New Mexico State University
Research, Creativity and Economic Development

Why Focus on Increasing R&D Expenditures?

By Dr. Luis Cifuentes, Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Economic Development

A Chronicle of Higher Education article published last year reported that criteria for Carnegie R1 ranking recognition will undergo changes in 2025. The revised benchmark for obtaining the prestigious R1 designation will be an annual expenditure of $50 million in research and development (R&D).

Since FY18, annual R&D expenditures increased 35% to $127 million. During the same period, indirect cost recovery increased by 37% to $17.6 million. When tenure/tenure track faculty workload effort dedicated to research and scholarship is accounted for, annual R&D expenditures reach $140 million, representing circa 25% of NMSU’s annual budget. Notably, NMSU almost triples the Carnegie R1 R&D expenditure criteria.

Why focus on increasing R&D expenditures? While we are experiencing a surplus in State revenues today, New Mexico’s reliance on a fossil fuel economy portends lower budgets for higher education when the price of oil and gas drops. Furthermore, history suggests State appropriations for institutions of higher education will likely decrease, certainly not increase. In turn, NMSU, along with many other universities will face what is called the enrollment cliff. In a recent presentation by our state demographer, he predicted declines in the number of college-going students in New Mexico.

Compared to state appropriations and enrollment growth, research and development funds from federal, state, industry, and local government grants and contracts are a more reliable revenue stream for supporting faculty, staff, and students. Thus, these sources of revenue should remain a priority for NMSU.

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News from Research Administration

By Ms. Alisha Giron, Associate Vice President for Research

Our grant and contract sponsors continue to impose procedures relevant to national security concerns. As many are already aware, these concerns are standard with sponsors like the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy. We have frequently been required to provide certifications regarding foreign gifts/influence and citizenship of project personnel with these funders. And now the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a new risk mitigation effort, the Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency (TRUST) framework, which will guide the agency in assessing grant proposals for potential national security risks. The framework will be rolled out in three phases:

• Beginning in FY2025, the process will be piloted on quantum-related proposals. 
• In the second phase, lessons learned from the pilot phase will be implemented and the process will be expanded to include other key "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022" technology areas. 
• In phase 3, NSF will scale up the review process to include all key technology areas and/or the priorities of the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate's priorities.

NSF will conduct analytics on 1) appointments and positions of researchers, 2) nondisclosure of appointments, activities, and sources of financial support of researchers, and 3) potential foreseeable national security applications of the research. If an area of concern is identified in a potentially funded grant proposal, NSF will reach out to the institution to discuss possible mitigation strategies like periodic security communication, expanded reporting requirements, and additional certifications.

NMSU Research Administration will continue to work closely with our sponsors on these matters as they impact the entire research community. We value all our researchers and will ensure that NMSU maintains full compliance with security risk mitigation techniques.

News from Infrastructure and Partnerships: Advancing NMSU Computing Infrastracture

By Dr. Tanner Schaub, Assistant Vice President for Research

The Infrastructure and Partnerships unit of RCED is working diligently on multiple fronts to advance our university's research and computing capabilities. We have partnered with IT, Government Relations, the NMSU Foundation, and faculty researchers on efforts to secure a new supercomputing cluster (HPC). This coordinated effort is directed by input from the NMSU Research Computing Advisory Council. It aims to bring a state-of-the-art HPC to campus and drive critical improvements in NMSU’s computing infrastructure, broadband capacity, and facilities.

Recent activities include an HPC planning session last month, a productive in-person meeting with Dr. Jon Gant, Director of the Office of Minority Broadband at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (thanks to Dr. Lizely Madrigal for this valuable connection), and an upcoming design charrette. This charrette invites campus and community leaders to collaborate on designing solutions for our critical computing resource needs. On July 1st, the research office will host this charrette to envision a future building housing a modern supercomputer, IT operations, and spaces for interdisciplinary research teams. The event will be led by Dr. Jorge A. Vanegas, Dean Emeritus of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Communities. Interested parties should contact me at tschaub@nmsu.edu to participate in shaping the future of our campus computing resources.

News from Workforce and Strategic Engagements

By Dr. Patricia Sullivan, Director, Workforce and Strategic Engagements

In alignment with NMSU LEADS 2025 Goal 3 and the state’s focus on sustainable green energy, the Office of Workforce and Strategic Engagement has been focused on elevating institutional expertise in grid reliability and grid resiliency with electric utility providers across the state. 

A project underway with Kit Carson Rural Electric Cooperative is building on a recent $23 million DOE GRIP grant to create a series of micro-grids to help mitigate the impact of wildfires and other climate-related challenges on the grid, particularly as they impact rural and remote communities in northern NM. Complementary projects are also underway in the Four-Corners region and across southern NM with additional focus on pumped hydro-storage and grid-tied EV charging stations. Dr. Di Shi, Dr. Olga Lavrova, and Dr. Fengyu Wang in the Klipsch School for Electrical and Computer Engineering are actively leading these efforts with expertise in predictive analytics and AI, climate-related resilience, integration of renewables and long-term storage, and the required workforce development programming to ensure long-term sustainability. Additional economic feasibility studies are being provided by Dr. Kramer Winingham at Arrowhead Center.

News from Arrowhead Center

By Ms. Dana Catron, Deputy Director, Arrowhead Center

Arrowhead Center Deputy Director Dana Catron, NM FAST Program Director Milica Tenic, and client John Langhus (Photon Vault) were invited to Washington DC by the Department of Energy's Office of Technology Transitions to attend the DOE EPIC pitch competition and provide insights during collaborative sessions. The team also had the chance to meet with congressional leadership and talk about Arrowhead Center and the NM CERG program. 

For more information please contact Ms. Dana Catron at dderego@nmsu.edu. 

Dana Catron (left) John Langhus, and Milica Tenic

Recognizing Large Awards (May 2024)

By Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Senior Vice President for Research

Congratulations to Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria and Interim Provost Dr. Lakshmi Reddi for each having received an award exceeding a million dollars in the month of May.

Interim Provost Lakshmi Reddi and his team received a $2.5 million proposal from the National Science Foundation to extend the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (NM AMP). Since its inception, NM AMP, a partnership of universities and colleges across New Mexico, has increased the quantity and quality of underrepresented students who complete STEM baccalaureate degrees and are prepared to enter the STEM workforce and/or pursue graduate education.

Ms. Jeanne Garland serves as the director of the NM AMP and Drs. Paola Bandini, Regents professor of Civil Engineering (NMSU), Stephanie Arnett, assistant professor of Sociology (NMSU), and Laura J Crossey, Distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences (University of New Mexico) participate in this project as co-principal investigators.

For more information about the NM AMP program send email to nmamp@nmsu.edu.  

Interim Provost, Dr. Lakshmi Reddi, NMSU

Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria, assistant professor of Special Education; Dr. Anita Hernandez, professor and the Don and Sarrah Kidd Chair for Literacy; and Dr. Minea Romero, assistant professor of Bilingual Education and TESOL, garnered a $1.25 million award from the US Department of Education for their project titled “E2: Equity in Early Intervention/ Equidad en Intervención Temprana.”

This collaborative project aims to increase the number of early intervention providers in New Mexico who are multilingual (i.e., Spanish, English). Project E2 is committed to recruiting and preparing multilingual providers from underrepresented backgrounds and multilingual. Project E2 is dedicated to training individuals to use translanguaging, culturally responsive, evidence-based, and asset-based approaches. Project E2 will address significant shortages in the field of EI to prepare highly qualified, multilingual, diverse developmental specialists and service coordinators who will provide culturally responsive services to infants, toddlers, and their families. Project E2 will create a Bilingual Early Intervention concentration.

For more information about this project contact Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria at mmatute@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria, NMSU

Recognizing Submitters of Large Proposals (May 2024)

By Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

Congratulations to Drs. Melinda Shane, Monique Matute-Chavarria, Susana Ibarra Johnson, Rajan Ghimire, Alina Corcoran, Efren Delgado, and Juie Shetye for each leading a proposal exceeding one million dollars in the month of May.

Dr. Melinda Shane, assistant professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology, submitted a $3.5 million proposal to the US Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Titled “Education for Mental Health Bridging Responsive and Culturally Enriched Services (EMBRACE),” the proposal seeks to increase the number of school psychologists, focusing on recruiting bilingual professionals and individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. By providing specialized training and placement in high-need local educational agencies, the project will provide professionals with valuable experience working with diverse student populations. The four high need local educational agencies prioritized by the EMBRACE project are Las Cruces Public Schools, Hatch Valley Public Schools, Deming Public Schools, and Albuquerque Public Schools. Collaborators on this project include Dr. Lisa Peterson, assistant professor and training director of the School Psychology PhD program at NMSU, and Jiayi Wang, assistant professor of School Psychology. Dr. Rachel Boren, director of NMSU’s SOAR program will serve as the external evaluator for the project.

For more information about this proposal please contact Dr. Shane at mbshane@nmsu.edu

Dr. Melinda Shane, NMSU

Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria, assistant professor of Special Education, Dr. Anita Hernandez, professor and the Don and Sarrah Kidd Chair for Literacy, and Dr. José Montelongo, an adjunct instructor with the New Mexico Public Education Department submitted a $3.5 million proposal to the US Department of Education. 

The proposal aims to recruit bilingual and multilingual future teachers and provide them with professional learning to become more knowledgeable about how best to structure their curricula to meet the needs of bilingual learners. The proposed program will also facilitate classroom teachers to complete their EL endorsement.

For more information, please contact Dr. Matute-Chavarria at mmatute@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria, NMSU

Dr. Susana Ibarra Johnson, assistant professor of bilingual education and TESOL in the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership submitted a $3.5 million proposal to the US Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition. In collaboration with Las Cruces Public Schools, Gadsden Independent Schools, and Santa Fe Public Schools, this five-year project aims to develop a comprehensive Grow Your Own (GYO) bilingual educator program at NMSU that integrates evidence-based practices in recruitment, training and support, ensuring equitable access, participant engagement, and program fidelity to recruit 275 and fully license 80 bilingual teachers.

The proposed effort will also evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the GYO program on participants, district partners, and the NMSU teacher education program. Dr. Minea Armijo Romero, assistant professor of Bilingual Education at NMSU is the co-principal investigator on this project.

For more information contact Dr. Johnson at sijohnso@nmsu.edu.  

Dr. Susana Ibarra Johnson, NMSU

Dr. Rajan Ghimire, associate professor of Plant and Environmental Sciences at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, NM, submitted a $2.2 million collaborative proposal to the USDA NIFA Sustainable Agriculture Systems. Along with peer scientists at the University of Delaware, the team aims to improve soil health and sustainability through improved fertility management practices. More specifically the NMSU team led by Dr. Ghimire will a) optimize application rate and identify candidate nano-fertilizers/biochar for field testing, b) determine physiological responses, growth, and production of test crops, soil health, and GHG emissions mitigation and C sequestration potential of smart agricultural systems, and c) engage students, farmers, and other decision makers in educational programs designed to help them recognize the importance of climate-smart soil health, build their scientific and mathematical thinking to support capacity to engage in climate-smart agriculture.

For more information please contact Dr. Ghimire at rghimire@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Rajan Ghimire, NMSU

Dr. Alina Corcoran, assistant professor of Biology, submitted a $2 million proposal, in collaboration with Arizona State University, to USDA NIFA’s AFRI program. Co-investigators at NMSU include Dr. John Idowu, professor and extension agronomist at NMSU's College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and Dr. Xiufen Li, assistant professor of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the college of ACES. The team will conduct greenhouse and field experiments to identify the best algal amendments to enhance soil health and plant growth in New Mexico and the greater southwest. In addition, they will engage local farmers and stakeholders throughout New Mexico.

For more information about this proposal, contact Dr. Corcoran at  acor@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Alina Corcoran, NMSU

Dr. Efren Delgado, professor and head of the Department of Family and Consumer Science, and his collaborators at the Oregon State University submitted a $1.8 million proposal to the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Systems. The goal of the NMSU team on this project is the development of new technologies, new businesses, and new opportunities for rural and tribal communities through two teams, a food science and technology team and an agricultural business team in partnership with New Mexico Indian Resources Development. The project will also create a diverse pipeline between NMSU and Dona Ana Community College to promote the utilization of agro-industrial byproducts and understanding of the food science program.

For more information about this proposal contact Dr. Delgado at edelgad@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Efren Delgado, NMSU

Dr. Juie Shetye, assistant professor of Astronomy, submitted a $1.1 million proposal to the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. The goal of the proposed project is to address challenges facing computer science education in southern New Mexico, in particular regarding access and equity. In this project Dr. Shetye will collaborate with Dr. IIhuiyolitzin Villicana Pedraza, college assistant professor of Sciences at Dona Ana Community College, and Dr. Tuan Le, assistant professor of Computer Science at NMSU to create a unique computer science pathway for underrepresented students.

The team proposed to create a one-credit hybrid course focusing on basic astronomy, solar physics, data analysis, and telescope and engage students in cutting-edge research.

For more information about this proposal please contact Dr. Shetye at jshetye@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Juie Shetye, NMSU

NMSU Plant Researchers Published in "Nature"

By Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

Congratulations to Zachary Rogers, NMSU Herbarium Curator in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, and Dr. Donovan Bailey, professor of biology, for their recent article titled “Phylogenomics and the rise of the Angiosperms,” published in the prestigious journal Nature. Supported by the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London, UK, the co-investigators recovered germplasms from dried plant specimens, many of those held in NMSU’s 130 year-old herbarium. Samples were then analyzed using a novel DNA sequencing method that yielded new insights into the flowering plant “tree of life”.

According to Rogers and Bailey, their results and the related database, called The Tree of Life Explorer, will help researchers to identify and classify new species of plants, protect rare and endangered species and ecosystems, and contribute to a wide range of applied fields and industries relying on plants.  The general impact and importance of the research has also been highlighted in a recent New York Times article.

For more information, please contact zrogers@nmsu.edu or dbailey@nmsu.edu.

Dr. Donovan Bailey (Left) and
Mr. Zach Rogers, NMSU

NMSU's H.S.I. Resource Hub Celebrates Five Years of Success

By Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

Congratulations to Dr. Elba Serrano, Regents professor of Biology and all the H.S.I. Resource Hub team for having completed a successful five-year NSF-funded project.

Led by Dr. Elba Serrano and in collaboration with Doña Ana Community College and California State University at Northridge, this project has developed a resource hub that has provided critical information and strategies among 450 Hispanic-serving institutions to enhance their capacity in STEM research and education. The rich website available here makes available resources on topics ranging from networking to grant writing, research design, and program evaluation among others.

The co-principal investigators on this project are Jon Juarez, Regents professor and head of the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Doña Ana Community College, as well as Drs. Martha Desmond, Regents professor of Wildlife and Fisheries (College of ACES), Mónica Torres, interim NMSU President, and Gabriela Morales assistant professor of Communication Studies at NMSU.

In March NMSU's H.S.I. Resource Hub held a conference in Albuquerque titled Adelante! Building Capacity for STEM Student Success at Hispanic Serving Institutions, where they celebrated their achievements in providing support to the Hub members in the past five years.

For more information please send email to hsihub-admin@nmsu.edu. 

Limited Submission Funding Opportunities

By Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

Research Administration Services maintains a list of limited submission funding opportunities for NMSU research community. The list is accessible through a link on the Research website, through the Research Administration tab. NMSU users can also access the list directly on SharePoint.  We encourage NMSU researchers to periodically visit the site and if they are interested in any of the opportunities to please inform us by sending email to ras@nmsu.edu, subject line Limited Submission, and the name of the agency and the title of the funding opportunity in the body of the email.

Pivot Funding Opportunity Database

By Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

This is a reminder that in order to assist NMSU faculty and staff in locating external funding opportunities, the RCED has purchased a subscription to ProQuest’s Pivot available at https://pivot.proquest.com/session/login.  

To create an account with Pivot for the first time

 To request a one-on-one or group Pivot training, send email to hamid@nmsu.edu. 

Questions and comments regarding NMSU’s Research Digest should be directed to Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad at hamid@nmsu.edu, (575) 646-6429.