In September 2008 the Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR) was awarded a five-year $11.5 million Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) grant from the National Science Foundation.   The purpose of this award is to continue building the territory’s capacity for scientific research and education. VI-EPSCoR is a territorial program housed at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). 

As Governor John de Jongh, Jr. said in his letter of support for the new grant, the partnership between the Virgin Islands and the National Science Foundation will “strengthen our research capacity in marine and environmental science, build the pipeline of our students in science and technology, and link scientific results to enhanced decision-making for the benefit of the people of the territory.”

The new grant includes funding for interdisciplinary studies of Integrated Caribbean Coastal Ecosystems, as well as related social, health and economic impacts on island communities.  Investments in UVI’s research facilities, including upgrades to marine labs and equipment, a new lab for environmental analysis, and research vessels will expand the research capabilities of local and visiting researchers and their students.  The grant additionally allows for the recruitment of new faculty in the sciences to build UVI’s research program in Marine and Environmental Science and UVI’s undergraduate and graduate programs in science and mathematics, as it provides additional pathways and opportunities for faculty and students to
engage in marine and environmental research.  Investments in UVI’s cyber infrastructure, including broadband connectivity and Internet2, will further enhance research and communication.

Educational investments that began under the original EPSCoR grant will continue with
enhancements to the new UVI graduate programs in Mathematics for Secondary Teachers and in Marine and Environmental Science.  The new grant allows VI-EPSCoR to continue  developing a partnership between the Virgin Islands Department of Education and the UVI Divisions of Education and Science and Math, in order to strengthen K-12 science and math education.  Educational outreach will also extend to the development of environmental web portals and digital materials to support and share the territory’s research.  Finally, community workshops will strengthen linkages between researchers and decision makers who must address critical environmental challenges facing the territory.

This is a time of great challenges and opportunities for the territory.  VI-EPSCoR research will address issues of vital significance locally and regionally, and contribute to global research on the impacts of climate change.