Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

Award: E-CORE: Oklahoma Research, Innovation, and Opportunity Network Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Integrative Activities Program: Integrative Activities (CFDA 47.083) Award Date: July 15, 2026 Completion Date: June 30, 2030 Obligated Funding: $1,293,379.00 Awardee: Northeastern State University (lead), in collaboration with University of Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Tulsa, College of the Muscogee Nation, and Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance

This cooperative agreement establishes a statewide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) research network across Oklahoma, spanning urban centers (Oklahoma City and Tulsa) and rural Native American nations (Cherokee Nation and Muscogee Nation). The project delivers three core service components: an Administrative Core providing project management, research development support, and stakeholder engagement; a Research Facilities and Infrastructure Core building accessible statewide research infrastructure, expanding cyberinfrastructure, and establishing artificial intelligence and machine learning support services; and a Workforce Development Core establishing an academia-industry partnership consortium to fund internships, scale undergraduate research programs, and develop collaborative research experiences. The initiative coordinates with state agencies, industry partners, and nonprofit organizations to create a sustainable research ecosystem that generates innovations and drives economic growth across Oklahoma's public and tribal higher education institutions.