New Mexico State University
Research, Creativity and Economic Development

NMSU’s Next President Will Lead the Transition to Carnegie R1 Designation

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

Former Faculty Senate Chair, Dr. Gaylene Fasenko, shared an article to help clarify the distinct roles of the President and the Provost, as some on our campus, including faculty, appear to confuse them.

According to the article, New Mexico State University’s next president must endure long working hours, complex crises and high public scrutiny. They will be responsible for setting overall university strategies and priorities, fundraising, balancing budgets, and be the external face of NMSU.

NMSU’s next president must have a passion for education, flexibility, good communication skills, and an ability to handle criticism. NMSU’s next president must also understand, honor, and promote our Land Grant mission. And at this transformational moment in NMSU’s history, NMSU’s next president will guide the transition from a Carnegie R2 to Carnegie R1 institution and must prioritize working with leadership, faculty, staff, students, and alumni to create a distinctive path for transforming NMSU to a Carnegie R1 university.

NMSU’s next president must pay attention to the recommendations of the State of the University Research, Creativity and Economic Development report, specifically:

• Communicate NMSU’s research identity by clearly and consistently positioning NMSU’s research as an institutional strength that drives student success. This research identity should be communicated to the broadest possible audience, including state and federal governments, federal agencies, industry partners, and philanthropists.
• Work with the provost and vice president for research to prioritize effective research service. NMSU leadership must establish a service culture that enables units to respond to research-related requests through distributed authority/decision making, leading to team-based problem-solving and increased efficiency.
• Invest in research infrastructure. Critical investments in research infrastructure, personnel, programs, and equipment will allow NMSU to create a nimble research enterprise that will increase expenditures, secure large and complex inter-disciplinary research projects, and grow the research-based student recruitment and success platform. 

Finally, NMSU’s next president must create a culture of appreciation and recognition. It will take time to increase research expenditures and consequent indirect cost recovery to the level enjoyed by our aspirational Carnegie R1 peers. Until that time, NMSU faculty, staff, and students will, as it has done before, do more with fewer resources than its peers. NMSU’s next president must genuinely value and enthusiastically communicate the value of all those who contribute to the research, creativity and economic development enterprise.

News from Research Administration: Hamid's Retirement

By Ms. Alisha Giron, Associate Vice President for Research

This will be the last time that Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad, Proposal Development Specialist, Sr., will add his special touch to this impactful communiqué. I am so happy for our colleague as he will soon retire on October 1 after more than 25 years of service to our university. Hamid’s many talents and keen knowledge of NMSU research have been instrumental in the many successes that both Research Administration and the Office of Research, Creativity, and Economic Development have achieved. And because of his incredible work ethic, researchers and others have so much respect for him. Hamid exemplified the meaning of selflessness and service to the research community while managing a demanding workload. He deserves to take every day of retirement to embrace his beautiful family and enjoy new adventures. Hamid, I personally thank you for the support, friendship, and profound respect you have always shown me. Here’s to more music and laughter … and to no more deadlines! Cheers!        

State-wide Research and Innovation Webinar Series

By Dr. Tanner Schaub, Assistant Vice President for Research

The University of New Mexico has initiated the 2024-2025 Research & Innovation Webinar Series to raise awareness of state-wide research. This series occurs on the 1st Wednesday of the month to learn about research happening at UNM Main Campus & Health Sciences Center, NMSU, New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The first session will be on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. This session will feature presentations by UNM faculty, including Dr. Matthew Campen, discussing "Nanoplastics and Human Health," and Dr. Steven Graves, presenting "Acoustic Flow Cytometry for the Separation and Analysis of Micro and Nanoplastics." Don’t miss this opportunity to explore cutting-edge research!

Zoom link: https://hsc-unm.zoom.us/j/93116182996

Passcode: Innovation

Save the date for future sessions:

• October: UNM/HSC
• November: UNM/HSC
• December: SNL
• January: UNM/HSC
• February: UNM/HSC
• March: NMSU
• April: UNM/ HSC
• May: UNM/HSC
• June: LANL
• July: UNM/HSC
• August: UNM/HSC
• September: NMT

News from the Arrowhead Center: 2024 Startup World Cup

By Ms. Dana Catron, Deputy Director, Arrowhead Center

Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University (NMSU) hosted a successful event in the 2024 Startup World Cup program, a prestigious global competition organized by San Jose, California-based Pegasus Tech Ventures. This marked the first time that New Mexico served as a regional competition site.

The competition was held September 4th and 5th at Isleta Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, in conjunction with the 2024 New Mexico Startup Forum. Competitors joined winners of New Mexico-based business pitch competitions to present to a panel of venture capitalist judges.

The winning venture was Arrowhead Client GridFlow, Inc., led by Dr. Charles Call. GridFlow is developing safer, more efficient lithium batteries, based on a breakthrough technology emerging from Sandia National Laboratories. GridFlow’s aim is to maximize the value, stability, and reliability of the U.S. power grid.

“Empowering the energy sector by connecting innovations emerging from our national laboratories with top business and commercialization players like GridFlow represents some of our best opportunities to build energy security,” noted Dana Catron, deputy director of Arrowhead Center.

GridFlow will go on to the Startup World Cup in an October event held in San Francisco, California. In addition to a $1 million top prize, participants enjoy opportunities and network and connect with an international group of investors and business peers.

 

Charles Call, Gridflow

News from Workforce and Strategic Engagements

By Dr. Patricia Sullivan, Director, Workforce and Strategic Engagements: The Carrizo Pumped Hydropower Project

The Office of Workforce and Strategic Engagement participated in a project kick-off meeting in Window Rock, AZ for the Carrizo Pumped Hydropower project, which was recently funded by DOE with matching funds from the New Mexico Technology Enhancement Fund.  Under the technical leadership of Dr. Fengyu Wang from the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the project brings together partners from the Navajo Nation, Kinetic Power, Argonne National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Columbia University, and the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a feasibility study for the project, which is proposed as a seasonal duration energy storage facility.  As lead on the Community Benefits Plan  for the project, the Office of Workforce and Strategic Engagement will lead community engagement and will partner with NMSU Global Campus to develop online courses and micro-learning certifications to support workforce development in the Four Corners region. 

NMSU STEM+ Education Research Institute: Translating Research into Practice

By Dr. Susan Brown, Director STEM+ Education Research Institute 

The NMSU STEM+ Education Research Institute (SERI) is hosting a conference on October 30, 2024 at the Las Cruces Convention Center.  The theme is Translating Research into Practice:  Elevating STEM Education in New Mexico.  Speakers include John Garcia (Senior Advisor with the U.S. Department of Education), Gwen Warniment (Deputy Secretary for Teaching and Learning, NM PED), Sara Brownell (Arizona State University), and Danielle Maxwell (University of Detroit.) There will be poster and microbrew sharing sessions in the afternoon.  Please mark your calendars and join us!  Due to the generous support from offices within NMSU, no conference fees will be charged. 

The faculty belonging to SERI continue to work with faculty and staff from over 20 colleges within NMSU and the DACC, as well as NMSU organizations such as the Evaluation, Research and Statistics office.  Grant proposals are being submitted and partnerships are formed across the higher education campuses here in New Mexico and beyond our state lines. 

Please contact me at susanbro@nmsu.edu.  

Recognizing Recipients of Large Awards (August)

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

Congratulations to Dr. Torres and her team for an award exceeding one million in the past two months.

Congratulations to Interim President Monica Torres and her team for garnering a $1.5 million award from the National Science Foundation for their project titled, “Louis Stokes B2B Alliance: New Mexico Bridge to the Baccalaureate (NM B2B).” Led by Doña Ana Community College, this project partners with seven other institutions: Central New Mexico Community College, Luna Community College, NMSU Alamogordo, NMSU Grants, San Juan College, Santa Fe Community College, and the University of New Mexico at Valencia.  The goals of this proposal include increasing the retention of underrepresented minority (URM) undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM fields, increasing the number of community college URM students participating in mentoring and enrollment in STEM courses that provide undergraduate research experiences, and increasing the transfer rates of URM undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM. This Alliance partners with NMSU main campus as the four-year degree granting partner that leads the NSF funded Alliance for Minority Participation (NM AMP). Co-principal investigators on this project are Mr. Jon Juarez, NMSU Regents Professor Master Teacher, and Chair of Doña Ana Community College’s Computer and Information Technology Department and Dr. Joanne Latorre, associate professor of chemistry at Doña Ana Community College. For more information about this project please contact Mr. Juarez at jjuarez@nmsu.edu or Dr. Latorre at jlat68@nmsu.edu.

 
Dr. Monica Torres, NMSU & DACC

Recognizing Submitters of Large Proposals (July and August 2024)

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

Congratulations to Drs. Amanda Peel, Josefina Carmona and Tracey Blanco for each submitting a large proposal in the past two months.

Dr. Amanda Peel, assistant professor of Curriculum and Instruction submitted a $2.2 million proposal to the NSF CAREER program. Dr. Peel's proposal aims to prepare Southern New Mexico science teachers to teach integrated computational thinking and science. If selected for funding this program will advance knowledge about how to support 50 pre-service and early career teachers in integrating computational thinking into science education, which will impact between 4,500 to 6,000 students in New Mexico.

For more information about this proposal please contact Dr. Peel at apeel@nmsu.edu.   

Dr. Amanda Peel, NMSU

Dr. Josefina Carmona, the director of the Health Sciences Division at Doña Ana Community College submitted a $1.36 million proposal to the US Department of Education’s Office of Post-secondary Education to support DACC’s STEM Health Sciences Student Support Services program. The program’s proposed services include support and monitoring of student success, tutoring, advising and course selection, transfer support to four-year institutions, financial aid education and FAFA application completion, financial literacy education and planning, mentoring, career pathway exploration and workforce preparation, and specialized academic and non-academic support for students with disabilities.

For more information about this proposal, please contact Dr. Carmona at  jcarmona@dacc.nmsu.edu.

Dr. Josefina Carmona, NMSU/DACC

Dr. Tracey Gorham Blanco, the clinical director of Secondary Teacher Education program at NMSU’s College of Health Education and Social Transformation, submitted a $1.2 million proposal to the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The proposal aims to continue NMSU’s efforts to train highly qualified STEM teachers to enter the teaching field, where they can impact outcomes for math and science learning in the State of New Mexico. The proposed program will address the challenges New Mexico school districts face regarding equitable education with limited resources as well as teacher shortages in high-poverty school districts. The proposal intends to enhance the teacher pipeline with STEM majors, who come from under-served populations.

For more information please contact Dr. Tracey Gorham Blanco at tgblanco@nmsu.edu.   

Dr. Tracey Gorham Blanco, NMSU

Save the Date: Principal Investigator Training on September 27, 2024

  
Research Administration Services (RAS) will be offering Principal Investigator Training at 11:00am on September 27, 2024 via Zoom. The training is intended to provide a high-level overview to NMSU researchers and staff involved with proposal preparation and submission, as well as award negotiation/acceptance of externally sponsored grants and contracts. The training is strongly encouraged for all prospective and current principal investigators who have yet to attend. Registration details will be forthcoming in NMSU’s Hotline. For more information, please email ras@nmsu.edu.  

NMSU PI Academy

The 6th cohort of NMSU’s PI Academy is preparing for the 2024-25 academic year. The PI Academy continues to provide our new faculty with PI “essentials” and orient them to NMSU’s research, scholarly, and creative community and resources. If you are a new faculty member to NMSU and are interested in taking part in the NMSU PI Academy for the 2024-25 academic year email me at cindyram@nmsu.edu.

Fall 2024 Grants Workshops and Information Sessions

By Dr. Allison Layfield, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

Research Administration will hold several information sessions on major federal funders, as well as workshops to help faculty and staff prepare for external funding opportunities. Faculty with extensive grant experience will learn about changes to funder priorities and required documents. Faculty new to grant-writing will learn tips and strategies to save time searching for and writing grants.

Humanities Grants 2024 Info Session: Wednesday, October 9, 3:30-4:30pm

Milton Hall, 185J

Learn about new grants and emerging priorities at NEH, ACLS, and other major funders of humanities research. Participants will also learn about internal funding opportunities.

Arts Grants 2024 Info Session: Thursday, October 10, 3-4pm

Devasthali Hall 106

Come learn about funding and resources to support arts-based research. Participants will also learn about internal funding opportunities and limited submission arts-based opportunities.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Info Session: Tuesday, October 15, 12-1pm

To register for the Zoom link, email cindyram@nmsu.edu

In this information session we will look at the NIH, explore the NIH funding mechanisms, and see if NIH is a fit for you. 

National Science Foundation (NSF) Info Session: Tuesday, November 12, 12-1pm

To register for the Zoom link, email cindyram@nmsu.edu

This information session will provide an overview of the NSF. Learn about NSF funding opportunities and where to search for them.

Building a Grant Budget: Tuesday, December 17, 12-1pm

To register for the Zoom link, email cindyram@nmsu.edu

Participants will learn the essentials of understanding and crafting a grant budget, including the components of a grant budget, budget justification, and best practices for budget planning.

For more information on these events, reach out to ras@nmsu.edu with the subject line: “research development workshop.”

Call for Applications: Arts & Humanities Seed Grant

By Dr. Allison Layfield, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RAS

The Office of Research, Creativity and Economic Development (RCED) is requesting applications for the 2025 NMSU Arts and Humanities (A&H) Seed Funding Program. The program is designed to help faculty launch new projects for which they will seek external funding.  

RCED encourages tenure-track faculty across NMSU departments to apply for seed grant funding to support projects based in humanistic inquiry. For example, projects examining the impact of climate change or AI advancements on human culture or examining how belief systems shape human responses to natural disasters, medicine or technology could be eligible for seed funding. 

Read the full CfA for further information about project and faculty eligibility: https://research.nmsu.edu/funding/ArtsHumanitiesSeedFunding.html

Applications are due no later than 5:00pm on November 8, 2024 and must be electronically submitted. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Awards will be announced no later than January 31, 2025.  

For assistance with your application or to sign up as a reviewer, contact Allison Layfield: layfield at nmsu.edu. Grant writing resources are also available on the Arts & Humanities Funding Teams site. 

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. Allison Layfield at layfield@nmsu.edu, (575) 646-1613.