Guam NSF EPSCoR’s Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems (ECORE) project is inviting proposals for its 2026–2027 Seed Funding Grant, offering $50,000 awards to support innovative, hypothesis-driven research across the island.

The ECORE initiative—formally titled “Optimizing Research Infrastructure in Guam (ORIG)”—aims to strengthen Guam’s research ecosystem by funding collaborative projects involving University of Guam faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and other researchers within the local community.

Proposed projects must align with at least one of five priority areas identified in the Guam Science and Technology Plan: Aquaculture; IT/Data Science/Cybersecurity; Energy; Natural Resources/Sustainable Development; and Additive Manufacturing.

Each selected project will receive $50,000 and must be completed within one year of the award date. Grants are anticipated to begin in June 2026.

Proposals will be evaluated based on their relevance to emergent science, research quality, and potential to generate significant outcomes, including future external grant submissions and peer-reviewed publications.

Applicants are required to submit a five-page proposal outlining the research hypothesis or problem, project alignment with the Guam Science and Technology Plan, anticipated outcomes, and a timeline. Additional required materials include a one-page project summary, references cited, and an itemized budget with justification

Completed proposals must be submitted by March 31, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Chamorro Standard Time to Jan Dirige, Project Administrator, at jtdirige@uog.edu, with the subject line “Guam ECORE Seed Funding Proposal.”

The seed funding program is part of Guam NSF-EPSCoR’s broader mission to advance geographic diversity in STEM and build sustainable research capacity in the region.

For more details on the funding opportunity, please visit guamepscor.uog.edu or refer to the attached RFP.