In 1980, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The EPSCoR program is designed to assist states to establish a self-sustaining academic research enterprise with the competitive capability that will contribute to the states' economic viability and development.

SD EPSCoR's mission is to strengthen research and education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across South Dakota to increase science literacy and drive science-based economic development. SD EPSCoR helps build South Dakota's research infrastructure and increases its capacity to successfully compete for federal funding.

Today many federal agencies have developed a similar program including NASA, DOE, DoD, NIH, etc.

The SD EPSCoR program will be the recipient of $26 million over 5 years from NSF & the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) for research infrastructure improvements through a project entitled ‘Beyond the 2010 Initiative: Partnerships for Competitiveness’.