Researchers from a group of New Mexico institutions have paired up on an $8 million federal award, led by an engineering professor at the state's flagship university and focused on research and development and workforce advancement in the Land of Enchantment.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), on Aug. 20, selected a multi-institution research group in New Mexico, led by the University of New Mexico, for an $8 million award to promote "the development of research competitiveness" in select states and territories according to the NSF's website.
Under the NSF award, the University of New Mexico (UNM) will collaborate with four other institutions in the state — Navajo Technical University, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Central New Mexico Community College and New Mexico State University — on a project called Research Infrastructure Optimization for New Mexico, or RIO-NM.
RIO-NM includes three "core areas," according to a UNM news release. Those encompass building out interconnections between the universities to facilitate more access to research resources in New Mexico, establishing connections between universities and other advanced research institutions in the state for student and faculty collaborations and coordination surrounding a statewide science and technology plan.
"By addressing these needs, RIO-NM will stimulate innovation," an abstract on the award available on the NSF's website reads. "In turn, this has potential to lead to economic growth in key sectors resulting in high-value employment opportunities for graduates from [emerging research institutes], particularly those from underrepresented groups in science and engineering, thus improving the standard of living in New Mexico."
Biotechnology is one such key sector, according to a September release from Central New Mexico Community College (CNM).
Ganesh Balakrishnan, a UNM professor in its School of Engineering, is the principal investigator on the NSF award. The RIO-NM project kicked off on Sept. 1 and is set to run through 2028, per UNM's release.
It's part of a broader research and development program in the state, called New Mexico's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or NM EPSCoR, program. Balakrishnan is the NM EPSCoR program director.
"RIO-NM represents an unprecedented level of collaboration across New Mexico's diverse research institutions," Balakrishnan said in a statement. "By connecting our emerging research institutions with established research universities, national labs, and industry partners, we aim to create new pathways for students and faculty to engage in cutting-edge research that will drive innovation and economic growth in our state."
Co-investigators on the RIO-NM project alongside Balakrishnan include:
- Jason Arviso, vice president of operations, Navajo Technical University.
- Lorie Liebrock, director of the New Mexico Cybersecurity Center of Excellence; professor of computer science and engineering at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
- Philip Lister, dean, School of Math, Science, and Engineering, Central New Mexico Community College.
- Patricia Sullivan, director, Office of Strategic Initiatives, associate dean for outreach and recruitment, College of Engineering, New Mexico State University.
Bioscience is one of New Mexico's target industries, as outlined by the state's Economic Development Department. Bioscience and biotechnology-related companies based in New Mexico, including Nature's Toolbox and Circular Genomics, have pulled in some of the state's largest funding rounds in recent years
