Hawaiʻi’s research community and residents are being asked to help shape the state’s next five-year Science & Technology (S&T) Plan. Hawaiʻi EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), managed by the University of Hawaiʻi, is gathering public input through an online survey to identify priorities that will guide future research and innovation across the islands.
Help shape Hawaiʻi’s science future
The S&T Plan is set to launch in 2026. Community input is being gathered through a brief, 15-question online survey. The survey is open to researchers, educators, policymakers, industry professionals and community members statewide.
The deadline to participate in the survey is October 31.
The S&T plan will serve as a strategic roadmap for Hawaiʻi’s research and innovation priorities in light of recent changes to National Science Foundation (NSF) and EPSCoR program policies. Once completed, it will reflect Hawaiʻi’s unique needs, perspectives, strengths and opportunities in science and technology, and align the state’s priorities with federal research opportunities.
“This planning process is critical to keeping Hawaiʻi competitive for major federal research awards, which bring in millions of dollars into the state to the growth of local science and innovation,” said UH Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad Walton, who also serves on EPSCoR/IdeA Foundation Board of Directors. “We encourage representatives for all sectors and the community to participate, as your insight is essential to strengthening Hawaiʻi’s research and development ecosystem and improving our competitiveness for federal research funding.”
For more about the Hawaiʻi EPSCoR program or the S&T plan, contact Walton at cwalton@hawaii.edu.
For an island state like Hawaiʻi, fresh water is a precious commodity. It is life. That is why in 2016, the NSF awarded UH a five-year $20 million grant for its ʻIke Wai (knowledge of fresh water) project to conduct geophysical research to better understand the dynamics of freshwater aquifers around the state. In addition to providing updated information on water flows and capacities, the study helped to more accurately map the contaminant flow from subsequent leaks into the aquifer that contributed to the eventual shutdown of the U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oʻahu in 2022.
NSF provided this grant through EPSCoR, a federal initiative designed to enhance research capabilities and foster innovation in states or territories that historically receive a smaller share of federal research funding. Its mission is to broaden the distribution of federal research dollars, while strengthening both local and national research infrastructure and capacity. The UH System oversees and provides administrative support for Hawaiʻi EPSCoR initiatives.
