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About IIA
The Office of International and Integrative Activities (IIA) works across disciplinary and geographic boundaries to lead and coordinate strategic programs and opportunities that: advance research excellence and innovation; develop human and infrastructure capacity critical to the U.S. science and engineering enterprise; and promote global engagement of scientists and engineers at all career stages.
As a change agent, IIA catalyzes and incubates initiatives that capitalize on new interdisciplinary scientific and engineering concepts and generate technology-based solutions for economic and societal benefit. IIA strengthens the nation as a knowledge-based society by fostering the development of a diverse, globally engaged next generation of research leaders. Additionally, IIA administers prestigious honorary award programs and professional internships for aspiring scientists and engineers. IIA provides policy and programmatic analytical support to the NSF Director and Deputy Director and working in partnership with NSF directorates and offices, plays a leadership role in shaping agency-wide policies and new strategic directions that promote cross-Foundational programmatic and operational unity and alignment.
IIA organizations include:
Integrative Programs and Activities
IIA administers major NSF-wide programs including Innovation Corps (I-Corps), Integrative NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE), Science and Technology Centers (STC), Major Research Instrumentation (MRI), and Advanced Research Infrastructure Program (ARI).
Activities administered by IIA include prestigious honorary award programs-the National Medal of Science and the Alan T. Waterman Award-as well as professional internships for aspiring scientists and engineers. Broadening Participation activities include the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) and the Career-Life Balance Initiative.
IIA also supports the NSF Director's Office through policy analysis and special projects to address Foundation priorities, and plays a leadership role-in close partnership with other NSF Directorates and Offices-to improve NSF's management practices and promote unity and alignment in support of the Foundation's mission.
International Science and Engineering (ISE)
International Science and Engineering (ISE) serves as a focal point for international science and engineering activities both inside and outside NSF. ISE promotes the development of an integrated, Foundation-wide international strategy, and manages international programs that are innovative, catalytic, and responsive to a broad range of NSF interests.
Specifically, ISE supports programs to expand and enhance leading-edge international research and education opportunities for U.S. scientists and engineers, especially at the early career stage. It works to build and strengthen effective institutional partnerships throughout the global science and engineering research and education community, and it supports international collaborations in NSF's priority research areas.
ISE carries out its functions through close partnership with the NSF Directorates and through its own program activities. ISE encourages funding applicants to include an international component in proposals submitted to the appropriate research directorate.
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
The mission of EPSCoR is to assist the National Science Foundation in its statutory function "to strengthen research and education in science and engineering throughout the United States and to avoid undue concentration of such research and education." EPSCoR goals are:
a) to provide strategic programs and opportunities for EPSCoR participants that stimulate sustainable improvements in their R&D capacity and competitiveness;
b) to advance science and engineering capabilities in EPSCoR jurisdictions for discovery, innovation and overall knowledge-based prosperity.
EPSCoR objectives are:
- to catalyze key research themes and related activities within and among EPSCoR jurisdictions that empower knowledge generation, dissemination and application;
- to activate effective jurisdictional and regional collaborations among academic, government and private sector stakeholders that advance scientific research, promote innovation and provide multiple societal benefits;
- to broaden participation in science and engineering by institutions, organizations and people within and among EPSCoR jurisdictions;
- to use EPSCoR for development, implementation and evaluation of future programmatic experiments that motivate positive change and progression.
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