David Givers, co-project director for the North Dakota Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research at NDSU, was honored at a retirement party held Jan. 11 in the NDSU Research and Technology Park. Givers served as ND-EPSCoR co-project director at NDSU from 2006 to 2012 and as interim director from 2004 to 2006. He was an assistant project director for ND-EPSCoR from 1994 to 2003.
ND-EPSCoR provides research funding for doctoral dissertations, new faculty start-up awards, science infrastructure, support for women in science and engineering, programs for undergrads and work with the private sector.
“It’s important to the North Dakota economy and to increase opportunities for students, faculty and businesses in the state. It’s been a team effort,” said Givers, noting the ND-EPSCoR partnership between NDSU and UND and other educational institutions in the state. At a National Science Foundation review last summer, out of more than 20 states, North Dakota was the only state to receive forward funding, guaranteeing that ND-EPSCoR will receive its funding through the grant period ending in 2013.
“With David’s leadership, North Dakota’s EPSCoR program has done well on a national basis,” said Philip Boudjouk, vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer. “He was an important contributor to two successful National Science Foundation applications for EPSCoR funding, plus funding matches from the North Dakota Legislature.” In 2008, NSF awarded a five-year grant award totaling $15 million to ND-EPSCoR, covering a variety of research programs at universities across the state. North Dakota is one of the few EPSCoR states that have been continuously funded by the National Science Foundation since 1985.
In addition to his administrative contributions, Givers worked to promote educational relationships with tribal colleges in North Dakota. EPSCoR’s Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research and Education (NATURE) program provides an education pathway for American Indian high school and tribal college students to study science, technology, engineering and math.
Givers also was assistant director of the Center for Advanced Technology Transfer and Traineeships at NDSU from 2000 to 2003. He was assistant director of the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute at NDSU from 1995 to 1998. From 1996 to 1998, Givers split his time between ND-EPSCoR and working directly with students on environmental studies at Concordia College as an assistant professor of physics. “Working directly with students was especially rewarding,” said Givers. He was director of the Tri-College University Center for Environmental Studies from 1990 to 1994.
Established in 1986 as a North Dakota University System program, the ND-EPSCoR strengthens the state’s science and technology infrastructure and enhances its participation in competitive research and development. An interim co-project director will be named in the future. www.ndepscor.nodak.edu