9450573 Swenson Proposal to Develop WINSM Consortium Infrastructure Seven universities from Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana propose to work together on an intensive one- year program to build the foundation for the WINSM Consortium. The WINSM Consortium, for the first time, brings together five EPSCoR states which have much in common, including low population density, similar geographic and climatic conditions and natural resource-based economies which are currently in transition. The Consortium enables the five states to collectively pursue opportunities in science, technology, and economic development which might otherwise be beyond their individual capabilities or available resources, with the overall goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of the five state's science and technology infrastructure. During the funding period of this one-year proposal to NSF EPSCoR, WINSM plans to establish the foundation necessary for the five states to more effectively build on common strengths, address common problems, and explore common opportunities in science, technology, and industrial interaction. To this end, this proposal will provide the start-up funding needed to: (1) provide technical assistance to both faculty research teams and small businesses throughout the region to develop and pursue funding for research and technology transfer programs; and (2) initiate working relationships with the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), other government facilities, and with industry to help the Consortium meet its goals. It is envisioned that at the end of this one-year funding period, two to three major research initiatives will be developed by the WINSM Consortium, including one which will develop regionally appropriate environmental technologies involving the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and another which will address rural manufacturing development. A number of smaller inter-and intra-state research programs ar e also anticipated as a result of this start-up activity. In addition, the administrative framework needed to sustain long-term collaboration between the five states will be in place.
