Who we are

  

About New Mexico EPSCoR


About

The New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR) is building the state's capacity to conduct scientific research and is training a diverse, well-qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. We do this through multi-year, federally funded projects that include New Mexico's research universities, primarily undergraduate higher education institutions, national laboratories, and other organizations.

Our current focus is the NM SMART Grid Center, an interdisciplinary National Science Foundation (NSF) project that is pursuing research and workforce training for next-generation electric power production and delivery.

Transmission lines, NM EPSCoR, Higher Education STEM New Mexico
History

History of New Mexico EPSCoR

NM EPSCoR was established with a successful National Science Foundation (NSF) planning grant in 2000. The first NSF Track 1 Research Infrastructure Improvement grant was awarded in 2002. For more information on the history of NM EPSCoR NSF funding and research areas, please view our historical timeline by clicking below.

NM EPSCoR Timeline

History of NM EPSCoR, Higher Education STEM New Mexico
Mission & Vision

Mission & Vision

The mission of New Mexico's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR) is to build the state's capacity to conduct scientific research while cultivating a diverse, well-qualified STEM workforce. We envision New Mexico as a state that has achieved self-sufficiency in a sustainable manner through its research and development enterprise, has a strong STEM pipeline between community colleges and the research universities, promotes innovation, new business, and economic development, and is recognized contributors to the national and global STEM research enterprise.

Mission and Vision, NM EPSCoR, Higher Education STEM New Mexico
Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

The diversity of the people of New Mexico has been a source of innovation and creativity throughout our state’s history. NM EPSCoR respects and values diversity of all types, including race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, education, socioeconomic status, ability, and more. We see diversity as a source of strength, and we strive to create an inclusive, collaborative, and equitable environment where everyone can realize their full potential. NM EPSCoR particularly acknowledges the acute need to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of talented students, faculty, and staff from historically excluded populations who are currently underrepresented.

NSF EPSCoR

NSF EPSCoR

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) supports 25 states, two territories, and one commonwealth in its efforts to build sustainable research and human infrastructure. The mission of EPSCoR is to advance excellence in science and engineering research and education in order to achieve sustainable increases in research, education, and training capacity and competitiveness that will enable EPSCoR jurisdictions to have increased engagement in areas supported by the NSF. Of all NSF EPSCoR faculty hires, 78% remain in their original jurisdictions, creating a return on investment for each jurisdiction.

Learn More

NSF EPSCoR Map, NM EPSCoR, Higher Education STEM New Mexico

  

Impacts on New Mexico


Research Infrastructure

Research Infrastructure

One of the main goals of NM EPSCoR is to support research infrastructure through shared-use equipment. Several higher education institutions across the state benefit from state-of-the-art equipment purchases using NM EPSCoR funding, including a magnetotelluric system, laser-based isotope systems, gas chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, and more. These equipment purchases will remain available for faculty and students at their home universities, and will support their research projects for years to come.

Current Research

Research Infrastructure
Natives in STEM

Natives in STEM

Natives in STEM is a collaborative project between NM EPSCoR and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). The project aims to increase Native American identity and sense of belonging in STEM by creating and sharing positive images and stories of Native STEM professionals. Natives in STEM provides access to Native STEM professionals, creates an educational tool for teachers and schools, increases understanding of and interest in STEM for Native communities, broadens educational and career choices for Native students, and strengthens the Native STEM community network.

Visit the website

Natives in STEM
Museum Exhibits

Museum Exhibits

In order to communicate research broadly to the public, NM EPSCoR funded three exhibits at science museums in Albuquerque: a bioalgal exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, a solar energy exhibit at Explora Science Center, and a uranium exhibit at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. These museum exhibits provide a vehicle for NM EPSCoR research to be shared with hundreds of thousands of members of the general public, on a much larger scale than could be accomplished through traditional outreach activities.

Museum Exhibits
Creative Startups

Creative Startups

The Creative Startups Accelerator was launched in 2014 with seed funding from NM EPSCoR to help jump-start the careers and businesses of creative entrepreneurs. The program is now located in three sites domestically (Albuquerque; Winston-Salem, NC; Baltimore, MD) and recently expanded internationally in Kuwait and Malaysia. To date, they have graduated 40 startups from the New Mexico Accelerator program. So far, the startup companies that participated in the accelerator have raised $11 million in private investment, generated $10 million in new revenues, and created over 160 new jobs in New Mexico (210 jobs globally).

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Creative Startups
By the Numbers

By the Numbers

Since 2001, EPSCoR programs have provided $232 million to New Mexico to build capacity in research infrastructure, cyberinfrastructure, and STEM workforce development and education. In the current National Science Foundation (NSF) Track 1 project (NM SMART Grid Center), NM EPSCoR participants have brought in over $82 million in external funding and published over 180 peer-reviewed publications.

By the Numbers

  

People of NM EPSCoR


Research Team Leads
SMART Grid Research Team Leads

Research Team Leads

  1. Architecture: Olga Lavrova (NMSU), Ali Bidram (UNM), Jane Lehr (UNM)
  2. Networking: Jay Misra (NMSU), Jun Zheng (NM Tech), Michael Devetsikiotis (UNM)
  3. Decision-Support: Huiping Cao (NMSU), Enrico Pontelli (NMSU), Abdullah Mueen (UNM), Manel Martínez-Ramón (UNM)
  4. Deployment: Ali Bidram (UNM), Jun Zheng (NM Tech), Enrico Pontelli (NMSU), Jane Lehr (UNM)
  5. Cyberinfrastructure: Diana Dugas (NMSU), Karl Benedict (UNM), Patrick Bridges (UNM), Jon Wheeler (UNM)

More About Research

State Committee

NM EPSCoR State Committee

Co-Chairs
  • Jack Jekowski
    Consultant, Innovative Technology Partnerships, LLC
  • Stephanie Rodriguez
    Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Higher Education Department

University Representatives
  • Luis Cifuentes
    Vice President for Research, NMSU
  • Ellen Fisher
    Vice President for Research, UNM
  • Mike Doyle
    Vice President for Research, NMT
  • W. Jack Crocker
    Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs, WNMU
  • John Montgomery
    Assistant Dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences, ENMU
  • Ian Williamson
    Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Grants, and Contracts, NMHU
  • Ivan Lopez Hurtado
    Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, NNMC
  • Valerie Montoya
    Vice President of Academic Programs, SIPI

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Representative
  • Kathy Keith 
    Director of Community Programs Office, LANL

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Representative
  • Diane Peebles
    Manager, SNL

New Mexico Consortium Representative
  • Vacant
    Director, NMC

State Government Representatives
  • Vacant
    Division Director, Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

State Government Legislators
  • Senator William Soules
    District 37, Doña Ana County
  • Representative Jason Harper 
    District 57, Sandoval County

Private Industry Representatives
  • Jon Hawkins
    Manager of Advanced Technology and Strategy, PNM Resources
  • Bill Kipnis
    Senior Project Developer, Avangrid Renewables

State EPSCoR Office (Ex-Officio)
  • Ganesh Balakrishnan 
    NM EPSCoR State Director
Contacts & State Office Location

NM EPSCoR State Office

NM EPSCoR State Office Location