EPIIC @champlain

Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity

EPIIC Supports the growth of innovation ecosystems through capacity-building efforts at institutions of higher education with limited research capacity — preparing these institutions to participate in NSF Regional Innovation Engines

EPIIC Cohort visit to BETA Technologies with ALIA aircraft

Champlain College students working with BETA Technologies

News 2026

Upcoming - EPIIC website contributions
Upcoming - Faculty grant writing training in Academic Year 2026-2027
Upcoming - Universal Design Language (UDL) Workshops in Academic Year 2026 - 2027 via CAST
HULA Partnerships and app development (e.g., Veerio)
Champlain Exchange iterations (with custom faculty and student software development in progress)
QOR 360 Project: Leveraging the QOR360 task chair and Fitter Sitter application to pioneer movement-based gameplay mechanics (targeting a professional exhibition at the 2027 Game Developers Conference)
BETA Technologies co-founder and CEO Kyle Clark at Champlain Commencement 2026 (Press Release, News/Video)
BETA Technologies Partnership (Champlain press release | Vermont Biz)
Pilot projects in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.

News 2025

Plenary panelist at NSF EPIIC PI meeting in Washington DC, November 2025 - Building Industry Partnerships
Champlain College launches The Champlain Exchange and Co-Ops (Fall 2025)
Pilot projects in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
Cohort poster at the Society for Experiential Education (SEE) Conference in September 2025.
Title: Increasing Capacity to Integrate Experiential Learning Opportunities in Capstone Experiences at PUIs.
Partnership Networking Event August 19th 2025.
Feature in inaugural issue of NSF EPIIC Newsletter (June 2025).
Anthropic Partnership (Champlain press release | Anthropic press release) & Argosy Foundation funding (AI Fellowships) March 2025.
Champlain College noted as an institution that is pressing forward with funding opportunities related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) partnerships in higher education in the Chronicle of Higher Education in March 2025.

News 2024

Cohort presented at a Congressional Showcase on AI Education and Workforce Development on Capitol Hill on September 19th 2024, hosted by the NSF in conjunction with the House and Senate AI Caucuses. Our One Page describes first year work under the EPIIC grant as presented to Congress.
Champlain College and cohort partners were highlighted in a Chronicle of Higher Education article that explores, in part, how colleges can collaborate/partner together on AI innovation.
Staff/Center focus groups in Summer 2024 discussed institutional-level partnership activities and is detailed in this report (internal access only).
Faculty focus groups in Spring 2024 addressed past, current, and aspirational partnerships and is detailed in this report (internal access only).
NCURA review regarding Research Administration processes and policies occurred in Fall 2024, with the final report provided in early 2025. We are assessing and prioritizing recommendations made in the final report, which have been disseminated internally as appropriate.

Project Synopsis

Website: To inform community members about our work related to the NSF EPIIC grant and to help the team organize grant content and documentation.
Synopsis: Building the capacity of three Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) to sustainably increase the number of partnerships to drive workforce development.
What are we really doing? A three-year project to collectively identify best practices of successful model institutions, review and address institutional strengths and needs, and develop structure at each institution for engaging in sustainable partnerships by piloting industry partnerships. We will also work to improve the infrastructure necessary to apply for further funding to sustain these efforts beyond the timeframe of the project.
Funding: $400,000 per institution = $1.2 million
Timeframe: October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2027 (3 years + 1 year extension)
Champlain College Team Members:
- Dr. Brian Hall - Principle Investigator, Professor of Computer Science (hall@champlain.edu)
- Dr. Cyndi Brandenburg - Senior Personnel, Assistant Provost and Professor in the Core Division
- Sarah Jerger - Senior Personnel, Director of the Emergent Media Center (EMC)

Timeline

Fall 2023

Research potential model institutions and establish NCURA review process/timeline
Gather information on where our institution is in terms of partnership processes - Faculty and Staff survey prep
Create (this) website and other communication channels, both internal and external, related to grant work

Spring/Summer 2024

Explore model institutions, NCURA prep, and EPIIC cohort communication
Research and identify best practices based on model institutions and NCURA standards
Discover and publish reports on current activities of faculty, staff, and centers with external partners - Focus groups
Year 1 NSF report
Begin seeking potential further funding opportunities

Fall 2024

Develop a Champlain-specific model (processes, flowcharts, content) for navigating partner relationships
Begin developing templates for communication and management of partnerships
Engage potential partners for first pilot (targeted for emerging STEAM fields and workforce development)
NCURA site visit

Spring/Summer 2025

Continue developing templates for communication and management of partnerships
Hold networking event(s)
Seek first partnership pilot organizations, debrief, and iterate/adapt model
Review and disseminate NCURA recommendations
Year 2 NSF report
Apply for further funding (NSF ExLENT)

Fall 2025

Continue adapting institutional structures for sustaining and maintaining partnerships
Engage potential partners for pilots (targeted for emerging STEAM fields and workforce development)
1st Riipen pilot as a platform for supplemental experiential learning course projects
Internal collaboration related to Champlain's new academic model and scaling experiential learning opportunities for students
Begin implementing NCURA recommendations
Launch The Champlain Exchange and Co-Ops
Cohort visit to Champlain College
Collaboration with other EPIIC awardees

Spring/Summer 2026

Partnership pilots with local businesses, debrief, and iterate/adapt model
2nd Riipen pilot as a platform for supplemental experiential learning course projects
Fine tune processes related to the Champlain Exchange and partner management
Continue sharing learned expertise with our communities and general public
Apply for new NSF solicitations
Cohort visit to Western Oregon University
Continue implementing NCURA recommendations
Universal Design Language (UDL) Training Planning
Year 3 NSF report

1-Year Extention

Fall 2026

Sustain ongoing partnerships, enage with new partners
Planning for project integration in curriculum
Iterate Champlain Exchange processes and software
Introductory Universal Design Language (UDL) Training for Champlain Faculty with CAST
Introductory workshop for grant writing and support activities
Implementing NCURA recommendations
Cohort visit to Christopher Newport University
Apply for new NSF solicitations
Collaboration with other EPIIC awardees

Spring 2027

Iterate Champlain Exchange processes and software
Secondary Universal Design Language (UDL) Training for Champlain Faculty with CAST
Secondary workshop for grant writing and support activities
Integrating partner projects in curriculum
Apply for new NSF solicitations
and more...

Summer 2027

Final NSF report
TBD

Tasks that will take place at various times during the grant period include:

Training in needed areas identified by engaging with the model institutions and NCURA
Implementing software to assist in partnership and/or funding management
Networking events to discuss opportunities with potential partners
Faculty workshop(s) on our grant process, grant writing, and grant management

NSF Links

NSF EPIIC Award Page: https://nsf-epiic.org/research | Champlain/Cohort page

Champlain College Award 2331431: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2331431

EPIIC 23-265 Solicitation: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/enabling-partnerships-increase-innovation-capacity

Press Coverage

2026 Commencement Address (news clip): https://www.wcax.com/2026/05/09/champlain-college-holds-commencement-ceremony/

Champlain and BETA News: https://vermontbiz.com/news/2026/april/14/champlain-college-and-beta-technologies-launch-multi-year-partnership

Champlain College and BETA Technolgies partnership: https://www.champlain.edu/blog/news/champlain-beta-technologies-experiential-learning/

Champlain College Launches Co-Ops: https://www.champlain.edu/2025/10/15/creatio-is-champlains-first-co-op-partner/

Chronicle of Higher Education: https://www.chronicle.com/article/trump-administration-wants-ai-dominance-but-lays-siege-to-key-grant-agency

Anthropic Partnership: https://www.champlain.edu/2025/03/25/champlain-college-collaborates-with-anthropic-to-advance-ai-in-higher-ed/

Champlain College View (AI Showcase to Congress): https://www.champlain.edu/2024/09/23/professor-brian-hall-presents-on-ai-to-congress-in-dc/

Chronicle of Higher Education: https://store.chronicle.com/products/adapting-to-ai

NSF Announcement (TIP and EPIIC investments): https://new.nsf.gov/tip/updates/nsf-invests-emerging-research-institutions

Vermont Biz: https://vermontbiz.com/news/2023/october/03/national-science-foundation-awards-champlain-college-400k

Champlain College View (Grant Award): https://view.champlain.edu/2023/10/04/champlain-awarded-first-direct-national-science-foundation-grant/