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About LA-NEXT
Louisiana Networks of Excellence for Tomorrow (LA-NEXT) is a statewide research and innovation initiative designed to strengthen Louisiana’s STEM ecosystem through strategic collaboration, inclusive excellence, and cross-sector partnership.
LA-NEXT is a project of Louisiana NSF EPSCoR and the Louisiana Board of Regents. Supported by the National Science Foundation (OIA-2437963), LA-NEXT brings together Louisiana’s public and private Research Colleges & Universities (RCUs), Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), community colleges, community partners, and industry collaborators to accelerate discovery, expand research competitiveness, and cultivate the next generation of STEM talent. To accomplish this, LA-NEXT is structured into 5 interlocking and interacting cores: an Administrative Core, a Research Capacity Building Core, a Higher Education & Career Pathways Core, a Network of Networks Core, and a Workforce Development Core.
LA-NEXT seeks to be the point of ignition for a transformation of Louisiana’s
R&D ecosystem into a cohesive network of networks while expanding
the constituencies involved.This resource hub identifies active research networks in Louisiana developed and maintained by various institutions of higher education and state agencies. LA-NEXT funding opportunities in the form of seed grants are also listed here along with shared resources available.
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Research Networks in Louisiana
- Shared Resources
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LA-NEXT Funding Opportunities
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Supervised Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
Supports the LA-NEXT vision by providing students with supervised research experiences under faculty mentorship. Students gain firsthand insight into the research process—from developing hypotheses and securing resources to analyzing evidence and sharing results—while exploring their field and considering graduate education.
Deadline: June 3, 2026
Links with Industry and National Labs (LINK)Facilitates science and engineering research, education, and training opportunities for faculty, post-doctoral researchers, undergraduate and graduate students. Louisiana EPSCoR will provide up to $1,000 per week, not to exceed a total of $8,000, for applicants’ subsistence while visiting and training at an industrial facility, research facility or center, or national laboratory.
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Core User Facilities (CUF)Provides access to sustainable, dedicated, state-of-the-art, experimental facilities for research and development in advanced manufacturing. The Board of Regents solicits proposals to cover the costs of travel and instrument use fees incurred in the use of the jurisdiction’s shared research facilities.
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Initiating Growth through Networks and Interdisciplinary Teamwork (IGNITE)Seeks to support opportunities for faculty mentees at institutions classified as Carnegie Research Colleges and Universities and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions to initiate research collaborations in STEM disciplines with a faculty mentor at a Carnegie R1 or R2 institution.
Deadline: May 11, 2026
Graduate Student Supplements (GRASS)Seeks to supplement the funding provided to outstanding graduate students to conduct supervised research in STEM disciplines aligned with the State Science & Technology plan.
View the RFA
Deadline: TBD
Pathways for Advancement in Community College Education (PACE)
Provides funding to support professional development and continued academic progress of faculty and staff at public and private two-year institutions in Louisiana in STEM disciplines aligned with the State Science & Technology (S&T) plan, FIRST Louisiana.
Deadline: June 17, 2026
For information regarding the Research Equipment Acquisition for Competitive Transformation (REACT), click here.
