Overview
Alabama EPSCoR (ALEPSCoR), established in 2006, works to advance technology-based economic development through collaborative scientific and engineering research among the state’s eight Ph.D. granting institutions, the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). ALEPSCoR is governed by the ALEPSCOR Steering Committee (AESC), with representatives from each partner organization.
Through federal EPSCoR support, ALEPSCoR has driven new scientific discoveries, expanded research capabilities, and built high tech infrastructure in Alabama, contributing to sustained economic growth and high quality job creation.
ALEPSCoR supports workforce development through its state-funded Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP). Designed to expand the pool of highly trained professionals available to Alabama industries, the GRSP provides funding for graduate students conducting high tech, federally supported EPSCoR research. To date, the program has contributed to the completion of 259 Ph.D. degrees and 78 master’s degrees.
Science & Technology Road Map 2030
In June 2026, ALEPSCoR approved a significant update of the Alabama Science and Technology Plan (S&T) developed in collaboration with RTI International. Working alongside the Vice Presidents for Research at Alabama’s eight PhD-granting institutions, the EDPA, ACHE, Innovate Alabama, the Alabama Department of Commerce, and the Alabama Department of Workforce, this new plan identifies six high-priority research areas that align with federal research priorities and industry needs. These areas build on existing strengths of Alabama’s industrial base and eight public academic research institutions. They are:
- AI and quantum computing
- Biotechnology and biomedical sciences
- Materials and manufacturing science
- Robotics, autonomy, and automation
- Space and unmanned vehicles
- Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, water systems, and coastal resilience