BoR’s Research & Sponsored Initiatives (RSI) division manages statewide and federal initiatives, including funding programs available to faculty at Louisiana’s public and private post-secondary campuses. The Board of Regents Support Fund (BoRSF), designated in the Louisiana Constitution, provides grant opportunities and endowment matching to improve educational quality and foster Louisiana’s research faculty and infrastructure. The Louisiana Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (LA EPSCoR) manages statewide awards from federal agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, and Department of Energy. Funds are awarded on a competitive basis; RFPs, policies, and guidelines for submission are published on our website.
RSI also houses the Louisiana STEM (LaSTEM) initiative and Cybersecurity Education Management Council (CEMC). LaSTEM coordinates and oversees the creation, delivery, and promotion of STEM education programs, to increase student interest and achievement in the fields of STEM, to ensure the alignment of education, economic development, industry, and workforce needs, and to increase the number of women who graduate from a postsecondary institution with a STEM degree or credential. CEMC is tasked with promoting degree and certificate programs in cybersecurity fields offered by public postsecondary education institutions in order to meet Louisiana’s workforce needs.