EPSCoR is a university-based federal-state partnership which aims to enhance science and technology infrastructure - in education, in the private sector, and in related government programs. EPSCoR operates on the principle that aiding researchers and institutions in securing federal R&D funding will develop a state's research infrastructure and advance economic growth. The core of every state-centered EPSCoR program is a partnership with the National Science Foundation. Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands participate in the NSF EPSCoR programs.