Conference to bring experts on national science programs to state

Representatives of federal agencies and national associations will be part of a science conference convened by four state universities later this month.

Science and technology development in Mississippi and the impact of national changes on the state will be among topics at a Jan. 30-31 conference at Jackson's Harvey Hotel. The conference centers around the national Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

Jackson State, the University of Mississippi and its medical center, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Mississippi State participate in the program, which allows states to earn funding from seven federal agencies. The four universities form the Mississippi Research Consortium.

EPSCoR's goal is to increase the research and development base for eligible states. Mississippi is one of 18 states and one territory in the program.

Through the Mississippi Research Consortium, the state is eligible to compete for funds from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Representatives from many of the agencies will be in Jackson to discuss their programs. Scheduled speakers also include the director of the EPSCoR Foundation, the director of science and technology for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the deputy director for the National Technology Transfer Center.

"Budget discussions in Washington have the potential to greatly affect research programs our state universities have built to support Mississippi," said consortium chair Ralph Powe, vice president for research at Mississippi State.

"This conference will benefit researchers in Mississippi who are working to help expand the state's technical capabilities."

Mississippi EPSCoR programs focus on chemistry and materials science, areas important to industries ranging from shipbuilding to chemical manufacturing. Mississippi has received more than $10 million in federal funding under the program.