The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a federally-funded program to promote the development of science and technology capacity in the United States.   Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Montana NSF EPSCoR supports capacity building by investing in researchers and institutions to better position them to compete for federal research funds.

Montana NSF EPSCoR is currently funded by two NSF awards. The $20 M 2011-2016 Track I award is the primary mechanism for building research infrastructure in the state.  This award funds new faculty hires, graduate students, undergraduate research, workforce development programs, and outreach throughout the state.  The project also works to broaden participation of Native American students in STEM disciplines through focused programs at the tribal colleges and recruitment of students into STEM majors.  The research focus of this award is to better understand the ecosystem dynamics that impact and are impacted by regional climate change. The Montana University System Institute on Ecosystems is the hub of research activities around this theme. 

The $3M 2009-2012 Track II award is a collaborative project between Montana EPSCoR and Kentucky EPSCoR jurisdictions working on meteorological and water quality monitoring systems through the use of modern cyberinfrastructure resources at Flathead Lake Biological Station and Hancock Biological Station. The informatics system developed through this project, known as VOIES, is designed to manage vast amounts of legacy data, as well as new data generated by the sensor network.