and space administration (NASA), the puerto rico NASA experimental program to stimulate competitive research (PR NASA epscor) implements strategic tasks and projects directed at enhancing puerto rico's research competitiveness and infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, and higher education, while building the core strength required to engage in technology development methods and activities for the solution of scientific and technical problems of importance to NASA in alignment with NASA's mission. The goal of the PR NASA epscor research infrastructure development (RID) program is to build in puerto rico the core strength needed to increase competitive research and technology development methods and activities for the solution of scientific and technical problems of importance to NASA in coordination and collaboration with NASA centers and mission directorates and other research centers around the nation that seek to advance U.S. Scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program. PR NASA epscor RID supports the initiation of new research projects in collaboration with NASA centers and mission directorates that expand puerto rico's capabilities in NASA mission-related sciences and technology-development projects. To encourage and nurture activities that advance NASA's research priorities, the RJD projects are competitively selected based on their connection, interaction, and relevance to NASA centers. The evaluation criteria include: intrinsic scientific and/or technical merit; alignment with NASA technology needs; relevance to, partnerships with, and interactions with the jurisdiction; credentials and track record of the investigators. The emphasis is placed on developing a core expertise capable of successfully competing for funds from NASA and non-NASA sources outside of the epscor program. With the guidance and support of the technical advisory committee, the RID researchers receive technical assistance to transition their projects progressively toward gaining suppori from sources outside the NASA epscor program by aggressively pursuing additional funding opportunities offered by NASA, industry, other federal agencies, and other sources.