2025 New Mexico Journal of Science Call for Abstracts!

The New Mexico Journal of Science is accepting papers for consideration for the next issue (2025). All papers are subject to a peer review process. There is no cost to authors for publishing and all papers will be open-source accessible. Papers can be from a variety of scientific disciplines. All novel and previously unpublished work will be considered for publication. Please email your manuscript submission to the editor, Seyi Adekoya, at sadekoya1@unm.edu.

2025 AISES South Region Conference

Every spring, AISES members from across the U.S. and Canada come together for Regional Conferences—dynamic gatherings that inspire and support academic and professional success in STEM. These events feature unique workshops, sessions, and networking opportunities, showcasing innovation, industry programs, and career pathways. Attendees gain insights into chapter activities, explore scholarships and internships, and connect with current and future STEM leaders.

Early Career Workshop

The Early Career Workshop is a two-day intensive program for NM postdocs and faculty in STEM research and education disciplines. This practical, hands-on workshop addresses ideation, proposal writing, project management, and effective public communication, empowering participants to increase their research productivity, funding, and impact.

Seed Award Statement of Interest Deadline

The Seed Award program supports transformative research and capacity building across New Mexico’s academic institutions. These awards fund the purchase of research equipment, support for student researchers, acquisition of research supplies, and student conference travel. Program goals are to 1) foster initiatives that enhance research capacity (including cyberinfrastructure), productivity, and external funding competitiveness, and 2) increase student access to meaningful research experiences across the state.

Workshop Awards: Spring 2025

The Research Infrastructure Optimization for New Mexico (RIO-NM) team seeks proposals for Workshop Awards. This competitive funding opportunity aims to catalyze transformative partnerships across New Mexico's research ecosystem by bringing together teams of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, educators, and subject matter experts to address self-identified gaps in New Mexico’s current research ecosystem.

2025 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award Nominations

The NM EPSCoR Mentor Award recognizes mentors in STEM research and education who demonstrate excellence in supporting students’ academic, research, and career endeavors, and in creating supportive environments for all students. Eligible nominees are faculty, staff, or postdocs in a STEM field at a New Mexico institution of higher education. The deadline for students to nominate an excellent mentor is May 9, 2025.

Pioneering Geoscientist Professor Laura Crossey Retires from University of New Mexico

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

After a remarkable four-decade career marked by groundbreaking research, educational leadership, and a commitment to diversity in scientific fields, Professor Laura J. Crossey, a distinguished professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at the University of New Mexico (UNM), retired in January 2025.

Throughout her illustrious career, Crossey was a pivotal figure in New Mexico's scientific community. Her contributions to NM EPSCoR span multiple projects that advanced understanding of critical environmental and energy challenges and opportunities in New Mexico.

NSF Opportunities Introduction & Listening Session Two

Join the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) to learn about EDU funding opportunities. EDU program representatives will introduce funding opportunities and invite questions. They will then open the floor to discussion about ideas and challenges associated with acquiring NSF funding. This information is especially helpful to institutions in EPSCoR Jurisdictions.

NSF Opportunities Introduction & Listening Session One

Join the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) to learn about EDU funding opportunities. EDU program representatives will introduce funding opportunities and invite questions. They will then open the floor to discussion about ideas and challenges associated with acquiring NSF funding. This information is especially helpful to institutions in EPSCoR Jurisdictions.

Associate Director Connealy Receives Outstanding Research Staff Award

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The University of New Mexico has awarded Selena Connealy, Associate Director of New Mexico EPSCoR, an Outstanding Research Staff Award for her exceptional contributions to research administration and leadership within the state's scientific community.

Connealy, who has served with NM EPSCoR for over a decade, was recognized for her leadership during a period of funding uncertainty. She maintained team cohesion and preserved institutional knowledge by retaining key staff members—achievements vital to NM EPSCoR's mission of enhancing research capacity across New Mexico.

DREAM Center

Distributed Resilient Emerging-intelligence based Additive Manufacturing 

EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement (E-RISE RII)

ARID Science Communication Workshop

The ARID Institute at UNM is hosting a workshop on Friday, November 15th at 1 PM to 4 PM to share strategies, tips, and best practices for science communication to non-technical audiences. The workshop will be hosted by Debbie Lee, Sr Program Manager for the ARID Institute. She is an experienced environmental mediator, facilitator, and science communicator. The workshop will help researchers think through the basics of communicating their research and build skills in communicating science for a) conveying information, and b) to inform behavioral change.

NSF GRANTED Fall Informational Webinar

The NSF Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) initiative focuses on addressing systemic barriers within the nation’s research enterprise by improving research support and service capacity. GRANTED is a whole-of-NSF approach that is transforming NSF and the science and engineering community to develop the collective knowledge, skills, talents and desire to serve within the nation’s science and engineering enterprise.

New Mexico Shines at National EPSCoR Conference

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

New Mexico EPSCoR had a robust presence at the 28th National NSF EPSCoR Conference held in Omaha, Nebraska, from October 13-16, 2024. The New Mexico cohort included multiple student and faculty researchers, two state lawmakers, and staff from the NM EPSCoR state office. 

📸 Link to professional event photo album  

📸 Link to photos NM EPSCoR staff took

 

Honoring Anju James

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

Sijo and Anju

It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the passing of Anju James. Anju and her husband Sijo Augustine were both valued members of the NM SMART Grid Center research team and the NMSU community. 

Postdoc and Research Trainees Mentoring: Fostering Creativity

Session 3 of our #Mentoring Series! Let's get in-depth into how to foster creativity! Join the LinkedIn Live on Thursday, 10/17, at noon EST!

Join NM EPSCoR Associate Director Selena Connealy and Idaho EPSCoR Associate Director Rick Schumaker as they discuss arguably one of the most valuable resources out there on mentoring, a full detailed document that has several activities, built by faculty from all over the United States

This will be a series of LinkedIn Live events every Thursday at 10 am MT in October!

Postdoc and Research Trainees Mentoring: Career Management

Join NM EPSCoR Associate Director Selena Connealy and Idaho EPSCoR Associate Director Rick Schumaker as they discuss arguably one of the most valuable resources out there on mentoring, a full detailed document that has several activities, built by faculty from all over the United States! 

This will be a series of LinkedIn Live events every Thursday at 10 am MT in October!

RIO-NM

Research Infrastructure Optimization for New Mexico (RIO-NM)

RIO-NM aims to positively impact New Mexico’s research ecosystem by 1) investing in higher education institutions to build cyberinfrastructure capacity and to strengthen research pathways, and 2) nurturing connections between and among ecosystem stakeholders across higher education, national laboratories, industry, non-profit organizations, and government.

SMART Grid

New Mexico EPSCOR SMART Grid Center

The NM SMART Grid Center—pursued next-generation electric power production and delivery by creating a SMART electric grid (one that is Sustainable, Modular, Adaptive, Resilient, and Transactive).  

Postdoc and Research Trainees Mentoring: Introduction

Join NM EPSCoR Associate Director Selena Connealy and Idaho EPSCoR Associate Director Rick Schumaker as they discuss arguably one of the most valuable resources out there on mentoring, a full detailed document that has several activities, built by faculty from all over the United States! 

This will be a series of LinkedIn Live events that happens every Thursday at 10am MT in Oct!

Now is the Time to Apply for NSF Funding

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act mandated the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) increase funding to EPSCoR states from ~13% in 2022 to 20% by 2029. This substantial increase presents a golden opportunity for higher education institutions in New Mexico to secure vital research support. There have been many updates to NSF EPSCoR programs in 2023, so we’ve put together a guide to (1) NSF solicitations targeting EPSCoR states and (2) NSF EPSCoR program funding opportunities.
 

EPSCoR Live! Embracing Social Sciences as Critical Components in EPSCoR RII Opportunities

In this session, Dr. Narcrisha Norman and Dr. Jeanne Small will discuss the new NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP), which supports the pool of exceptionally talented individuals who received Honorable Mention from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) within the last three years. The EGFP awards will fund graduate fellowships to new or continuing students, up to $37,000 per student annually, for up to three years for stipends and cost-of-education allowance.

Water & Energy Workforce Insights: New Mexico’s Path Forward

Join us on October 3rd as we host Jobs for the Future (JFF) to share their findings and recommendations to account for and address gaps, strengths, challenges, and opportunities for workforce pathways into water and energy jobs. We will work together to set priorities, goals, and action steps based on the information shared

A formal agenda will be shared closer to the date.

New Mexico EPSCoR Selected to Lead $8 Million NSF Award to Strengthen State's Research Ecosystem

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $8 million to NM EPSCoR to lead the "Research Infrastructure Optimization for New Mexico" (RIO-NM) project, a transformative initiative connecting New Mexico's significant research resources with its network of Emerging Research Institutions.

Building upon years of experience in managing expansive research collaborations, RIO-NM represents the next evolution of the NM EPSCoR’s work, guided by the strategic vision and continued support of the New Mexico Jurisdictional Steering Committee. 

Knowledge and Technology Gaps for Water Security in New Mexico

Water security is a defining challenge in the southwestern US. Seeking solutions to this challenge is paramount for maintaining ecosystems, supporting the economy, and growing the clean energy sector, as water and energy are inextricably linked. This workshop, organized by the Energized Watershed NSF Engines project team, will bring together water researchers, resource and technology experts, innovators, and stakeholders to discuss existing capabilities and identify knowledge and technology gaps to support enhanced water security in New Mexico.

Fall 2024 NMSU Postdoc Symposium

New Mexico Postdoc Symposium on Friday, September 20, 2024 in synch with the National Postdoc Appreciation Week. The symposium is open to all postdocs across New Mexico including national labs and UNM as well as UTEP. There will be several opportunities to network and engage in professional development as well as a catered lunch

The cost to attend is free (we are not offering travel stipends, however). Registration will close on Friday, July 31, 2024

Building an Advanced Energy Ecosystem in New Mexico

Join policymakers, researchers, industry, entrepreneurs, investors, and others to learn about cutting-edge technologies in the race to decarbonize and how New Mexico can be the global leader in the future of energy. Learn about cutting-edge technologies in the race to decarbonize and how New Mexico can be the global leader in the future of energy.

Cost to attend: $250.00 - $300.00

Exploring EPSCoR Research Ecosystems

Shifting to a research ecosystem approach is not trivial, and NSF EPSCoR understands that it will require a revision for each EPSCoR jurisdiction based on its own unique strengths, challenges, and opportunities. E-CORE RII and E-RISE RII programs provide significant opportunities and NSF EPSCoR requires key components to be present regarding the scope and co-production within the ecosystem, through collaboration among E-CORE projects, Jurisdictional Science and Technology Committees and Jurisdictional Science and Technology Plans.

New Mexico Postdocs Hone Communication Skills at Science Communication Workshop

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

A recent NSF EPSCoR-funded project highlighted a surprising gap between the goals and preparation of postdoctoral researchers. The study found that nearly seven out of ten postdocs considered explaining science to the public a key part of their future careers. Yet, a staggering six in ten reported little to no training in this vital skill.

Indigenous STEAM Education Community Conversation

Join our conversation and community building around Native Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics (Native STEAM) in NM. What does it mean to be in STEAM? How can it be inclusive? What does this mean for community building around our overlapping roles such as students, educators, professionals, parents, community members? We are hoping this conversation will lead to networking and collective goal setting to reimagine the future of STEAM in Native Communities.

Out to Innovate™ Scholarships

The Out to Innovate™ Scholarships, established in 2011, are intended for LGBTQ+ undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) programs. The scholarships are designed to promote academic excellence and increased visibility of talented LGBTQ+ students in STEM careers. We are pleased to announce that Motorola Solutions Foundation has funded the Out to Innovate Scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year for technology and engineering undergraduate students.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA DEPSCoR DAY

The University of Oklahoma is set to host DEPSCoR DAY, a full-day workshop, on Thursday, April 25th, 2024. During the event, program officers from the Department of Defense (DoD) will provide insights into funding opportunities offered through the DoD Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) and other relevant DoD research programs.

2023 New Mexico Journal of Science

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The 2023 New Mexico Journal of Science, published by the New Mexico Academy of Science and New Mexico EPSCoR, is now available for public viewing. This year's Journal includes poster and oral session abstracts from the 2023 New Mexico Research Symposium. Also included are four papers authored by New Mexico researchers investigating topics ranging from ocean litter to the use of local honey to treat antibiotic resistant infections.

Directed Energy Day @ UNM

Purpose: To invite regional universities, industry, and national labs to learn about what we are planning to do (nurture a Directed Energy Ecosystem in the SW).

Event Highlights:

  • Overview of the Directed Energy Center
  • Technical/Industry/Workforce development talks
  • Networking

Part Two: DOE Science Graduate Student Research Award Assistance Workshop

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2024 solicitation 1 cycle. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Application assistance workshop:

  • April 18, 2024, 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. ET

Part One: DOE Science Graduate Student Research Award Assistance Workshop

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2024 solicitation 1 cycle. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Application workshops:

  • March 7, 2024, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. ET
  • April 18, 2024, 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. ET

DEC @ UNM

Directed Energy Day @ UNM

Time/Date: 9 am to 3 pm on April 26, 2024 
Location: Rotunda at UNM Science and Technology Park
Purpose: To invite regional universities, industry, and national labs to learn about what we plan to do (nurture a Directed Energy Ecosystem in the SW).

Event Highlights:

  • Overview of the Directed Energy Center
  • Technical/Industry/Workforce development talks
  • Networking

Resources:

Decoding Science Communication: A Workshop for NM Postdocs

Science is full of groundbreaking discoveries, but how do we effectively share them with the world? This free interactive workshop, designed specifically for postdocs, will equip you with the skills and knowledge to become a confident and compelling science communicator. Travel support may be available.

When: May 16–17, 2024

Where: CHTM at the University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard St SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Google Map Link

EPSCoR Live! EPSCoR Workshop Opportunities

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is hosting virtual forums to enable conversation about NSF programs, policies, and updates. Researchers, educators, and leaders within research administration, especially those in EPSCoR jurisdictions, are welcome to join these events to learn more about the latest programs and news and to engage in Q&A with EPSCoR Program Officers.

DOE Boost 2024 Startup Studio

Sandia National Laboratories, in partnership with FedTech, is excited to announce the launch of the DOE Boost platform - an initiative that brings national labs, startups, academia, and entrepreneurs together to find solutions to big community-based energy challenges.

This unique program offers an extraordinary opportunity for highly talented entrepreneurs to leverage DOE's extensive portfolio of intellectual property across their national laboratory network.

2024 EPSCoR Research Fellows: What You Need to Know

What is the goal? 

To provide opportunities for non-tenured AND tenured investigators to develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the Nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Only investigators from research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions in EPSCoR states (including NM) are eligible to apply.
 

What’s new in 2024?

Changes impacting both Tracks:

Improving Undergraduate Student Success Through Summer Research Experiences

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub Spring 2024 Webinar Series focuses on celebrating and learning from successful NSF HSI awardees. We host panels of successful PIs on specific topics that will engage our audience and support grant writing efforts for those planning a grant submission. This webinar series focuses on a broad array of topics that promote student success, wellness and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series.

Virtual Pangenomics Workshop

The proliferation of reference quality genome assemblies within any single species has necessitated the need for pangenome analyses. Such analyses remove reference bias and elucidate biological signals at a more comprehensive population scale. In this virtual, 1 week workshop, students will learn what exactly a pangenome is, how to build a pangenome, and how to perform fundamental bioinformatic analyses on pangenomic data.

Community Conversations

This webinar will explore strategies for gathering input and feedback from current and potential stakeholders as well as explore how partnerships can be developed to attract new audiences. Participants will hear how the Southold Historical Museum used a survey to gather stakeholder input and thought strategically about the strategies, time, and effort needed to build mutually beneficial and trusting relationships with new partners and stakeholders.

Graduate Studies Shared Knowledge Conference

The Shared Knowledge Conference is a yearly event designed to celebrate and showcase UNM graduate students and their outstanding research and scholarship. The conference's LoboBITES Competition and Poster Showcase provide venues for students to share their work with the UNM and larger New Mexican communities, bridge borders that too-often divide academia from the larger world, spark conversations, and even forge lasting collaborations.

Workshop: Nothing About US Without Us

This virtual panel discussion with harm reduction advocates examines community-academic research partnerships by investigating issues around power imbalances between the researcher and the researched cognitive social justice, and inequitable participatory burdens. In the end, the panel recommends promising practices that address research and academic practices, systems, and rules that can be changed to result in the equitable distribution of power and prioritize the voices and lived experiences of community groups such as harm reduction advocates and people who use drugs (PWUDs).

UNM's 2nd Research & Discovery Week

Research & Discovery Week features an exciting schedule of events that showcase the excellence and diversity of UNM's research enterprise, promote resources and opportunities available to UNM researchers, and foster the principles of ethical, engaged, collaborative, and fulfilling scholarship. Most importantly, these events also highlight the unique contributions of our faculty, staff, and students to the intellectual capital of our institution and enable our collective ability to positively impact our communities, our state, our nation, and the world.

Rapid Detection of Viruses via Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

Rapid, accurate detection of pathogens is critical for public health and safety, but many current methods of detection have shortcomings, such as requiring the use of expensive instruments or controlled temperature environments. Currently, the most accurate results are from molecular tests, but these can take over 24 hours. Antigen tests are much more rapid, but tend to be less accurate.

A Theoretical and Artistic Examination of Euclid's Elements

Euclid, the ancient Greek geometer, documented hundreds of geometric proofs in thirteen books known as the Elements.
Their deductive format set the basis for the geometry commonly used today in Euclidean geometry.
Our research over several semesters (sponsored by AMP) involved examining the first book of Euclid's Elements, initially through such propositions as 1.45 and 1.47'the Pythagorean Theorem'and more recently the other 46 propositions.

Establishing the biological production of perthiols by a human enzyme

Hydrogen sulfide gas and perthiol chemical groups (RSSH) are regulators of metabolism and may serve to protect enzymes against reactive oxygen species. The source of biological perthiols is not fully understood. The human protein CCBL1 is known to cleave C-S bonds in certain substrates such as cysteine. We hypothesize that CCBL1 will react with cystine and cystamine to produce products containing a perthiol. We will measure the kinetics of the enzymatic reaction using visible spectroscopy.

Design of an Input Coupler for an X-Band Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier

The University of New Mexico is working on developing a multi-stream Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) amplifier. One of the first steps to be taken during the design of a TWT amplifier is to design an input coupler to couple power from a High Power Microwave (HPM) source to the slow wave structure of the amplifier. In order to aid in the development of a TWT which operates in X-Band, multiple options for input couplers have been designed for use in a greater TWT project at the University of New Mexico.

Dynamics and Velocity-Based Optimization of a Planar Muscle-Driven Snake Robot

Future planetary explorations require versatile robots that can adaptively traverse extreme access and partially known environments with optimal energy-consumption to address the limitations of current exploration rovers and robotic systems, like Mars and Lunar Exploration Rovers. This presentation discusses a study of the dynamics, modeling, and dynamic-based optimization for energy-efficient agile snake robot locomotion for space exploration.

Bacterial Analysis of Wastewater Samples in Central New Mexico via 16s RNA Gene Sequencing

In the modern era, no matter how far our technological advancements have come, there is still room to improve the methods of things that we take for granted, like water purification. Most of us receive purified water right from the faucet and into our drinking glass which is cleaner than any natural body of water besides wells. Even underground aquafers have their disadvantages and are subject to attack by one of the most common things found on our planet, bacteria.

Laser and Laser Material Research at the UNM Directed Energy Center

This talk will discuss the recent work in UNM's new Directed Energy Center that has revolved around laser and laser material development. Experiments in laser cooling ytterbium doped silica have resulted in a world record for the material class, with cooling by 67 K from room temperature achieved in the past year. The first observation of lasing in an all-solid-state Anderson localizing optical fiber was also recently made. A great deal of spectroscopic work has been done on both ytterbium doped silica and of various rare-earth ions in novel lanthanum titanate glasses.

Inhibition of MEK/ERK Pathway is Effective in Treating HPV-Induced Papillomas via Decreased Oncoprotein Expression

Infection with Human papillomavirus (HPV) is prolific around the world and is of great concern due to its high rate of transmission and ability to cause anogenital and head and neck cancers. Although vaccine use is becoming increasingly widespread, there are still unvaccinated individuals, those who have already contracted the virus, and cancer-associated strains that are not targeted by all HPV vaccines. Additionally, there is no available treatment for most infections. Therefore, there is a critical need for effective antivirals against HPV.

High-Throughput Synthesis and Modification of Peptides

The United States built special reactors between 1944 and 1988 to make about 100 metric tons of plutonium for nuclear weapons. The production of nuclear armaments generated more than 100 million gallons of hazardous liquid waste, which is to be safely cleaned up and disposed of by The US Department of Energy (DOE). Vitrification and grouting are the plans the DOE has come up with to permanently deal with the waste. These approaches ineffectively collect the radioactive content of the waste necessitating an alternative cleanup strategy.

Colorimetric detection of azide with a dinuclear Cu(II) based-polyamine macrocyclic metal-organic framework

Though anions play various important roles in biology, their detrimental effects on humans and the environment are inevitable. It has become imperative to detect them to avoid exposure. One is azide, which is used as a preservative, mutagen, biocide, and assay reagent. However, it is very toxic to living beings. It is a potent inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration. Azide causes dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and restlessness at low doses. Symptoms occur within minutes of exposure.

Stock Price Prediction using Sentiment Analysis and Machine Learning

With the vast amount of data and improvement in computational capabilities, the prediction of stock prices has been an active area of interest. Apart from historical data of the stock, technical and fundamental data of the company, different macro financial parameters which represent the health of the company such as interest rate, GDP of the country, inflation rate, unemployment rate, oil price, etc., are prime factors that determine the stock market prices.

Quantum Dot Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers (PCSELs) by Epitaxial Regrowth

Semiconductor diode lasers using self-assembled InAs quantum dot (QD) active regions have been studied extensively due to their excellent device performance, such as low sensitivity to operating temperature, and record-low threshold current densities. To date QD lasers have been realized as edge emitters, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) or vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs). In this study we make use of a different laser architecture to realize vertically emitting QD lasers - the photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL).

Improving the Efficiency of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Thermal short-circuiting is a potential problem for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). One solution to this problem is to reduce the permeability of very conductive fractures with porous polymers that bond to rock, reducing fluid flow without completely sealing the fracture. To deliver the polymers, thermally degradable microcapsules will carry them to the desired location, where the microcapsule ruptures to enable polymerization.

Inhibition of amylin aggregation by heat shock cognate 70 molecular chaperones

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a class of molecular chaperones that assist in preventing protein misfolding and inhibits assembly of disease-causing proteins into amyloid-like aggregates during the condition of stress. Hsp70 chaperone proteins is abundantly expressed throughout the cell. Misfolding and aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) plays an important and detrimental role in the etiopathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

Fabrication of Silicon Nitride Waveguides for Nonlinear Photonics

Optical frequency combs are spectra which consist of equidistant frequency lines, have revolutionized precision metrology and timekeeping since their invention about 20 years ago. Conventionally, optical frequency combs based on mode locked lasers were restricted to specialized labs, but with recent advancements in nanofabrication, frequency combs can now be created in chip scale microresonators (microcombs).

Examining the Right-of-Way Process for Navajo Nation USA Allotment Lands in Connection to the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

Today, there are 567 American Indian nations across the USA. Each tribal government has its own history relating to Indian allotment lands. This research examines the administrative Right-of-Way (ROW) process for the Great Navajo Nation allotment lands by applying a real example of its connection to the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. A Project that involves two federal sister agencies and Navajo allottees.

Recognition of anions with polyamine macrocycles and their dinuclear metal ions complexes

Recognition of anions with artificial receptors is essential due to their significant roles in diverse chemical, biological, medicinal, and environmental science applications. For example, excessive fluoride in drinking water causes dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, arthritis, bone damage, osteoporosis, muscular damage, and joint-related problems. High chloride concentration in drinking water has been implicated in lymphoma. In the water purification process, bromide could be converted into bromate, which is suspected to be a carcinogen.

Effects of Electroculture on Plant Production

Electroculture involves the use of electrical currents to stimulate plant growth and enhance soil quality. It may provide innovative solutions to issues such as climate change and global food scarcity. We will study various case studies and articles, and we're also developing a research experiment to see how using atmospheric electricity in gardens can make farming more practical. Electrical currents generated by the elements of nature can improve soil health, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that alter the environment.

Rational Design, Synthesis, and Application of Functionalized Oligo(p-Phenylene)s for Organic Solar Cells

Organic Solar or photovoltaic cells (OSCs) have the potential of becoming productive renewable energy technology. In the active layers of OSCs, varying the positions of functional groups on the end group of acceptor molecules can significantly influence the electronic properties. To address the behavior of charges, localization and delocalization of electrons and its influences on the efficiencies of OSCs, we propose to synthesize - carbonyl-functionalized ladder-type oligo(p-phenylene)s (LnPCHO, n = 3, 4, 5, 6) via Suzuki cross-coupling, bromination, and carbonylation.

Electron Delocalization in Carbonyl-Functionalized Ladder-Type Oligo(p-Phenylene)s

Carbonyl groups are often found in promising Donor-Acceptor-type conjugated polymers like naphthalene diimide (NDI), perylenediimide (PDI), and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and many other which serve as acceptor units in organic solar cells (OSCs). It is important to understand how electrons and holes spatially and temporally behave in organic conjugated molecules along with localization and delocalization influences on the efficiencies of OSCs. We hypothesize that we can use a carbonyl group as an infrared reporter to better understand the nature and behavior of charges in such molecules.

Effects of PKCαβ and mROS Inhibition on Streptozotocin-Induced Alzheimer's Disease in Mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common form of brain disease leading to loss of cognitive functions with symptoms including loss of memory, behavior changes, and confusion. Previous studies have suggested a link towards metabolic alterations and mitochondrial dysfunction and Alzheimer's (AD). Therefore, we hypothesize that stabilizing these signaling pathway can give us insight into possible treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.

Molecular Optomechanics Induced Hybrid Properties in Soft Materials Filled Plasmonic Nanocavities

Recent advances indicate that enhanced light-matter interaction in plasmonic nanocavities can create hybrid properties in integrated plasmonic metal nanostructures and soft materials. Here, by integrating polyelectrolytes and surface ligands in gold nanorod-on-mirror nanocavities and detecting the nanocavity resonance and vibrational Raman scattering simultaneously, we found that the plasmon-vibration interaction modifies both the nanocavity and molecular responses.

Genome-wide patterns of homoeologous gene flow in allotetraploid coffee

Premise: Allopolyploid species are the result of hybridization-induced whole-genome duplications, in which the hybrid-genome of the resulting offspring lineage consists of two distinct subgenomes: one from each progenitor. In meiosis, the extent to which chromosomes pair with their proper homolog vs. with the chromosome descended from the opposing progenitor (i.e., homoeolog), varies across allopolyploid taxa, such that recombination and gene flow between homoeologous chromosomes is also expected to vary across distinct allopolyploid lineages.

Reuse of Treated Municipal Wastewater in Drylands: A Multi-Sector Optimization Analysis

The increasing population and need for water in drylands, along with climate change, are exerting extra pressure on freshwater resources. The study develops a multi-sector optimization model at the regional level to explore the economic implications of treated municipal wastewater (TMW) reuse in drylands, using the Middle Rio Grande Basin (MRGB) in New Mexico as a case study. The study considers the agricultural sector as a nutrient sink and develops a theoretical optimization model of TMW reuse across urban, environmental, and agricultural sectors in drylands.

Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles as a Promising Carrier to Enhance Efficacy/Safety Ratio for Advanced Ovarian Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society many anti-cancer drugs including chemotherapeutics (such as paclitaxel and irinotecan) and targeted therapeutics (Afatinib and Rapamycin) used in clinics are hydrophobic and suffer from low bioavailability so higher repetitive doses are needed. For these reasons, biocompatible carriers are needed to protect the drug and increase its bioavailability. Advanced stage ovarian cancer in women involves intraperitoneal injection (IP) of high doses of chemotherapeutic drugs which generally results in severe side effects.

PID Control of Magnetic Levitation System

Magnetic Levitation is the phenomenon of suspending an object in mid-air using magnetic fields. This project uses an electromagnet for magnetic levitation. The strength of the attraction depends on the strength of the magnets and the distance between them. If the electromagnet is turned on, the magnetic field will be stronger and the attraction will be greater.
The magnetic lift force is: F = _ * B * A * cos(_)

Do snowmelt driven differences in stream discharge control surfacewater - groundwater interaction in an alpine stream?

In every river there is a zone of interaction with the subsurface known as the hyporheic zone. The hyporheic zone mediates surfacewater - groundwater exchange and these interactions are critical for nutrient processing, biodiversity, redox reactions, and recharge. We explore how hyporheic exchange is controlled by snowmelt runoff in alpine streams in Crested Butte, CO and Silverton, CO during the 2023 record year of snowmelt and discharge in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Developing A Platform for Substrate Specificity of Lasso Peptide Modifying Enzyme

Natural products are diverse molecules in nature, they are products of living organisms which have huge impact on our wellbeing. A huge number of other diverse potential therapeutics are available from natural products. To date, only a small fraction of these molecules with therapeutic potentials from microbes, plants and marine organisms have been characterized and a lot more work needs to be done to explore the enormous therapeutic potentials from the characterization of new natural product(-like) compounds from the diverse sources.

Molecular recognition of anions with pyridine-based polyamines macrocycle and its dinuclear copper (II) complex in water

The interaction of various anions with artificial receptors is an essential field of research because of the roles played by anions in chemistry, medicine, biology, and the environment. Excess amounts of anions in drinking cause health-related problems, and that in agricultural water causes poor production of crops. For example, nitrate is toxic for infants younger than six months, susceptible to nitrate-induced methemoglobinemia because of its relatively easy oxidation of fetal hemoglobin. Phosphate is a nutrient that causes an increase of phytoplankton in a body of water.

Improving Airspace Awareness: Possible LED Lighting Solutions for Safe UAS Operations

The Advance Air Mobility mission aims to create an advanced landscape or "Airscape" that will allow unmanned aircraft to fly through challenging environments, including narrow areas of cities. To ensure safe and efficient operations, various factors, such as drone visibility, must be taken into account. This preliminary study will focus on identifying the characteristics of LED lighting systems that can maximize the conspicuity of unmanned aircraft for ground-based observers.

Assessing Price Elasticity and Consumer Behavior in U.S. Residential Electricity Consumption: A Comparison of Monthly and Annual Data with Recession Implications

The price elasticity of electricity in the U.S. has been quantified through various methods, utilizing either annual or monthly data. Earlier literature primarily employed annual data, overlooking the detailed insights that monthly data can provide regarding how price changes affect demand. Additionally, previous studies have neglected the simple approach of directly asking consumers about their sensitivity to their electricity bill.

Integrases on Demand

During infection of the host cell, phages produce integrases and excisionases to insert or remove phage DNA at specific attachment (att) sites in the host chromosome. Of the two integrase protein families, serine integrases can accomplish these DNA rearrangements in the absence of other proteins, so they are widely used in genome engineering of highly diverse organisms. However, the more abundant tyrosine integrases are reported to require integration host factor (IHF) for function, limiting their biotech use.

Engineering of Reverse Transcriptase in a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, isothermal amplification methods (IAM) began garnering more attention as a simple, cost-effective alternative to PCR for point_of_care testing. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays have been developed for detection of various viruses and bacteria from patient samples, including SARS_CoV_2. Rapidity and reliability make LAMP assays invaluable in monitoring clinical pathogens in a public health laboratory setting.

Identifying Code Quality Issues Among Computing Undergraduates

Coding standards is a set of guidelines and best practices to create high-quality, readable, and maintainable code with minimal errors. Knowing coding standards has become a crucial aspect of software engineering ---especially in the software industry for large-scale codebase project--- Yet, programming courses at the university level fall short in adequately preparing their students in this aspect. In this study, we identify code quality issues in introductory programming courses, detected by CheckStyle for Java programming assignments.

Colorimetric detection of various carboxylate anions with a dinuclear Ni(II) complex of a polyamines macrocycle following indicator displacement assay

Various carboxyl anions play important roles in biological systems, biomedical science, and the food industry. For example, Glutamate can excite cells to death, called excitotoxicity. Food should be monitored because it is used as a flavor and taste enhancer. Tartaric acid is often used as an acidulant in beverages and food. However, it is a muscle toxin, and excessive consumption may cause paralysis and death. Citrate is another carboxyl anion whose presence in urine is considered to inhibit the crystallization of calcium salt.

The antioxidant behavior of taurine and hypotaurine protects biological molecules from reactive oxygen species

Glutathione (GSH), ascorbate (VitC), and NADH are biological reductants found in all human cells at high concentration. Taurine (Tau) and hypotaurine (Hyp) also are highly concentrated biological molecules known to react with reactive oxygen species. Tau and Hyp are commonly called antioxidants, but their ability to protect biological molecules from oxidation has not been well demonstrated. We are performing qualitative and kinetic experiments to determine if Tau and Hyp limit the oxidation of GSH, VitC, and NADH in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide.

Design and Implementation of an Adaptable Home Solar System Fit for the Smart Grid and for Off-Grid.

Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable energy source may play a significant role in meeting energy needs. However, the high upfront cost of solar installations can be a barrier for homeowners. This research will investigate the cost, benefits, and return on investment (ROI) of solar panel systems, with and without battery backup.
The cost of a solar panel system will vary depending on the size of the system, the type of solar panels used, and the cost of installation. However, the cost of solar panel systems has decreased significantly in recent years.

Effect of Temperature-Based Water Restriction on Milk Yield by Dairy Cattle

Water is becoming a scare resource in the state of New Mexico. To ensure that water in eastern New Mexico can be sustained for a longer period of time, existing dairy farms will need to regulate how much water is offered to their cattle and prevent excessive utilization. By using current models to estimate water intake based on environmental temperature, electrical circuits and temperature sensors can be used at cattle water stations to regulate how much water is offered each day to dairy cows.

Effect of Taurine Supplementation on Growth Rate of Lambs

Taurine is an amino acid derivative required by cats to maintain normal vision and heart function. Although extensive research has been carried out on its effects in simple-stomached animals, the benefit and utilization of dietary taurine in ruminant animals remains unknown. The objective of this study is to determine if dietary taurine improves growth rate in lambs. Sixteen castrated Dorper lambs will be randomly assigned to 1 of 4 taurine treatment groups. The control group will receive a standard diet containing corn and alfalfa without added taurine.

Leaching of Organic Contaminants from Partially Burned Consumer Polystyrene Waste

Our group is investigating the effects of waste incineration on the release of harmful organic additives from polystyrene plastic wastes. Open pit burning is a widely used waste management practice in some isolated and underserved Native American and rural communities. The burning of plastic waste is known to produce harmful airborne contaminants and emissions. However, the generation of partially incinerated plastics and microplastics (MPs) in the bottom ash and release of toxic additives in these polymers are often overlooked.

Rapid crash agent identification and countermeasure development to improve outdoor algae cultivation

The productivity of algal biofuels is dependent on two factors: 1) biochemical composition of biomass and 2) culture resilience. When algae are grown in open pond settings, biological contamination causes an estimated 30% algae crop loss. Therefore, new crop protection strategies are needed to produce reliable, high-yield algal biomass. Our project called Development of Integrated Screening, Cultivar Optimization, and Verification (DISCOVR) seeks to develop optimal cultivation strategies for algal strains whose cellular composition is suitable for biofuels and bioproducts.

Electrospray Ionization vs. Soft Laser Desorption: Analyzing Biomolecules Using Nobel Prize Winning Methodologies

Separating and identifying chemicals based on their masses and number of charges is an analytical technique known as mass spectrometry. Using mass spectrometry techniques to study large biomolecules has been a long-time dream in many areas of biology and medicine; however, classical molecule preparation methods proved unusable for biomolecules. Using heat was the traditional route for the evaporation of molecules, but evaporating the large biomolecules this way would cause them to lose their chemical structure and be destroyed.

A Meta-Analysis of Genetic Variants Associated with Obesity Across Diverse Global Populations

Obesity is classified as a medical condition where a person possesses excess fat in their body. Obesity is a significant risk factor for developing diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It has continued to increase in severity and frequency over the past few decades to the point where obesity has become a global pandemic. Researchers have found genetic variations associated with obesity by conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Synthesis of carbonyl-terminated tetra(p-phenylene) for probing electron delocalization

The carbonyl terminated tetra(p-phenylene)s show promising characteristics for use in electronics and solar cells. This is because they possess great thermal and electrochemical stability amongst other vital characteristics required for use in organic solar cells (OSCs). Despite this, their usage in probing electrons in OSCs has not been fully explored.

Characterization of Small-Pitch 3D Silicon Sensors For Applications in Physics & Astronomy

Many experiments in diverse research areas including high energy particle physics, medical physics, and astronomy call for particle radiation detectors with excellent resolution in both space and time that can also be operated in extreme radiation environments. Silicon detectors with segmented electrodes, called pixel detectors, have proven over several decades to be a crucial technology for meeting this need. However, in order to continue to push the capabilities of experimental endeavors involving high radiation, new sensor designs are necessary.

Solderability of Additively Manufactured Pure Copper

Additive manufacturing (AM) holds massive potential and has exhibited its proven capacity to fundamentally change and greatly aid industrial endeavors. New AM technologies have allowed for manufacture of pure copper by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS), and Bound Powder Extrusion (BPE). The high electrical and thermal conductivity of copper make the possibility of large-scale AM production with this material particularly auspicious. Copper produced by AM will need to be joined to an assembly, likely with solder for electrical applications.

YEAST SURFACE DISPLAY OF DIRECTED EVOLUTION- BASED PEPTIDE MODIFYING ENZYME

Ribosomally synthesized and Post translationally modified Peptides (RiPPs) are a group of natural products. RiPPs are synthesized from a genetically encoded precursor peptide. The leader peptide and the core peptide are the two regions that make up the precursor peptide. The biosynthetic enzymes that install post-translational modifications (PTMs) recognize the leader peptide, and the core peptide is where those modifications are installed. The leader peptide is proteolytically cleaved after the PTMs are installed on the core peptide to produce the matured product.

Reviving Interest in Indenofluorenes: A Novel Approach to Enhancing Optoelectronic Materials for Flexible Electronics

The surging demand for optoelectronic materials has ignited a renewed fascination with substances such as indenofluorenes, commonly utilized in organic light-emitting diodes. In the pursuit of addressing the deficiencies found in existing materials for flexible electronic devices, particularly organic solar cells, a new synthesis method for indenofluorene featuring a carbonyl functional group termination has been proposed.

Optimal Electrode Design for Ferroelectric Energy Harvesters

The piezoelectric energy harvester is gaining popularity due to its ability to transform ambient mechanical energy into useful power source under vibration. These types of devices use a cantilevered beam on which a parallel plate capacitor is deposited that consists of a piezoelectric electrode. Typically, a piezoelectric harvester operates in the d31 mode of piezoelectric property.

Synthesis of Amidine Copper Complexes with First Row Transition Metal

Essential metals are crucial cellular components that play important roles in various biological processes. Our goal is to create less toxic Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI Contrast Agents by developing novel amidine copper-based complexes, using essential metal ions instead of non-essential Gadolinium metal. We successfully synthesized four complexes: Pyridimine-2-carboximidamide copper(II) chloride, 1, Pyridimine-2-carboximidamide copper(II) bromide, 2, Pyrazine-2-carboximidamide copper(II) chloride, 3, and Pyrazine-2-carboximidamide copper(II) bromide, 4 complexes.

Temporal Stability of Consumer Preferences for Solar Energy: A Choice Experiment Study

We conducted the first test-retest analysis on willingness to pay (WTP) estimates for different types of solar energy. While there have been numerous examinations of WTP estimate stability over a short period, there is limited evidence regarding the stability of these estimates over an extended period, as well as in test-retest scenarios before and after the implementation of an energy policy. Using discrete choice experiment surveys, we collected initial data from 404 respondents through mixed-mode surveys in 2017, supplemented by 719 online respondents in the retest in 2023.

Protecting Smart Grids with Machine Learning

With the increasing integration of smart grids into our energy infrastructure, the vulnerability of these systems to cyberattacks has become a pressing concern. This research compares and contrasts the results of different anomaly detection models when dimensionality reduction techniques are applied to the data. We aim to conceive effective strategies for real-world cyberattack detection on smart grid systems.

Combustion Rates as a Function of Thermite Content for an Energetic Initiator Ink

Additive manufacturing has the ability to expand the applications of energetic materials by eliminating several problems faced in traditional manufacturing. The goal of this project is to create an energetic initiator ink made from a polymer binder, a metal fuel, and a metal oxide for additive manufacturing that can be produced to ignite less sensitive materials, have a wide range of geometries, and have tailorable burn properties.

Evaluating Preprocessing Approaches of Magnetic Hysteresis Data Using Deep Learning

Interpreting magnetic hysteresis curves is a challenging and time-consuming task for researchers that can be automated using deep learning. While deep learning algorithms have led to breakthroughs in various scientific fields, only a handful of studies have attempted to integrate deep learning into the study of hysteresis curves, and more specifically, the classification of their plots. In this study, we investigated 584 DAT files, each describing four different magnetic hysteresis curves, through two separate preprocessing approaches.

Effect of alcohol withdrawal following binge-like drinking on nest building performance in mice

Binge drinking is usually defined as the consumption of 5 or more drinks in one occasion for men and 4 or more for women. In the United States, roughly 24% of adults report weekly binge alcohol use, and 90% of adults who drink excessively report binge drinking. Binge drinking can lead to significant individual and societal costs and represents a serious public health concern. Additionally, binge drinking is associated with a higher risk of developing an alcohol use disorder and related problems such as alcohol withdrawal.

Converging Laboratory Science to Real-World Applications: A Novel Modeling Approach in Water Resource Recovery

Water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) consume over 30 terawatt-hours per year of electricity and are the 4th leading cause of natural waterway impairment in the US, indicating that improvements in treatment efficiency and efficacy are beneficial to energy and water security in the US. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a novel biological WRRF process that uses up to 60% less energy than conventional processes while reducing discharges of impairment-causing nutrients to receiving waters.

Carbonyl-Functionalized Ladder-Type Tetra(p-Phenylene)s For Organic Solar Cell Applications Juchao Yan, Clinton Arthur

Carbonyl-Functionalized Ladder-Type Tetra(p-Phenylene)s For Organic Solar Cell Applications
Juchao Yan, Clinton Arthur
Department of Physical Sciences, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales NM 88130

PREDICTING THE STRUCTURE AND STABILITY OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS FROM OUTDOOR WILDFIRE: A THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION USING DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY

Outdoor wildfire releases different types of pollutants into the atmosphere including Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which pose significant risks to both human health and the environment. PAHs are a broad group of organic compounds of carbon and hydrogen atoms, fused into two or more rings. 16 different types of PAHs have been classified as carcinogenic by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY ON STRUCTURE, ELECTRONIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF NON-CANONICAL ADENINE DIMERS

Non-canonical nucleobase pairs are hydrogen bonded structures, wherein the hydrogen bonding differ from the patterns observed in Watson-Crick base pairs. Non-canonical DNA and RNA fragments are formed as a result of secondary structures and include G-quadruplexes, triplex forming oligos, hairpins, and i-Motif. The hydrogen bond interactions in free-standing non-canonical bases enables them to be adsorbed on surfaces and this has been exploited for various applications in nano mechanics. However, the detailed electronic and structural properties of these interactions are not fully known.

Release of Resource Guide for Postdoctoral Researcher Development

 

Postdoctoral scholars (postdocs) are critical, but often neglected, contributors to research in the United States. They may be thrust into roles that they feel ill-prepared for, citing a lack of training and mentorship, particularly as relates to professional skills. Postdoc mentors, in turn, are also frustrated by the limited resources available to help them adequately support postdocs in their departments.

Promoting STEM Identity Among Students from Diverse Backgrounds

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub Fall 2023 Webinar Series focuses on celebrating and learning from successful NSF HSI awardees. We host panels of successful PIs on specific topics that will engage our audience and support grant writing efforts for those planning a grant submission. This webinar series focuses on a broad array of topics that promote student success, wellness and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series.

Incorporating Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices in the Classroom

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub Fall 2023 Webinar Series focuses on celebrating and learning from successful NSF HSI awardees. We host panels of successful PIs on specific topics that will engage our audience and support grant writing efforts for those planning a grant submission. This webinar series focuses on a broad array of topics that promote student success, wellness and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series.

NM Energy Equity Town Hall

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

On August 8th, 2023, community leaders from around the state gathered at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque for a two-day Town Hall tackling issues of energy equity in New Mexico. The Town Hall was a capstone event for NM EPSCoR’s project—NM SMART Grid Center— a five-year, $24 million, NSF-funded project focused on research and workforce training for next-generation electric power production and delivery.

2023 New Mexico Research Symposium

The New Mexico Research Symposium (NMRS), collaboratively hosted with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS), is an annual conference with oral presentations, a poster competition, and a keynote address. The conference is geared to undergraduate and graduate students from New Mexico’s colleges and universities. Presentation and poster abstracts are published in the New Mexico Journal of Science.

Statewide Town Hall: Empowering New Mexico Communities

A gathering for clean energy equity advocates and community leaders to talk about a just transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

NM EPSCoR invites you to a statewide Town Hall to listen, learn, and collaborate to develop energy policy and systems change recommendations to ensure all New Mexicans experience an equitable and just energy transition in the years to come. Space is limited to 150 participants.

NM EPSCoR Faculty Kudos

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

Often there are simply too many accomplishments to fit into our tiny kudos section. This month, we've compiled a list of kudos-worthy accomplishments by NM EPSCoR faculty that we missed the first go round. Have something we missed in our previous newsletters and below? Reach out to Brittney (bvdw@epscor.unm.edu) to have it included in the next newsletter kudos section.

Native Education Community Conversation

Join our conversation and community building around Native Science, Arts, Culture and Mathematics Education in NM. We will explore questions including: What does it mean to be in STEM? How can it be inclusive? What does this mean for community building around our overlapping roles such as students, educators, professionals, parents, community members? We are hoping this conversation will lead to networking and collective goal setting to reimagine the future of science in Native Communities.

NM SMART Grid Center Year 5 Highlights

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

Every year the NM SMART Grid Center submits three project highlights to the National Science Foundation. This year's highlights showcase the grand opening of Explora's XStudio, electricity theft detection research by NMT, and seed award work by Dr. Jamal Mamkhezri at NMSU. Read our short (250 words or less) summary of each...

 

INSPIRING A SMARTER FUTURE 
Amon Haruta, Explora 

SFCC Modern Multi-level Microgrid Data Opportunities Tour & Roundtable Discussions

Join SFCC faculty for a tour of the SFCC nested microgrids and discussions exploring how SFCC's multi-level microgrid data can support smart grid-related computer science and engineering research at New Mexico universities.

NM SMART Grid Center faculty and students are encouraged to attend and will be reimbursed for mileage.

Lunch will be provided!

Tentative Agenda:

Energy Storage Systems Safety & Reliability Forum

The 2023 ESS Safety & Reliability Forum, sponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Electricity Energy Storage Program, provides a platform for discussing the current state of ESS Safety & Reliability and stratagems for improving cell-to-system level safety and reliability. This forum will provide an overview of work in, and creating the future of, energy storage safety and reliability. Attendees span academia, government, manufacturers, utilities, and first responders.

NSF EPSCoR/ITEST Webinar

The National Science Foundation’s Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program supports applied research and development focused on increasing preK-12 students' interest in careers in information and communication technology and STEM through innovative technology-based learning experiences. As the resource center for the NSF ITEST Program, STELAR is charged with supporting prospective PIs in developing competitive proposals.

CISE Career Proposal Writing Workshop

The NSF CISE CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop is a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate. The purpose of the workshop is to provide guidance and support to early-career faculty members who are planning to apply for the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award.

New Mexico Statewide Community Conversations & Town Hall

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

 

Access to safe and affordable energy matters to all New Mexicans. It impacts our economic well-being, health, and the health of our state into future generations. Several Community Conversations will be taking place across regions throughout NM from April through July. Following the regional conversations a statewide Town Hall will be held August 8th and 9th at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Interested parties can find the most up-to-date information at www.NMenergyequity.org

Virtual Differential gene Expression Workshop

Learn how to use the UNIX command line, analytical workflows and public tools to independently analyze sequencing data, plus how to visualize and render data using graphing tools. This workshop covers analyzing RNA-Seq data using popular DE tools and also includes a segment on Single Cell sequencing / analysis.

Attendance is free for NM students and researchers, and discounted for those in other INBRE states!

IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference & Expo

For more than 10 years, ITEC has served as IEEE’s premier conference on transportation electrification, fostering connections between industry and academia. This year’s conference will be held from June 21-23, 2023, at the newly renovated Huntington Place Convention Center, located in downtown Detroit, Michigan and within walking distance of top-of-the-line restaurants and entertainment. Join us on June 20th for a welcome reception to network and pick up your registration materials.

Modeling and Simulation of Cyber-Physical Energy Systems

Automation and digitalization have become important topics in the energy sector, as modern energy systems increasingly rely on communication and information technology to combine smart controls with hardware infrastructure. With the emergence of cyber–physical systems (CPS) as a transdisciplinary field, such modern energy systems can be classified as cyber–physical energy systems (CPES), integrating the related research and development within a broader scope.

Energy Modeling for Decarbonization Planning

Energy modeling can be a powerful tool for state decarbonization planning, but it can also be costly and the results can be prone to misinterpretation. This CESA webinar will provide advice on energy modeling and introduce resources useful to states embarking on decarbonization planning. The webinar should be of special interest to states considering what to propose to the US EPA for Climate Pollution Reduction Program Planning Grants.

2023 New Mexico Federal Business Opportunities Forum

Register today for the 2023 ETEBA New Mexico Federal Business Opportunities Forum. The forum will be hosted in beautiful Santa Fe, NM on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the Buffalo Thunder Resort. The program will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about the latest upcoming federal opportunities and projects in the New Mexico region and beyond, interact with leadership, and will provide ample opportunity to network with potential business partners.

South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center Ideation Sessions

The South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center is hosting an ideation session to connect researchers across our various consortium institutions.

This ideation session is designed to present information on the upcoming South Central CASC funding opportunity, provide a forum for researchers interested in conducting work on climate adaptation to connect with USGS and others from different departments across the consortium, and to facilitate the creation of multi-disciplinary teams to catalyze innovative projects.

FEDERAL AGENCY CAREER FORUM

Are you a graduate student curious about a career at a federal agency?

Join us to meet agency ecologists from around the nation and learn about their career paths, backgrounds, job responsibilities, benefits and challenges, and ‘a day in their life.’

Bring your questions and join a lively discussion.

DEPSCoR Webinar

The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR). The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DoD plans to award FY23 DEPSCoR appropriations through this announcement.

Virtual Career Fair for New Graduates

Are you a recent graduate looking to start a career in the federal government? Learn about joining the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) through the Pathways Program and become a Clean Energy Champion. This program helps individuals who have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program within the past two years launch their federal careers.

SACNAS' 2023 National Diversity in STEM Conference

The largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity event in the country, the SACNAS conference is a gathering which serves to equip, empower, and energize participants for their academic and professional paths in STEM. Over the course of the event, college-level through professional attendees are immersed in cutting-edge STEM research, professional development sessions, motivational keynote speakers, and the Graduate School & Career Expo Hall, as well as multicultural celebrations and traditions, and an inclusive and welcoming community of peers, mentors, and role models.

HSI Hub: CSUN VIRTUAL JUMP START SPRING 2023

The workshop provides basic insight and instruction on how to compete for NSF funding. The workshop prepares attendees to submit applications to the NSF HSI STEM.

The content will focus on preparing grants for the new NSF HSI Initiative that seeks to increase grant support for STEM Education in Hispanic Serving Institutions (due date August 31, 2023, Last Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter)

Explora Opens XStudio Teen Center

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

On February 11th, Explora opened X Studio, a teen center in Albuquerque that is sure to be a hit with youth. The new 8,000-square-foot facility features an exhibit co-developed with the NM SMART Grid Center that focuses on energy generation and distribution while showcasing grid resilience careers for teens to consider as they continue on to college or trades school. As with the other exhibits featured in the STEM in the Burque exhibition space, one goal of the NM SMART Grid exhibit is to inspire teens to pursue careers in STEM fields.

2023 NSF and NASA EPSCoR Research Fellowships: What You Need to Know

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

What is the goal? 

To provide opportunities for non-tenured AND tenured investigators to develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the Nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Only investigators from research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions in EPSCoR states (including NM) are eligible to apply.
 

What’s new in 2023?

Changes impacting both Tracks:

Providing Faculty with the Tools for Success in a Changing World

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub fall 2022 and spring 2023 webinar series focuses on celebrating and learning from successful NSF HSI awardees. We host panels of successful PIs on specific topics that will engage our audience and support grant writing efforts for those planning a grant submission. This webinar series focuses on a broad array of topics that promote student success, wellness and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series.

Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Classroom and Beyond

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub fall 2022 and spring 2023 webinar series focuses on celebrating and learning from successful NSF HSI awardees. We host panels of successful PIs on specific topics that will engage our audience and support grant writing efforts for those planning a grant submission. This webinar series focuses on a broad array of topics that promote student success, wellness and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series.

Student engagement and professional development

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub fall 2022 and spring 2023 webinar series focuses on celebrating and learning from successful NSF HSI awardees. We host panels of successful PIs on specific topics that will engage our audience and support grant writing efforts for those planning a grant submission. This webinar series focuses on a broad array of topics that promote student success, wellness and diversity and inclusion. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series.

UNM Data Day

On Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, the Office of Assessment/APR and the Office of Institutional Analytics will co-host a virtual, daylong event to empower participants with training and information on how to leverage data resources to understand their organizations and tell their stories more effectively.

2023 AISES National Conference

The AISES National Conference has been held annually since 1978 and is an unparalleled opportunity to connect companies with over 2,500 Indigenous high school juniors and seniors, college and graduate students, educators, workforce professionals and our corporate, government, private foundation, nonprofit, and tribal partners for professional development, networking opportunities, research presentations, workshops, awards, and traditional Indigenous cultural events.

Department of Energy SBIR Proposal Requirements

The Department of Energy (DOE) releases topics through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to provide non-dilutive funding for new entrepreneurs.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) have released several topics during this topic release to address energy needs in the solar and water power sectors.

This virtual webinar will cover:

STEM Day at The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

On Discover STEAM Day, engineers and scientists from across the city will engage families and Scouts through hands-on activities designed to spark interest in the scientific fields of STEAM.

There will be activities that allow children to engage and interact in the most exciting and meaningful ways. All STEAM activities will be fun and kid-friendly. Participation in the interactive activities will also be rewarded with a custom button at the end of your visit!

EPSCoR Track 4 Webinar

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is hosting a webinar to share information about the Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows solicitation NSF 23-535. This opportunity provides awards to build research capacity and transform the career trajectories of non-tenured and tenured investigators through extended collaborative visits to the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers.

NM SMART Grid Center Data Roadshow at NMSU

The RDS will provide three training workshops for NM EPSCoR researchers as part of EPSCoR FAIR Policy to generate and document DOIs from data or code produced by NSF-funded projects. Through this workshop series, the RDS team aims to train EPSCoR researchers previously identified in our analyses as authors or co-authors of data or code that have yet to be reported or submitted to EPSCoR digital repositories.

NM SMART Grid Center Data Roadshow at NMT

The RDS will provide three training workshops for NM EPSCoR researchers as part of EPSCoR FAIR Policy to generate and document DOIs from data or code produced by NSF-funded projects. Through this workshop series, the RDS team aims to train EPSCoR researchers previously identified in our analyses as authors or co-authors of data or code that have yet to be reported or submitted to EPSCoR digital repositories.

NM SMART Grid Center Data Roadshow at UNM

The RDS will provide three training workshops for NM EPSCoR researchers as part of EPSCoR FAIR Policy to generate and document DOIs from data or code produced by NSF-funded projects. Through this workshop series, the RDS team aims to train EPSCoR researchers previously identified in our analyses as authors or co-authors of data or code that have yet to be reported or submitted to EPSCoR digital repositories.

AISES 2023 Regional Conference: Region 3

Every spring the seven Regional Conferences gather student and professional members to champion each other and expand their knowledge and skills through a wide variety of workshops and sessions.

Regional Conferences are typically held at college campuses, hosted by the school’s AISES Chapter. Many professional members participate as mentors and speakers, sharing their expertise and facilitating discussions in areas like engineering, environmental science, or on crossovers between traditional ecological knowledge and western science.

EPSCoR Track-2 New Solicitation Office Hours Session 2

This year, the RII Track-2 FEC proposals must be aligned with the following focus area: "Advancing climate change research and resilience capacity to expand opportunities for disproportionately affected communities." During the webinar we will be available to answer questions about this solicitation as well as provide a program overview. In addition, we are coordinating office hours to answer any questions or concerns that you might have about the solicitation.

EPSCoR Track-2 New Solicitation Office Hours Session 1

This year, the RII Track-2 FEC proposals must be aligned with the following focus area: "Advancing climate change research and resilience capacity to expand opportunities for disproportionately affected communities." During the webinar we will be available to answer questions about this solicitation as well as provide a program overview. In addition, we are coordinating office hours to answer any questions or concerns that you might have about the solicitation.

EPSCoR Track-2 New Solicitation Webinar

This year, the RII Track-2 FEC proposals must be aligned with the following focus area: "Advancing climate change research and resilience capacity to expand opportunities for disproportionately affected communities." During the webinar we will be available to answer questions about this solicitation as well as provide a program overview. In addition, we are coordinating office hours to answer any questions or concerns that you might have about the solicitation.

NSF National Meeting

The 27th NSF EPSCoR National Conference will be held in Portland, Maine from November 13 to 16, 2022. Maine EPSCoR is excited to host the event and we are looking forward to seeing you in Maine. Please see the attached conference flyer for more information and to help you with early planning. Early registration will begin on May 2. Please do not hesitate to contact Maine EPSCoR (maine.epscor@maine.edu; 207.581.3312) if you have any questions.

Jornada LTER and NMSU Geospatial data analysis in R

Who: The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don't need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop, though some experience with the R programming language and the tidyverse will be helpful.

Where: This training will take place online. The instructors will provide you with the information you will need to connect to this meeting.

RIO 2022 Time Management Tips – Maximizing Time

Description: One of the fundamental skills that most entrepreneurs struggle with is their ability to handle time effectively. It’s time to make one of your 2022 goals a commitment to learning the tools and techniques that will improve your time management!

During this 90-minute evening session, participants will:

  • Learn tools and techniques to stay focused on priorities
  • Understanding how to effectively delegate, handle interruptions and prevent procrastination
  • Improve overall project planning and project management skills

WNM 2022 Women In Manufacturing

Join WESST Farmington Women’s Business Center and NM Manufacturing Extension Partnership for Manufacturing Days as we celebrate women in Manufacturing. Manufacturing has traditionally been a male-dominated industry—fewer than one third of manufacturing employees are women. Working women who are moms and leaders within their family and community often go unrecognized and balancing of work life is particularly tough on women. Though there have been improvements in recent years, women are still under represented in the manufacturing industry.

WNM 2022 Business Planning for Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs

Are you an indigenous woman that is looking to start a business? Are you ready to build and develop your business roadmap that will lead to creating a business plan?

If so, then join us virtually for this class!

The business planning process includes diagnosing the business internal strengths and weaknesses, improving its efficiency, working out how it will compete against other competitors, and setting milestones for progress so they can be measured.

2022 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award Recipients Announced

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

We are delighted to announce the 2022 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award winners—Dr. Manel Martínez-Ramón and Dr. Jun Zheng. Both were nominated by mentees and demonstrated characteristics of exceptional mentors, including strong professional and interpersonal relationships; working to advance their mentees’ academic, research, and professional goals; and creating inclusive environments for diverse students. 
 

2022 New Mexico Research Symposium

The New Mexico Research Symposium (NMRS), collaboratively hosted with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS), is an annual conference with oral presentations, a poster competition, and a keynote address. The conference is geared to undergraduate and graduate students from New Mexico’s colleges and universities. Presentation and poster abstracts are published in the New Mexico Journal of Science.

Grant Opportunity Session Two: Inclusive STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Register to join us for a free informational webinar to learn more about how to apply for a VentureWell Course & Program Grant. Our Grants Manager and staff from our Higher Education Catalyst Team will be available to answer your questions live on Zoom.

Learn more before you apply

Explore the following resources to learn more about the grant and start developing your proposal:

Grant Opportunity Session One: Inclusive STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Register to join us for a free informational webinar to learn more about how to apply for a VentureWell Course & Program Grant. Our Grants Manager and staff from our Higher Education Catalyst Team will be available to answer your questions live on Zoom.

Learn more before you apply

Explore the following resources to learn more about the grant and start developing your proposal:

Female Entrepreneurship: Why Gender Matters

WNM 2022 Brown Bag Training Special - Female Entrepreneurship: Why Gender Matters

Facilitated by WESST Farmington Women's Business Center

Topic: Managing a Business

According to the World Bank, female entrepreneurs make significant contributions to economic growth and to poverty reduction around the world. In the United States, for example, women-owned firms are growing at more than double the rate of all other firms, contribute nearly $3 trillion to the economy and are directly responsible for 23 million jobs.

Managing a Business: Black Men Who Own It

This panel will discuss the positive contributions African American men make in their families, businesses and communities. Connect and engage with those who share a passion for professional and leadership excellence in every field of endeavor.

Attendees will experience impactful speakers and practical information while providing greater opportunities to discuss championing support for black men.

Aggie Shark Tank

Aggie Shark Tank, sponsored by The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, is an event where students may pitch their innovative ideas to investors to help increase entrepreneurship in the Borderplex region. Our student entrepreneurs are strong assets that bring innovative opportunities to our binational, bicultural community. Come watch students from the Borderplex region pitch business ideas to real investors for real money.

Tribal Clean Energy Summit 2022

What To Expect
This nation-to-nation roundtable discussion between tribal leaders, Secretary Granholm, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) senior leadership will explore how tribes can harness clean energy to enhance energy sovereignty, addresses climate resilience, and build stronger economies.

Participants will also learn more about key DOE programs and funding, and engage with senior DOE leaders on:

UNM Receives NSF Award to Further Quantum Science and Engineering Research

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The National Science Foundation has awarded researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and the University of Delaware (UD) an EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) Track 2 grant for $4 million to advance quantum photonic technology research and to establish a quantum science and engineering graduate program at UNM.

New Mexico EPSCoR and UNM collaborating on a $10 Million Award to Advance Native American STEM Education

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM), New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR), and partner institutions from five states in the western half of the U.S. (Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) $10 million to address the under-representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and workforce.

Native Sprint Accelerator

August 3rd kicks off the 5-week business accelerator program. Participants join virtually to explore topics within business and entrepreneurship. Topics include value proposition, revenue streams, channels, and more. Applications are open now and available on the AIBE website.

Funding Opportunities Through the SBIR/STTR Programs

Are you a small business or inventor looking for a way to fund your innovative idea? Join us during America’s Seed Fund Week to learn how the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs can help move your innovation and business forward. Learn more about these unique federal funding opportunities, how they help businesses commercialize revolutionary solutions and the key steps to creating a complete and compelling proposal package.

The workshop will cover:

Engineering in the Real World & Spatial Reasoning

Students do NOT have to be from UNM to attend! Our intent for this session is to give you an idea of who we are and introduce you a bit more to what Engineering is! Followed by Spatial Reasoning, also thought of as Visual Thinking, to expose you to the concept of spatial reasoning, the importance of it, and how to develop your spatial reasoning skills to make your journey as an engineer or computer scientist just a little easier.

National Clean Energy Week 2022

National Clean Energy Week is a celebration of the policies, industries, and innovations that power our daily lives while producing no or very little greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the very real technological and political challenges, a clean energy future is in our reach, and America is ready to lead the way. Whether attending the Flagship Policy Makers Symposium or hosting your own celebration, please join us in recognition of all that clean energy can bring: energy independence, economic prosperity, and a more peaceful world.

SMART Grid Exhibit Educator Training

Join us at Explora on June 2 from 1-2:30 pm to learn all about how the future of our power grid is being developed right here in NM. In addition, you will get to play with Explora’s new traveling exhibition “The SMART Grid” and sign up to host it for free at your organization. Finally, you will receive a free copy of our SMART Grid board game. We hope to see you there!

Southeast Energy Storage Workshop Series

The need to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is becoming ever more obvious and urgent. Energy storage is a critical component of the energy transition. Advances in energy storage technology, policy, and applications are quickly increasing around the world, and keeping up with those changes is an ongoing challenge. This workshop series—targeting many issues specific to the Southeast—addresses those advances in energy storage to help stakeholders stay up to date on energy storage roles and capabilities.

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant - Dec. 2022

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant - Nov. 2022

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant - Oct. 2022

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant - August 2022

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant - July 2022

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Project Grant - June 2022

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NM-INBRE) Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core (SBC) invites you to apply for a pilot project award valued at approximately $5k - $10k to drive your research, publications and grants!

Requires co-contribution from non NM-INBRE Investigators. Please help spread the word to your researchers!
Proposal deadline: 2nd Sunday of each month by 11:59pm

NM CERG Informational Session

Learn more about the New Mexico Clean Energy Resilience and Growth cluster About this event The New Mexico Clean Energy Resilience and Growth (NM CERG) cluster has been created to help energy technology companies move their innovation to commercial readiness and success. NM CERG, funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions, represents a new approach for assistance, by using a pipeline for success model.

DEPSCoR Solicitation Webinar

The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR). The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The DoD plans to award FY22 DEPSCoR appropriations through this announcement.
 

Create.Sell.Bank! Community Online Course - Start or Expand your Business

The University of New Mexico's Innovation Academy and UNM Rainforest Innovations (fka STC.UNM) are offering a special course to help New Mexico businesses at this critical time for our state's economic recovery. This is made possible thru a grant from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration called the NM EDA Rainforest University Center.

May Mentoring for Entrepreneurs with Mytegia Lee - UNM Gallup

Open to all. These are virtual office hours

WOULD YOU LIKE TO START OR GROW YOUR BUSINESS? COME MEET WITH UNM-GALLUP MENTOR, MYTEGIA LEE TO DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS!

Come to virtual 1:1 mentoring with Mytegia Lee where she will provide guidance, coaching, perspective, and connections to enhance entrepreneurship and connections to resources at UNM and in the community. There are many resources available to those who have ideas that they may want to turn into a business! Join Mytegia on Zoom and learn more about what is available and which connections are the best fit for you.

Innovation Ecosystem Connect (IEC) Information Session

Innovation Ecosystem Connect (IEC), funded in part through a Lab-to-Market Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem award and an award under the DOE OTT EPIC program, is a new online platform that connects you to researchers, businesses, and universities for growth and development.

IEC can connect you to the resources you need to define your innovation, receive technical development support, and find opportunities for expansion, via a smart connection system based on identified needs and capabilities.

Team Research Symposium

Registration is now open for the 2nd annual UNM Team Research Symposium, presented by the Interdisciplinary Science Cooperative and UNM’s Grand Challenges. Faculty, students, alumni, and community partners are encouraged to join us for this special event dedicated to exchanging ideas and promoting more productive research teams.

EPSCoR Research Fellows Virtual Office Hours: April 21, 2022

the NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows funding opportunity, that is under solicitation NSF 22-573, and has a deadline of May 12, 2022.  This initiative provides early career investigators at EPSCoR-eligible institutions support for extended travel to a host site to establish or strengthen research collaborations, learn new techniques and / or access state of the art facilities.
 

EPSCoR Research Fellows Virtual Office Hours: April 14, 2022

the NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows funding opportunity, that is under solicitation NSF 22-573, and has a deadline of May 12, 2022.  This initiative provides early career investigators at EPSCoR-eligible institutions support for extended travel to a host site to establish or strengthen research collaborations, learn new techniques and / or access state of the art facilities.
 

EPSCoR Research Fellows Virtual Office Hours: March 24, 2022

the NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows funding opportunity, that is under solicitation NSF 22-573, and has a deadline of May 12, 2022.  This initiative provides early career investigators at EPSCoR-eligible institutions support for extended travel to a host site to establish or strengthen research collaborations, learn new techniques and / or access state of the art facilities.
 

EPSCoR Research Fellows Virtual Office Hours: March 17, 2022

the NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows funding opportunity, that is under solicitation NSF 22-573, and has a deadline of May 12, 2022.  This initiative provides early career investigators at EPSCoR-eligible institutions support for extended travel to a host site to establish or strengthen research collaborations, learn new techniques and / or access state of the art facilities.
 

EPSCoR Research Fellows Virtual Office Hours: March 10, 2022

the NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows funding opportunity, that is under solicitation NSF 22-573, and has a deadline of May 12, 2022.  This initiative provides early career investigators at EPSCoR-eligible institutions support for extended travel to a host site to establish or strengthen research collaborations, learn new techniques and / or access state of the art facilities.
 

Navigating Through Toxic Work Environments & Effective Written (Email) Communication

ACED will present the following virtual sessions targeting graduating and graduate students who have started or are about to start their professional careers.

Navigating Through Toxic Work Environments presented by: Donya Ziraksari and Ryan Griego

Effective Written (Email) Communication presented by: Donya Ziraksari and Ryan Griego 

Product Compliance

Presented by: UNM Mechanical Engineering alumna Tennielle Bernard

This workshop series is OPEN TO ALL students (non-UNM, branch campuses, community college, and tribal college students more than welcome!) This opportunity is specifically recommended for graduating Seniors or Graduate Students. Juniors and non-graduating Seniors are welcome to join.

Bid Evaluation & Value Engineering

Presented by: UNM Civil Engineering alumnus Ryan Griego

This workshop series is OPEN TO ALL students (non-UNM, branch campuses, community college, and tribal college students more than welcome!) This opportunity is specifically recommended for graduating Seniors or Graduate Students. Juniors and non-graduating Seniors are welcome to join.

Women in Technology Awards Celebration

Discounted Early Ticket Registration Open Until March 5th

The New Mexico Technology is excited to host the 14th Annual Women in Technology Awards Celebration at the Marriott Albuquerque. This popular event highlights the women in STEAM who live and work in the state of New Mexico. You will see their accomplishments as leaders in business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities. Additionally, we will recognize an emerging STEM leader who is early in her career, but already making an impact.

An EPSCoR Retrospective

Author
William Michener

I will be retiring from EPSCoR and UNM on March 1st. Now is a good time to take a brief look back over the past roughly 15 years that I have served as Director of New Mexico EPSCoR and the 21 years that I have been at UNM. I joined UNM in 2000, the year that coincided with New Mexico officially becoming an EPSCoR state.

Designing Competitive Research Questions for Grant Proposals

Federal grants supporting new educational initiatives typically require a blend of implementation and research. Where evaluation focuses on the effectiveness or success of the implementation, the research components focus on more generalizable learning. In this workshop, we will focus on tools to identify research questions and develop research plans to answer them. You will work in pairs to give one another feedback, which will also provide lots of opportunities to get to know other participants.

NSF and NASA EPSCoR Research Fellowships: What You Need to Know

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

What is the goal?

To provide opportunities for non-tenured investigators to develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the Nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Investigators from research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions in EPSCoR states (including NM) are eligible to apply.
 

Designing Program Evaluation for STEM Education Grant Proposals

The evaluation plan in a grant proposal is an important part of the application that is required across funding agencies. This workshop will cover critical components of the evaluation plan that will strengthen this section in the application. The evaluation plan also discusses topics that are integrated in other sections in the proposal, and this workshop will help investigators not only with understanding evaluation in grant proposals but will offer valuable guidance as they plan their approach, outcomes, and timelines as well.

Preparing an NSF CAREER application

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program “offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization” (CAREER solicitation, 20-525).

This workshop will introduce you to the CAREER program and critical differences between CAREER and other NSF proposal mechanisms. There will be plenty of time for questions.

Western Region DEPSCoR Day

On behalf of the University of Arizona we would like to invite you and your faculty to the Western Region DEPSCoR Day. The event is presented by the Department of Defense and will be hosted at the University of Arizona in Tucson Arizona on February 24, 2022.

Leadership from the Basic Research Office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense along with Program Officers from the Air Force, Army, and Naval Research labs will participate in the conversation. Topics will cover various areas of interest to include:

NSF HSI STEM Hub: Opportunities with S-STEM and the Two Year College Program

Program Officers from the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) will describe opportunities in the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) and the Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-Year Institutions of Higher Education Program Description. The S-STEM program has a solicitation to guide proposal submission. The Program Description, however, is more of an open call for submissions that will benefit undergraduate STEM education at community colleges.

Opportunities with HSI and IUSE

The NSF HSI STEM Resource Hub hosts grantsmanship webinars to support grant writing efforts for those planning on writing their first grant or engaged in writing a grant for submission. The Fall 2021 Grant Writer Webinar Series features speakers and panelists from the National Science Foundation for sharing important information for writing a competitive NSF grant. Dr. Martha Desmond and Dr. Delia Valles are the hosts for this series. The HSI STEM Hub recommends participation in these webinars if you are currently writing a proposal or are interested in grant writing.

Mike Morrison: Better Poster Webinar

In this webinar, you'll experience the basic principles of user experience design and how to apply them to making the system of science more efficient and fun to use. You will see seminal, universally-applicable design research communicated through animations, live demos, and silly graphics. At the end, you will (hopefully) have leveled-up your approach to designing all forms of science communication (especially posters, but this will apply to reports, presentations, and tools too).

NSF HSI Hub: Designing Competitive Research Questions for Grant Proposals

Gain insight into what makes a good research question. Using tools such as a gap and SWOT analysis, we will develop the tools necessary to identify your grant’s core research topic and then hone a set of clear and grant-appropriate research questions.

More information here: https://hsistemhub.org/2021-summer-stemed-workshops/knology/

NSF HSI Awardee Workshop: Preparing the Annual Report

This 90 minute workshop is offered by Dr. Karen Mabry, an HSI faculty member. Dr. Mabry will bring her experience as an NSF Program Officer who has been tasked with reviewing annual reports. The session will include an overview of the annual report content followed by a Q&A where workshop attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about report preparation. A breakout session will allow attendees to network and share project information with other HSI awardees.

Team Science Leadership Training Application Deadline

The Team Science Leadership Training is a three-day residential workshop targeted for mid-career or senior faculty to develop skills for managing collaborative, interdisciplinary, and complex projects. Key elements of the training include: building and leading diverse and productive teams, project management skills, strategic planning, and communications. Lodging, meals, and workshop materials will be provided.

Early Career Leadership Workshop Application Deadline

The Early Career Leadership Workshop is an innovative three-day intensive, residential program designed to enhance the professional skills of early career faculty and post-doctoral scholars in STEM disciplines. The interactive workshop will train attendees in meeting facilitation and leadership, proposal writing, incorporating broader impacts into research, communicating science to the media, effective teaching in higher education, data management, and mentoring students.

ABQ Black Community Meet & Greet

Join us for a meet & greet with members of the Black community where we will provide important City updates and a space to connect. We want to hear from YOU during the Community Round Robin in hopes that as a community we can support each others work.

RSVP's only so we can keep track of attendance numbers due to the rise in COVID cases. We will be following all mandates by requiring masks.

Team Science Leadership Training

The Team Science Leadership Training is a three-day residential workshop targeted for mid-career or senior faculty to develop skills for managing collaborative, interdisciplinary, and complex projects. Key elements of the training include: building and leading diverse and productive teams, project management skills, strategic planning, and communications. Lodging, meals, and workshop materials will be provided.

Read more about the training here

Early Career Leadership Workshop

The Early Career Leadership Workshop is an innovative three-day intensive, residential program designed to enhance the professional skills of early career faculty and post-doctoral scholars in STEM disciplines. The interactive workshop will train attendees in meeting facilitation and leadership, proposal writing, incorporating broader impacts into research, communicating science to the media, effective teaching in higher education, data management, and mentoring students.

Read more about the workshop here

Transmission Grid Management: Seamless integration of Operational IT with Enterprise IT

Big Data in the power grid should not live in a silo. It materializes from GIS systems, field assets, day-ahead energy markets, real-time energy markets, weather data, network data, field maintenance data, and more. It has to be ingested, transformed, enriched, analyzed, and ultimately shared back with the grid operators, who must use it to make informed decisions and serve customers.

Program Evaluation for Grants Part 2: Rachel Boren (NMSU)

Acquire insight about the most critical components of program evaluation that you need to know as you develop your grant applications. Take your knowledge up a notch by applying these components to your projects as we work through the topics and take the time to develop your own logic models, craft clear research objectives, and more!

Repeat of September 10. Early admission apply by date: September 18, 2021

Program Evaluation for Grants Part 1: Rachel Boren (NMSU)

Acquire insight about the most critical components of program evaluation that you need to know as you develop your grant applications. Take your knowledge up a notch by applying these components to your projects as we work through the topics and take the time to develop your own logic models, craft clear research objectives, and more!

Early admission apply by date: August 20, 2021

2021 Mentor Awardees: Dr. Caitano da Silva, NMT, and Dr. Jay Misra, NMSU

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

We are delighted to announce this year’s NM EPSCoR Mentor Award recipients—Dr. Caitano da Silva and Dr. Jay Misra. This award is presented annually to mentors who demonstrate excellence in supporting students’ academic, research, and career endeavors, and in creating inclusive environments for all students. Please join us in recognizing Dr. da Silva and Dr. Misra for their outstanding work in mentoring the students who will define New Mexico’s diverse future workforce.

Webinar for Dear Colleague Letter: Towards an Equitable National Cyberinfrastructure

It gives us great pleasure to announce the publication of an exciting new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) 21-108 https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21108/nsf21108.jsp from NSF’s EPSCoR Office and CISE/OAC discussing CC* as a funding opportunity available to EPSCoR institutions. Through this DCL, OAC and EPSCoR in OIA are specifically inviting proposal submissions to CC* to address the disparities in campus-level networking and cyberinfrastructure that exacerbated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in some areas of the country.

Podcast: All Things Equity

All Things Equity engages conversations with professionals in higher education and industry at various stages in their careers, working towards equitable workspaces. Our guest panelists share their knowledge, perspectives, and experience for diversifying the professional and academic workforce in the US in an equitable way. Your hosts for this podcast are Dr. Margie Vela and Dr. Rob Rivers.

AISES Conference 2021

The Annual AISES National Conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. Attendees include Indigenous high school and college students, educators, and professionals, including representatives from Tribal Nations, Tribal enterprises, and Indigenous-owned businesses. The conference also includes the LARGEST college and career fair in the U.S. for Indigenous students and professionals!

3rd Annual Intl. Quantum Information Science Workshop

Innovare Advancement Center will host the 3rd Annual International QIS Workshop on June 22-24, 10am – 2pm ET.

The virtual 3-day event is designed for those in the field of quantum to interact and share perspectives with an established network of leading scientists, engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

Join Innovare for thought provoking presentations, live panel discussions, and engaging technical dialogue.

First Gen Role Models

Part of the ten week long GlobalMindED 2021 Virtual Event. What does success, inclusive leadership, and contribution look like?

Presenters include: Merritt McKenzie, Vanecia Kerr, Dr. Cristina Alfaro, Anthony Newton, Lan Phan, and Serita Liles.

VIRTUAL DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SUMMIT 2021 - Modernizing New Mexico Energy

The second annual Virtual Distributed Energy Summit for the NM EPSCoR SMART Grid Center, hosted by Santa Fe Community College’s Smart and Microgrid Training Center, took place on Thursday, July 29 and Friday, July 30, 2021.

This year’s Summit addressed the state’s clean energy transition through three related themes: Economy, Technology, and Workforce.

There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is required. Registration deadline is July 22, 2021.

NM SMART Grid Center Project Highlights from Year 3

Every year the New Mexico SMART Grid Center submits three highlights from the previous project year to the National Science Foundation. This year's highlights recognize "DC Street" at NMSU, seed award results from NMT, and the Explora Science Communication Fellowship program. Below are overviews of what these outstanding project team members are working on - summarized in 250 words or less. 

IT'S GOOD TO BE DIRECT
Olga Lavrova, New Mexico State University

NSF Spring 2021 Virtual Grants Conference

Join the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Spring 2021 NSF Virtual Grants Conference! This virtual conference will be broadcast live on Zoom during the week of June 7-11, 2021. To register for this free event, visit the conference website. You will need to register for each Zoom session. Please only register for one concurrent session per time block. Feel free to check nsfpolicyoutreach.com for the most up-to-date conference information and to view the conference agenda.

Seed Award Announcements: 2020 Awardee Report and 2021 Awardees

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

We are excited to announce the 2021 Infrastructure Seed Award program awardees and share a report from 2020 award recipient Dr. Caitano da Silva. The Infrastructure Seed Award program is designed to support transformative research and capacity building across New Mexico’s higher education institutions in emerging smart grid areas (e.g., STEM, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, cyberinfrastructure, and workforce development).

Secure and Resilient Grids: What Do AI and Automation Offer?

Traditionally, utilities have worked with long planning horizons to build out “hard” infrastructure. Today, planning has gotten a lot more complicated. It’s not clear where demand will be and what reliable resources will be available. From an operations perspective, the distribution grid is subject to more localized and unpredictable conditions, requiring rapid response to maintain reliability.

The Energy Transition: Gearing up for the Smarter Grid

PART 1 Visions of 2040: What’s in Store for the Energy Industry?

Rapid change these days has become a way of life. A lot will happen in the next twenty years. There will be considerable advances in technology, transformations in consumer preferences, new business models and continuing efforts to address climate risks. It is also clear that energy systems will need to adapt, perhaps in radical ways, to support new realities.

Clean Energy Economy Town Hall - Part II

The i-CREW project hosted a Clean Energy Economy Town Hall, Aug. 5, 2020, as part of its efforts to develop a Clean Energy Economy Roadmap for the state of New Mexico. More than 150 town hall participants learned about the i-CREW project and had the opportunity to contribute ideas and feedback during breakout and roundtable discussions. In order to continue this discussion and provide further opportunity to collaborte, iCREW is hosting Part II of the New Mexico Clean Energy Economy Town Hall on May 18 from 1-4pm.

NSF HSI Hispanic STEM Webinar

The NSF National Resource Hub for STEM Education at Hispanic Serving Institutions will provide HSIs with resources for building institutional capacity that will increase STEM student retention and degree completion (NSF Awards 1832338 and 1832345). The Hub is a collaborative effort between New Mexico State University (NMSU), California State University at Northridge (CSUN), and Dona Ana Community College (DACC).

NSF HSI Hispanic STEM Webinar

The NSF National Resource Hub for STEM Education at Hispanic Serving Institutions will provide HSIs with resources for building institutional capacity that will increase STEM student retention and degree completion (NSF Awards 1832338 and 1832345). The Hub is a collaborative effort between New Mexico State University (NMSU), California State University at Northridge (CSUN), and Dona Ana Community College (DACC).

NSF Convergence Accelerator: Industry/Non-Profit/Other Submitters

Learn about the program and specifically the current solicitation opportunity. During the webinar, participants will learn about the program’s model and fundamentals, including the program’s phased approach and innovation processes used to accelerate basic research into practice; and the solicitation opportunity to include the research track focuses, required Convergence Accelerator fundamentals, and important submission information.

NSF Convergence Accelerator: Academic Submitters Webinar

Learn about the program and specifically the current solicitation opportunity. During the webinar, participants will learn about the program’s model and fundamentals, including the program’s phased approach and innovation processes used to accelerate basic research into practice; and the solicitation opportunity to include the research track focuses, required Convergence Accelerator fundamentals, and important submission information.

AISES Region 3 2021 Conference

Every spring the seven Regional Conferences gather student and professional members to champion each other and expand their knowledge and skills through a wide variety of workshops and sessions.

Regional Conferences are typically held at college campuses, hosted by the school’s AISES Chapter. Many professional members participate as mentors and speakers, sharing their expertise and facilitating discussions in areas like engineering, environmental science, or on crossovers between traditional ecological knowledge and western science.

 

Evaluation as a Strength of Your Grant Proposal

Rachel Boren earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research, Statistics, and Evaluation from the University of Virginia, where she was trained in program evaluation and research methods in education and the social sciences. She has a diverse portfolio of training and experience with program evaluation and research in education and healthcare, most recently as an evaluator for the Provost’s Office at the University of Texas at El Paso and the Director of Evaluation for a 70 million-dollar National Institutes of Health funded center based at the University of Washington.

NSF EPSCoR Research Fellowships: What You Need to Know.

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

What is the goal?

To provide opportunities for non-tenured investigators to develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Investigators from research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions in EPSCoR states (including NM) are eligible to apply.

What’s new in 2021?

Opportunities to work with NASA research facilities in addition to research sites in disciplines traditionally funded by NSF.

April 2021 Software Carpentry

Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

AISES and Berkeley Haas Present: 1st Generation Entrepreneurship

AISES and Berkeley Haas Present: 1st Generation Entrepreneurship - Building a Business Without a Financial Safety Net

Berkeley Haas is proud to present a webinar as part of an ongoing partnership with AISES focusing on how entrepreneurs can manage startup risk, especially without a financial safety net. The agenda will include: Welcome from AISES and Berkeley Haas, followed by a discussion with Berkeley Haas MBA students, staff, and faculty, including Berkeley Haas MBA Lecturer, Whitney Hischier.

SACNAS NSF Webinar

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites you to join a webinar (via Zoom) on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, at 4 p.m. ET to learn about NSF insights on fellowships, internships, and funding STEM pathways. Registration is required.

NSF EPSCoR #BetterPoster Student Workshop

Students you're invited to participate in a (free) #BetterPoster science communication workshop and poster competition, sponsored by the NSF EPSCoR EOD Council and the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation. It's on February 18th from 3PM - 6PM CST, attendees will sign up for 30-minute time slots.

Participants will receive individual consultation to either modify an existing research poster or create a new one in the #BetterPoster format. The finished product will be entered in a competition to win Visa gift cards and be featured on social media.

SMART Networking

Interact with SMART Grid colleagues, make new connections, answer trivia questions, and win prizes!

Join us for SMART Networking where you can catch up and talk shop with SMART Grid students, faculty, and researchers in a fun and interactive Zoom call. Opportunities over the hour include small group networking, a SMART Grid related trivia contest, and chance to win prizes.

This event is BYOD- Bring Your Own Device and Drinks. Hope to see you there!

A Day in the Life: Being a Woman in Electrical Engineering

Although the numbers of women in engineering fields have increased, we are still a minority in the field, and depending on the niche field you enter after college, you could find yourself as an even greater minority. This was the case for me, with about 10% of women in my electrical engineering graduating class, to being the only woman in the TTU pulsed power laboratory working on my thesis, and very commonly one of only a handful of women in my job or at conferences.

Int. Conference on Control system, power and electrical engineering

International Conference on Control system, power and electrical engineering(ICCSPEE) is a prestigious event organized with a motivation to provide an excellent international platform for the academicians, researchers, engineers, industrial participants and budding students around the world to SHARE their research findings with the global experts.

Women in Clean Energy Symposium

On behalf of the C3E Women in Clean Energy Initiative, I would like to invite you and your students to attend the free two-day virtual C3E Symposium & Awards on December 8-9, 12-4:30pm ET. The overarching Symposium theme is "Accelerating the Energy Transition in a Rapidly Changing World”. This virtual two-day event will consist of plenary sessions, award presentations to this year’s C3E award winners, panel discussions, and a reception with live student poster presentations. For the first time, this normally invitation-only event will be open to all.

2020 New Mexico Research Symposium Highlights

Author
Sara Pichette

What do you get when you combine topical COVID talks, ovarian cancer research, nearly 30 virtual posters in four categories, and over 250 attendees via Zoom? The 2020 New Mexico Research Symposium, hosted in collaboration with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS)! 

This year’s Research Symposium was held virtually November 9 to 13, 2020. The program was topical and hosted a variety of speakers, posters, and awardees honoring science, STEM, and research contributions in New Mexico. 

EPSCoR Track 1 Topical Session: Biosciences

The session will provide a brief background of the NSF EPSCoR Track 1 program and an overview of the Biosciences topic. Participants will have the opportunity to explore white paper ideas with potential collaborators. Please attend an informational session on November 30 or December 1 in advance of this topical session. All registrants will receive a copy of the slides and a link to the recorded session after the event takes place.

EPSCoR Track 1 Topical Session: Intelligent Manufacturing

The session will provide a brief background of the NSF EPSCoR Track 1 program and an overview of the Intelligent Manufacturing topic. Participants will have the opportunity to explore white paper ideas with potential collaborators. Please attend an informational session on November 30 or December 1 in advance of this topical session. All registrants will receive a copy of the slides and a link to the recorded session.

EPSCoR Track 1 Informational Session: UNM

Developing the Next NSF New Mexico EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track 1 Proposal (5-years, $20M)

The session will provide background about NSF EPSCoR and the RII Track 1 Program, describe the proposal development process and the timeline, provide guidelines for the white papers, and cover the choice of Track 1 themes and next steps with respect to forming thematic teams across New Mexico’s research universities and other relevant regional universities and colleges.

EPSCoR Track 1 Informational Session: NMSU

Developing the Next NSF New Mexico EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track 1 Proposal (5-years, $20M)

The session will provide background about NSF EPSCoR and the RII Track 1 Program, describe the proposal development process and the timeline, provide guidelines for the white papers, and cover the choice of Track 1 themes and next steps with respect to forming thematic teams across New Mexico’s research universities and other relevant regional universities and colleges.

EPSCoR Track 1 Informational Session: NMT

Developing the Next NSF New Mexico EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track 1 Proposal (5-years, $20M)

The session will provide background about NSF EPSCoR and the RII Track 1 Program, describe the proposal development process and the timeline, provide guidelines for the white papers, and cover the choice of Track 1 themes and next steps with respect to forming thematic teams across New Mexico’s research universities and other relevant regional universities and colleges.

NMRS Virtual Poster Session

Virtual poster session featuring the research of undergraduate and graduate students from across New Mexico. Posters will be available starting at 9 am on Tuesday, November 10.

Registered participants will be able to cast their vote for this year’s “People’s Choice” poster award beginning at 9:00 am Tuesday November 10th and ending at noon on Thursday November 12th. Details on how to vote will be emailed to you on Tuesday morning.

Virtual Poster Session Information:

New Mexico Research Symposium 2020 Awards Ceremony and Closing Keynote

This session will recognize excellence in science in New Mexico. Symposium poster winners will be announced.

NMAS Outstanding Contributions to Science in NM
Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD

NMAS Outstanding NM Science Teachers
Sponsored by American Chemical Society, Central NM Section
Eva Abeyta, Los Alamos Online Learning Academy, Los Alamos
Lena Eddings, La Cueva H.S., Albuquerque

NM EPSCoR Poster Awards
TBA

2020 NMRS Virtual Conference SMART Grid Center Seminar

The NM SMART Grid Center supports interdisciplinary research on next-generation electric power production and delivery through creation of a Sustainable, Modular, Adaptive, Resilient, and Transactive (SMART) electric grid. During this seminar, four graduate students will present their research on a range of topics.

Read more about this event and the NMRS virtual conference

Goodbye from Anne Jakle

Author
Anne Jakle

It’s time for me to say farewell to the New Mexico EPSCoR community and embark on new adventures. It has been a pleasure to work with you all and get to know many of you over the last five years. I hope you’ll provide a warm reception to Dr. Selena Connealy, who is the newly appointed Interim Associate Director for NM EPSCoR.

Grid Reliability, Resilience, & Multi Use Apps for Batteries in NM

The Energy Transition Act of NM (NM ETA) requires the state’s retail electricity sales to be carbon free by 2050. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NM PRC) began meeting that objective recently when it unanimously approved a plan to replace the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington, N.M., with 650 MW of photovoltaics (PV) and 300 MW of energy storage by 2022.

EMNRD Webinar Series: Battery Storage and Electrification of NM Transportation

The Energy Transition Act of NM (NM ETA) requires the state’s retail electricity sales to be carbon free by 2050. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NM PRC) began meeting that objective recently when it unanimously approved a plan to replace the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington, N.M., with 650 MW of photovoltaics (PV) and 300 MW of energy storage by 2022.

EMNRD Webinar Series: Battery Storage for Generation and Transmission Deferral

The Energy Transition Act of NM (NM ETA) requires the state’s retail electricity sales to be carbon free by 2050. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NM PRC) began meeting that objective recently when it unanimously approved a plan to replace the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington, N.M., with 650 MW of photovoltaics (PV) and 300 MW of energy storage by 2022.

EMNRD Webinar Series: Using Solar PV + Battery Storage to meet Peak Load

The Energy Transition Act of NM (NM ETA) requires the state’s retail electricity sales to be carbon free by 2050. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NM PRC) began meeting that objective recently when it unanimously approved a plan to replace the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington, N.M., with 650 MW of photovoltaics (PV) and 300 MW of energy storage by 2022.

Mara Yarbrough's 2020 NM SMART Grid Center Externship Experience with EMNRD

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

Our second NM SMART Grid Center 2020 extern, Mara Yarbrough, just completed her 10-week externship with the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) researching practical policies state governments can implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She shared her thoughts with us on the experience in this brief reflection. Enjoy!

UNM Signs Agreement to Collaborate with Siemens Industry at Mesa del Sol Microgrid

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

On September 30th, the University of New Mexico announced a joint agreement with Siemens Industry to begin collaborations at the UNM-owned microgrid at Mesa del Sol. Located in Albuquerque, the Mesa del Sol microgrid is one of three NM SMART Grid Center project testbeds, the others being Southwest Technology Development Institute at NMSU and the greenhouse complex at Santa Fe Community College, where project team members can test research out on actual equipment.

Five New Faculty Join the NM SMART Grid Center Team

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The NM SMART Grid Center warmly welcomes five new faculty members to the project team this Fall. Included in this esteemed cohort of STEM professionals are Dr. Yuting Yang and Dr. Claus Danielson at the University of New Mexico (UNM), Dr. Sihua Shao at New Mexico Institute for Mining and Technology (NMT), and Dr. Fengyu Wang and Dr. Hamed Nademi at New Mexico State University (NMSU). 

 

Certificate Training in Entrepreneurship

Author
William Michener

New Mexico EPSCoR is excited to launch its Certificate Training in Entrepreneurship in partnership with the University of New Mexico (UNM) Rainforest Innovations and Innovation Academy. The primary goal of the Certificate program is to introduce participants to intellectual property (IP) generation and management, commercialization, and entrepreneurship and highlight additional resources and training opportunities leveraging the existing programs offered at New Mexico’s research universities. The Certificate program consists of 8 webinar training sessions.

2020 New Mexico Research Symposium

The New Mexico Research Symposium (NMRS), collaboratively hosted with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS), is an annual conference with oral presentations, a poster competition, and a keynote address. The conference is geared to undergraduate and graduate students from New Mexico’s colleges and universities. The New Mexico Research Symposium, collaboratively hosted with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS), is an annual conference with oral presentations, a poster competition, and a keynote address.

New Mexico EPSCoR and UNM Researchers Receive Grant to Research Indigenous-based STEM Education

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The National Science Foundation has awarded researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM), New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR), and partner institutions a total of $739,619 in research grants to address the under-representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and workforce.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training, October Session

Please note, approximately one week prior to the training, you will receive an email with links and required course materials.

This training will cover Responsible Conduct for Research, or RCR. It is a REQUIREMENT from our funder, the National Science Foundation, that all funded students and Post-Docs complete RCR training.

The RCR October session is now CLOSED

A Reflection on the 2020 STEM Advancement Program

Author
Sara Pichette

Like most things, our annual summer undergraduate research program, STEM Advancement Program (STEMAP) shifted due to COVID-19 for summer 2020. Instead of placing students on campus to gain in-person research experience, STEMAP moved online and focused on professional development in addition to an online research experience. The 8-week program paired students with a SMART Grid mentor and another student.

New Mexico Science Fiesta 2020

A Week-Long Celebration of Science!

The NM Science Fiesta is a virtual week-long celebration of science for kids, teens, and adults. Take a virtual road trip through New Mexico and explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math and the roles they play in shaping our culture and the future of New Mexico.

How to Network Virtually – NM Rainforest EDA University Center

With the current Covid-19 pandemic on hand, it is no longer possible to network at large events or at a bar. Business has been taken online and many events are now held virtually. With that comes new strategies to make the most out of Zoom meet-ups and virtual events. This seminar will address how to be effective while networking virtually, presented by Albuquerque’s master networker, Stacy Sacco.

WE Mean Business Virtual Coffee Meetup

The WE (Women Entrepreneurs) Coffee Meetup is a monthly networking meeting for Women Entrepreneurs. This month we’re taking it virtual!

This meeting is designed to connect, activate, and empower women entrepreneurs looking to launch and grow their business. These meetups are part of Arrowhead Center’s WE Network, a spin-out of the WE Mean Business conference. WE Coffee Meetups will be held on the 4th Thursday of each month online via Zoom. We look forward to connecting with you all again!

NM Rainforest Forum - I-Corps Mentor Panel

Join us to hear from the mentors of the UNM NSF I-Corps Program, an entrepreneurial training program to explore the transition of a technology to the marketplace. The panelists will share their experiences as an I-Corps Mentor, development of the student teams, and the value of the program to the university. There will be time for questions about the program as well.

Already interested in participating in I-Corps? Applications are now open for UNM teams at http://loborainforest.com/icorps/.

2020 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award Recipients Announced

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

We are delighted to announce this year’s NM EPSCoR Mentor Award recipients—Dr. Olga Lavrova and Dr. Ali Bidram. Nominated by their mentees, both of this year’s recipients stand out for their exceptional efforts to build strong professional and interpersonal relationships with students; advance their mentees’ academic, research, and professional goals; and create inclusive environments for diverse students. Please join us in recognizing Dr. Lavrova and Dr. Bidram for their outstanding work in mentoring the students who will define New Mexico’s diverse future workforce.

Morgan Johnson Reflects on her 2020 NM SMART Grid Center Externship Experience with EMNRD

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

For ten weeks, University of New Mexico recent Law School graduate, Morgan Johnson, worked for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) researching energy efficiency initiatives intended to support low-to-moderate income New Mexicans.  At the end of her externship, she provided this 'report-out' describing her NM EPSCoR Externship experience. Enjoy!

SACNAS: Navigating Uncomfortable Situations

Let's get comfortable talking about the uncomfortable! In this webinar four former community college students will share uncomfortable situations they experienced on their path through STEM, including systemic discrimination, navigating higher education while being part of a historically excluded group, and other challenges. Following the panel, this webinar will create a safe space for participants to ask questions and discuss their personal experiences. Panelists will then share solutions on how to navigate uncomfortable situations moving forward.

STEM Advancement Program (STEMAP): Student Presentations & Virual Poster Session

Please join us for the 2020 STEMAP student presentations and virtual poster session!

STEMAP engages students from NM’s regional universities, community colleges, and tribal colleges in NM SMART Grid Center research and training. Students spend 8-weeks working under the direction of faculty mentors at NMSU, NMT, and UNM. The NM SMART Grid Center, an interdisciplinary National Science Foundation (NSF) project, is pursuing research and workforce training for next-generation electric power production and delivery.

Distributed Energy Workforce – Virtual Summit

The Distributed Energy Workforce at Santa Fe Community College is pleased to announce the Virtual Summit on emerging workforce training opportunities in Distributed Energy Systems.

SFCC’s Smart and Microgrid Training Center has established a program and hired a full-time faculty member to develop curricula, degrees, and certifications in this critical aspect of grid modernization.

Join us to learn about this program, the broader opportunities, and how all New Mexico educational institutions can share and cooperate to maximize the potential.

SACNAS: Do I belong in STEM? Identifying and Succeeding Beyond Impostor Syndrome

Yes, you belong! In this webinar two professionals will explore how impostor syndrome, self-doubt, and mental health affected their education and career in STEM. Through their stories panelists will explain how and when they identified their impostor syndrome, share strategies to move beyond it, and why you do belong in STEM.

Team Science 101 Training

Teaming is a process, not an outcome. Join us for this free introductory session on the unique challenges faced by scientific teams working across disciplines to solve complex, global problems, and learn how team science equips teams for success.

This introductory workshop is offered for free!

SACNAS: Planning for Success

The best way to achieve your career goals is to have a plan. An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a tool that helps you outline both your short-term and long-term goals. Creating a plan can also help you identify what skills you need to meet those goals and objectives. In this webinar, two Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute alumni from the academia and industry sectors (Dr. Patricia Silveyra and Dr.

NMTC: 12th Annual Women in Technology Awards

About the Women in Technology Awards
Each year, the NMTC recognizes a slate of women for their accomplishments in a STEM field and their contributions to their community. Award recipients represent myriad STEM industries and all show an exemplary commitment to mentorship and community impact. The honorees are officially recognized at the Annual Women in Technology Awards Celebration, held in the Spring.

New Mexico Technology Council (NMTC) to recognize six women for their impact in a STEM field, commitment to community

Ali Bidram selected for Outstanding Engineering Educator Award

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

Ali Bidram, an Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico, is the recipient of the 2020 IEEE Albuquerque Section Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, which recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the electrotechnology profession through teaching in industry, government or in an institution of higher learning.

Humanizing STEM: The Art of Storytelling

Was part of your action plan during #ShutDownSTEM to get out there and tell your story? The primary mechanism for visibility in our field is who owns the narrative. In STEM, it is critical that we know who we are and how our backgrounds have shaped the value we bring to the field, but we rarely get the chance to practice our own storytelling. This 90-minute webinar will explore the components of a great story, spotlight guest authors, and invite you to submit a written pitch of your own to scientific societies.

IEEE WIE ILC 2020 Virtual Series: Pioneers in Skirts

IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference (IEEE WIE ILC) provides professional women in technology, whether in industry, academia, or government, the opportunity to create communities that fuel innovation, facilitate knowledge sharing and provide support through highly interactive sessions designed to foster discussion and collaboration. IEEE WIE ILC focuses on providing leading-edge professional development for mid-level and senior-level women.

IEEE WIE ILC 2020 Virtual Series

IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference (IEEE WIE ILC) provides professional women in technology, whether in industry, academia, or government, the opportunity to create communities that fuel innovation, facilitate knowledge sharing and provide support through highly interactive sessions designed to foster discussion and collaboration. IEEE WIE ILC focuses on providing leading-edge professional development for mid-level and senior-level women.

CodeOp: Coding 101 Workshop

FREE coding workshop! ?‍?

Have you considered getting into tech, but not sure if it is for you? Welcome to the club.

CodeOp is an international coding school for women, trans, and gender non conforming people.

We will be hosting a free coding workshop for technically curious people who have had zero to little experience coding.

The workshop will be led by our very own Emefa, a teaching assistant at CodeOp. Check her out in the video below . ? ??

Codeup Introduction to Javascript Workshop

Join us for a our JavaScript Crash Course, where we will dig into one of the fastest-growing languages in the software development industry.

You don't need to have any prior programming experience to attend this webinar! By the end of the presentation, you will have a good understanding of what programming means, what JavaScript is, and the best part: we will get our hands dirty writing some JavaScript!

So what are you waiting for? Learn from our very own instructors and staff, all who have helped over 600+ others change careers into web development.

NM SMART Grid Center Research Highlights from Year 2

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

Every year the NM SMART Grid Center is required to submit three highlights from the previous project year to the National Science Foundation. For Project Year 2, the research themed highlights focused on work by Assistant Professor Ali Bidram and his PhD student Binod Poudel at UNM and advancements by Assistant Professor David Mitchell and his team at NMSU.

Here is what these outstanding team members are working on - summarized in 250 words or less.

Enjoy!

 

New DOD EPSCoR Solicitation: Funding Collaborations Between Researchers

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff
 
Emphasis: This funding opportunity aims to create basic research collaborations between a pair of researchers, namely
  1. Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI), a full-time faculty member who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD-funded award
  2. Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI), an investigator who will provide mentorship to the Applicant and has served as a PI on a DoD-funded research award actively between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2020.
PIs and collaborators do&n

Science of Team Science (Virtual) Conference

We're taking the SciTS Conference experience online, with a robust four-day program featuring Excellence in Studying, Teaching, and Practicing Team Science.

SciTS 2020 will (virtually) bring together team science practitioners, scholars, and providers from a broad range of disciplines to share and advance the latest evidence-based methods in team collaboration and transdisciplinary science. Speakers and attendees will include investigators, administrators, students, funders, and policymakers. Anyone interested in improving collaborative research and discovery is welcome!

NM EPSCoR Impacts: The COVID-19 Response Efforts of RII2 NM EPSCoR Faculty Hire Heather Canavan

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

In 2005, Heather Canavan was hired as an Assistant Professor by the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering with support from NM EPSCoR through RII2 NM NEW – an award focused on developing nanoscience and hydrology capacity within the state. For Heather, EPSCoR functioned much like a wood brace does for a newly planted tree sapling.

Grid Modernization Webinar

This public webinar will examine the innovation occurring with grid modernization, including physical infrastructure, grid management software, and efforts by all actors to increase the resilience and security of the grid. Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) will provide opening remarks, followed by a moderated discussion with Juan Torres (NREL), congressional staff, and private sector representatives on various grid modernization initiatives and explain how each fits within the innovation chain, from basic science to commercialization and deployment.

Computer Science PD Week for K-12 Teachers

Organized by Computer Science Alliance and delivered by a variety of experienced facilitators, we will run the PD to allow for our new reality of social distancing by doing it via remote learning platforms. We will still spend June 1-5, 2020 with other educators and CS professionals to learn more about CS and a range of fantastic opportunities to integrate CS into any and all content areas and grade levels OR to offer CS courses, clubs, and after school programs for elementary, middle, and high school students.

2020 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award Nominations

NM EPSCoR is seeking nominations for the 2020 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award which recognizes NM SMART Grid team members who demonstrate excellence in supporting students’ academic, research, and career endeavors, and in creating inclusive environments for all students. The deadline for undergraduate or graduate students to nominate their mentors is May 1, 2020. Nominated mentors will be contacted to provide a Statement of Mentoring Philosophy.

Nominate a mentor!

Virtual All Hands Report

Author
Sara Pichette

Like many events and meetings across the world, the NM SMART Grid Center annual All Hands Meeting (AHM) shifted from face to face to virtual space seemingly overnight. As news of school closures and other mandates were announced in March, the unparalleled shift to home and online rippled across our lives, taking meetings and classes with it. While we were excited to gather all team members in one space to communicate progress and look towards the future, safety and health are the top priority.

EPSCoR in the Time of COVID-19

Author
William Michener

All of our lives have changed in response to the latest pandemic. With respect to EPSCoR, most of us are working from home and are learning how to social-distance, video-conference with colleagues, and use Slack and other tools to maintain some semblance of normality in our workday. Upcoming EPSCoR meetings such as the All Hands Meeting, NSF Reverse Site Visit and, most likely, the New Mexico EPSCoR State Committee Meeting will become virtual—i.e., Zoom conference calls. In short, our way of life has changed, seemingly overnight and we do not yet see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Resources for Dealing with the Impacts of COVID-19

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

There are roughly 140 team members on this project and ~56% are students. Based on new team member form data, roughly 20% of our students are parents and 47% are first-generation college students. Faculty and postdocs are the second largest group, representing ~26% and technical/non-technical support staff come in third at 18% of the total. Many of these individuals are also parents or caregivers.

Rio Rancho Public Library Teen Cafe: The Smart Microgrid

Not too long ago, power failures were catastrophic events that would disrupt thousands of families, businesses, and city/state infrastructure. Rudy is a mechanical engineer working to change the structure of today’s electrical grid system to intelligently manage power changes, incorporate sustainable energy, and to increase the efficiency of the current grid. In this Café, you can interact with a 3D model of the SMART Microgrid, play with electromagnets, and create electrical circuits.

Albuquerque Public Library Teen Cafe: The Smart Microgrid

Not too long ago, power failures were catastrophic events that would disrupt thousands of families, businesses, and city/state infrastructure. Rudy is a mechanical engineer working to change the structure of today’s electrical grid system to intelligently manage power changes, incorporate sustainable energy, and to increase the efficiency of the current grid. In this Café, you can interact with a 3D model of the SMART Microgrid, play with electromagnets, and create electrical circuits.

¡Explora! Teen Science Cafe: The Smart Microgrid

Not too long ago, power failures were catastrophic events that would disrupt thousands of families, businesses, and city/state infrastructure. Rudy is a mechanical engineer working to change the structure of today’s electrical grid system to intelligently manage power changes, incorporate sustainable energy, and to increase the efficiency of the current grid. In this Café, you can interact with a 3D model of the SMART Microgrid, play with electromagnets, and create electrical circuits.

NM SMART Grid Center Student Research Spotlight

Presenters:
Jeewon Choi, PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico (Research Goal 1),
Jacob Marks, Masters Student, Computer Science, New Mexico Tech (Research Goal 2),
Adnan Bashir, PhD Candidate, Computer Science, University of New Mexico (Research Goal 3),
Shubhasmita Pati, PhD Candidate, Electrical & Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University (Research Goal 4)

The Art of AI and Grant Writing!

Learn about writing a successful grant and the cool discoveries being made in artificial intelligence!

Thursday's focus is NSF grant writing:

Program Survey and Discussion (lead by an NSF IIS Program Director) – bring your questions!
Proposal Tactics: Unofficial Symposium (lead by an NSF IIS Program Director) PAPPG updates and changes for submissions (Research.gov) – learn what these changes mean for you!

Friday's focus is AI research:

This is a two-day event; feel free to come and go or stay for the whole thing.

POSTPONED - Distributed Energy Workforce Summit

POSTPONED until further notice

Please join us on Tuesday, April 28, 2020at Santa Fe Community College for an all-day workshop on emerging workforce training opportunities in Distributed Energy Systems.

SFCC’s Smart and Microgrid Training Center has established a program and hired a full-time faculty member to develop curricula, degrees, and certifications in this critical aspect of grid modernization.

Collaborative Innovation Working Group Proposal Deadline

The NM EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) SMART Grid Center seeks applications for Collaborative Innovation Working Groups (C-IWGs). These awards primarily support groups of researchers (faculty, post-docs, and students), educators, and/or nationally recognized experts that seek to promote research innovation and integration in the area of smart grids, microgrids, cybersecurity, and cutting-edge research applications for advancing the country’s electricity production and delivery system.

Infrastructure Seed Award Proposal Deadline

The Infrastructure Seed Award program is designed to support transformative research and capacity building across New Mexico’s academic institutions in emerging smart grid areas (e.g., computer science, electrical and computer engineering, cyberinfrastructure, and workforce development). The awards can be used to purchase research and teaching equipment and to pay for student researcher salaries, research supplies, and student conference travel.

January Diversity "How Tos"

Author
Sara Pichette

New Mexico EPSCoR is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion. We strive to establish an environment that exemplifies and promotes diversity of all types (individual, institutional, geographic, and disciplinary).

At last year's annual All Hands Meeting for the NM SMART Grid Center, we charged our team members to come up with ideas of what they could do personally to engage a wide diversity of students at their institutions. Here are a few more ideas that continue the overarching themes of “Involve. Encourage. Engage.”

Data Carpentry Workshop at NMHU

Data Carpentry develops and teaches workshops on the fundamental data skills needed to conduct research. Its target audience is researchers who have little to no prior computational experience, and its lessons are domain specific, building on learners' existing knowledge to enable them to quickly apply skills learned to their own research. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

Collaborative Innovation Working Group

Overview

The NM EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) SMART Grid Center seeks applications for Collaborative Innovation Working Groups (C-IWGs). These awards primarily support groups of researchers (faculty, post-docs, and students), educators, and/or nationally recognized experts that seek to promote research innovation and integration in the area of smart grids, microgrids, cybersecurity, and cutting-edge research applications for advancing the country’s electricity production and delivery system.

STEMAP Advancement Program

The STEM Advancement Program (STEMAP) engages students from New Mexico’s regional universities, community colleges, and tribal colleges in the research funded by the New Mexico SMART Grid Center at UNM, NMSU, and NMT. Up to 12 students are selected to participate each summer.

Welcome Frank Currie

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

The NM SMART Grid Center is pleased to announce the most recent faculty hire for the project: Frank Currie, who is leading development of the Smart- and Micro-grid Training Center at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC). Within this role, Frank will spearhead development of the Distributed Energy Systems Program, an AAS and AS degree program specializing in smart grid and microgrid systems technician training.

“I am excited to build the program I wish had existed when I started school,” Frank said.

The Little Known Impacts of Valles Caldera: The Science

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

In 2012, I was working as Education Coordinator for the Valles Caldera Trust, a small experimental federal agency charged with managing the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) in the Jemez Mountains. New in my position, I had taken it upon myself to overhaul VCNP education efforts and establish a tiered education program offering place-based STEM field trips to local k-12 students.

NM Governor's STEM Challenge

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NM DWS), New Mexico Public Education Department (NM PED), and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) invite NM high school students and teachers to participate in the 2019–2020 Governor’s STEM Showcase on December 7, 2019 in Los Lunas, NM. Students in New Mexico high school STEM classes statewide are invited to imagine, design, and develop a project model to address the following question formulated by Los Alamos National Laboratory: Keeping the World Safer Using Technology.

NM Society of Professional Engineers Conference

The New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers (NMSPE) provides leadership for the advancement of engineering professionalism throughout New Mexico. We provide conferences, meetings, events and activities, including ethics classes and the Professional Engineering Review courses. We are over 350 members strong! Our members range from university students to retired professionals located throughout the state of New Mexico in several different chapters.

STEM Advancement Program

The STEM Advancement Program (STEMAP) engages students from New Mexico’s regional universities, community colleges, and tribal colleges in the research funded by the New Mexico SMART Grid Center at UNM, NMSU, and NMT. Up to 12 students are selected to participate each summer; benefits include a $4,000 stipend, housing, and meal allowance. Academic year opportunities include support to present at state, regional, and national conferences, a webinar series, and continued research activities back at your home campus with a faculty mentor.

Early Career Leadership Workshop

The Early Career Leadership Workshop is a three-day intensive, residential program designed to enhance the professional skills of early career faculty and postdoctoral scholars in STEM disciplines. Participants will gain skills in meeting facilitation and leadership, incorporating broader impacts into research, communicating science to the media, effective teaching in higher education, project management, and work-life integration.

Eligibility:

2019 Externship Report Out

Author
Selena Connealy

Modeling and simulation tools are essential for researchers as they seek ways to integrate variable renewable sources of energy, like wind, into the electricity grid. Recently, NM SMART Grid Center graduate student, P. Christopher Scott, spent time as an extern at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to learn about power system simulation. The INL Power Systems team, including Dr. Mayank Panwar, mentored Scott as he built computer models in Simulink, ran them on an Opal-RT real-time digital simulator, and modeled and simulated a power system in the IEEE 14-bus system.

Team Science Leadership Training

2020-01-08T10:00:00 - 2020-01-10T15:00:00

*Registration for the 2020 Team Science Leadership Training is now closed. Registration for the 2021 training will open in Fall 2020*

The NM EPSCoR Team Science Leadership Training is three-day intensive, residential program designed to help train the next generation of research center leaders. The workshop will provide tools for participants to plan and manage large, interdisciplinary projects. Topics covered include building and leading diverse and productive teams, project management skills, strategic planning, and communications.

Smart Grid: Energizing Our Future

2019-10-04T17:30:00 - 2019-10-04T19:00:00

Selena Connealy, Education and Outreach Manager for NM EPSCoR, will facilitate an interactive session about the science and technology behind the electricity grid and cutting-edge smart grid research happening in New Mexico.

Teen Science Cafés are FREE events where teens can meet a local scientist and find out about their work and career! Meet other teens, have snacks, and enjoy a science talk and activity.

No registration or fee, just come on in and check it out.

Team Science Leadership Training

The Team Science Leadership Training is a three-day residential workshop targeted for mid-career or senior faculty to develop skills for managing collaborative, interdisciplinary, and complex projects. Key elements of the training include: building and leading diverse and productive teams, project management skills, strategic planning, and communications.

Eligibility:

2019 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award Recipients Announced

Author
Selena Connealy

We are pleased to announce the 2019 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award winners—Dr. David Mitchell and Dr. Satyajayant (Jay) Misra. Both were nominated by mentees and demonstrated characteristics of excellent mentors, including strong professional and interpersonal relationships; working to advance their mentees’ academic, research, and professional goals; and creating inclusive environments for diverse students.

NM SMART Grid Center Student Training

2019-11-01T10:00:00 - 2019-11-01T17:00:00

This training is for all undergraduate students, graduate students, and post docs from the NM SMART Grid Center and will cover Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR), data management, and high performance computing.

NM SMART Grid Center Student Training Registration is now CLOSED. If you are interested in more information about this training contact Anne Jakle at ajakle@epscor.unm.edu or (505)226-2688.

NMSU Distinguished Alumni Career Advice & Renewable Energy Webcast

2019-10-02T16:00:00 - 2019-10-02T17:00:00

Jack Davis, the 2019 College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni will deliver a live EPSCoR webcast and in-person guest lecture at New Mexico State University in Thomas and Brown Room 104 featuring professional advice and lessons learned during a remarkable career ranging from Aggie Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) graduate to CEO of Arizona Public Service Company and later Board Chairman of Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR). Jack will also provide an overview of the state of renewable energy in America, both present advances and future expectations.

Watching Seeds Grow

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

In 2014, NM EPSCoR supported the hire of Assistant Professors Dr. José Cerrato and Dr. Ricardo González-Pinzón at the UNM Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering with funds from the $20 million Energize New Mexico National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR grant.

Science Communication Fellowship at Explora

2019-09-27T15:00:00 - 2019-09-27T18:00:00

This program will present research-based communication strategies through a series of professional learning workshops focused on building skills to effectively engage public audiences, non-scientists, and professional colleagues.

Register at http://bit.ly/scifellows

Registration deadline is September 20, 2019

Contact Anthony Salvangno for more information: asalvagno@explora.us

New Mexico Tech Career Fair

2019-09-16T09:30:00 - 2019-09-16T14:30:00

New Mexico Tech is the region’s premier science and engineering school where hands-on research is readily available for both undergraduate and graduate students. Recruiters who participate in our Fairs routinely comment on the high caliber of Tech students as well as the quality of these events.

For more information, visit https://www.nmt.edu/studentaffairs/careerservices/careerfair.php

Explora Teen Science Cafe

2019-09-13T17:30:00 - 2019-09-13T19:00:00

Facebook: The Science Behind the Like

William Marks, Facebook’s Community Development Manager, will lead an interactive discussion and activities about the science and technology behind the scenes at Facebook. Participants will build and keep a solar car ($15 value)! No registration or fee required.

 

UNM 2019 STEM Cultural Colloquium

2019-09-06T08:30:00 - 2019-09-06T15:30:00

A 1-day event hosted by STEM Collaborative Center, the 2019 STEM Cultural Colloquium: Getting at the Gap aims to bring together professionals from STEM initiatives across campus, to engage in dialogue about how to best structure and implement STEM programs for optimal levels of student success.

For more information and to register for this event, visit the UNM Collaborative Center.

Science Communication Fellowship Registration Open

Author
Selena Connealy

You probably have an “elevator pitch” to describe your research when you get the inevitable question, “So, what do you do?” That’s great when a non-scientist asks about your research in a casual conversation at a party. But, how prepared are you when you’re asked to do a presentation at a STEM conference for middle school girls, or when you need to design an outreach or broader impacts component for a grant proposal?

Data Carpentry Workshop at NMT

2019-09-14T09:00:00 - 2019-09-15T16:30:00

Data Carpentry develops and teaches workshops on the fundamental data skills needed to conduct research. Its target audience is researchers who have little to no prior computational experience, and its lessons are domain specific, building on learners' existing knowledge to enable them to quickly apply skills learned to their own research. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

Software Carpentry Workshop at UNM

2019-08-29T09:00:00 - 2019-08-30T17:00:00

Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

NMSU sponsored TAPESTRY Workshop

2019-08-17T09:00:00 - 2019-08-17T16:00:00

NMSU sponsored TAPESTRY Workshop for Middle and High School Teachers

NMSU is hosting a group of researchers from the University of Virginia for two one-day workshops around diversity and inclusion in computer science and related technology courses.

The Tapestry Workshop for Middle and High School Teachers interested in teaching Computer Science, is being sponsored by the NMSU CS Department, the Computing Alliance for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI), and the Young Women in Computing Program.

NM EPSCoR Impacts: O The Places You Will Go

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

Dr. Seuss succinctly captures the anticipation and pride all mentors/parents feel when they imagine the future for those they’ve cultivated. The sentiment is no different for Janie Chermak, Professor of Economics at UNM, who has been actively involved with EPSCoR for the past eleven years.
 
“It’s so nice to watch them move from being a student to being a self-sufficient researcher,” Professor Chermak says from a chair in her cheerily lit office.
 

Software Carpentry Workshop at NMSU

2019-08-19T09:00:00 - 2019-08-20T17:00:00

Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

Give me a Minute: Forecasting Solar Power Generation at the Minute Level

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

Ever wonder what other team members of the NM SMART Grid Center are doing? You should.

Take the work of Computer Science Assistant Professor Abdullah Mueen, Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Manel Martínez-Ramón, and their graduate students. Recently they developed techniques to forecast solar panel power generation in near real-time and with greater accuracy.

Summer STEM Policy Series

2019-07-10T07:45:00 - 2019-07-10T15:00:00

Join us for a day with the various New Mexico Non-Profit Conservation Groups. They differ in their scope, ranging from legislation and advocacy to boots on the ground stewardship and conservation work. We will start our day on-site with the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Cibola Wilderness Rangers to learn about the ground monitoring in the local wilderness areas through their partnership with the Forest Service. We will access the Wilderness boundary (~0.5 miles in) via the Pino trail, starting at Elena Gallegos.

NM Science Fiesta & Teen Science Night Report-out

Author
Selena Connealy

The Sci-Q (science quotient) of New Mexico went up during the week of June 22 to 29 when nearly 4,000 people participated in the NM EPSCoR–sponsored New Mexico Science Fiesta in events across the Albuquerque metro area. The celebration of science was coordinated by Explora and supported by dozens of organizations, ranging from STEM employers to community centers, colleges to dance studios, and national labs to city departments.

NMSU Top for Women Computer Scientists

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

New Mexico State University (NMSU) was named among the top 25 four-year public institutions in the nation for enrolling and graduating women in computer science, according to a recent analysis by “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” Released in February, the report uses U.S. Department of Education data from 2016 and 2017. NMSU ranked 22nd on a list that included more than 200 institutions, a significant achievement for NMSU.

NSF EPSCoR National Meeting

2019-10-28T08:00:00 - 2019-10-30T17:00:00

THE 26th EPSCoR NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Hosted by the University of South Carolina Office of Research and the South Carolina EPSCoR Office, the 26th NSF EPSCoR National Conference welcomes faculty, researchers, students and staff from EPSCoR jurisdictions around the country. Join us Sunday, October 27 through Wednesday October 30 for enriching speakers, engaging breakout sessions and bustling student poster presentations in the heart of the Palmetto State’s capital city.

Los Alamos 2019 Science Festival

2019-07-09T08:00:00 - 2019-07-14T17:00:00

Los Alamos ScienceFest celebrates the history and science of Los Alamos through fun and engaging activities and events for people of all ages. This signature event of Los Alamos is well attended and draws visitors from across the state of New Mexico and beyond.

For more information about the science festival visit https://www.losalamossciencefestival.com/

Located at:
Ashley Pond Park
Trinity Drive and 20th Street

Teen Night at Explora!

2019-06-28T18:30:00 - 2019-06-28T22:00:00

Teen takeover of Explora. Youth ages 12–19 are invited to freely explore and engage with the exhibits at Explora, interact with local organizations offering special activities, and talk with STEM professionals about current cutting-edge ideas in science and technology.

This is a drop-in event. No tickets or registration required.
For more information call Explora, (505) 224-8300.

All Hands Meeting Recap

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

On May 17, people from over 20 New Mexico institutions of higher education, state government, industry, and non-profit organizations attended the Year 1 NM SMART Grid Center All Hands Meeting in Albuquerque. The nearly 100 attendees enjoyed a keynote address by the Chancellor of New Mexico State University, Dr. Dan Arvizu, who was previously the Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on renewable and sustainable energy.

Software Carpentry Workshop

2019-05-30T09:00:00 - 2019-05-31T17:00:00

Software Carpentry helps researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation (Unix shell, Git, and Python). Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

The workshop is open to all--graduate students, researchers, and interested members of the community. No prior knowledge or experience is necessary.

Climate Rezilience: The Power of Corn

2019-05-29T00:00:00 - 2019-05-31T23:59:00

The New Mexico Tribal Resilience Action Network is hosting its second annual conference on climate change, Climate Rezilience: The Power of Corn on May 29-31. Join NMTRAN for an agenda packed with conversation and interactive activities, where we'll explore how we talk about climate change and how traditional knowledge, practices, and lifeways can build a more resilient future. The event will be hosting vendors, a poster session, and door prizes.

NM EPSCoR Impacts Series: Energize NM

Author
Brittney Van Der Werff

In the world of academia, the proof is in the publications, not the pudding – unless, of course, the publication is on pudding.

In the first year of New Mexico's last NSF EPSCoR project, the Energize New Mexico team produced 18 peer-reviewed publications. As time passed, these numbers predictably increased, with 27 in year three and 49 in year five. Now the grant is over, but papers are still being published. 

2019 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award

2019-05-24T08:00:00 - 2019-05-24T17:00:00

NM EPSCoR is seeking nominations for the NM EPSCoR Mentor Award which recognizes NM SMART Grid team members who demonstrate excellence in supporting students’ academic, research, and career endeavors, and in creating inclusive environments for all students. The deadline for undergraduate or graduate students to nominate their mentors is May 24, 2019.

Click here to nominate an excellent mentor!

DOE Announces Electricity Industry Technology and Practices Innovation Challenge

Author
Natalie Rogers

Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity (OE), Bruce J. Walker, announced the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) “Electricity Industry Technology and Practices Innovation Challenge.” This contest is designed to tap into American ingenuity for ideas on how to modify or replace existing processes and procedures, the use of technology, and traditional energy industry practices to improve grid operations, with the goal of making the nation’s Bulk Power System stronger and more resilient.

2019 NM Science Fiesta

2019-06-22T11:00:00 - 2019-06-27T17:00:00

The NM Science Fiesta is a week-long celebration of science for children and adults. Events invite you to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math and the vital roles they play in our everyday lives. NM Science Fiesta EXPO on June 22 is one of New Mexico’s biggest interactive science events, FREE to the public, open to adults, families, and children of all ages and interests. The EXPO inspires curiosity, creativity, and innovation with more than 70 interactive booths, mind-blowing demos, and performances! Meet scientists, engineers, artists, and other STEM professionals.

NM Research Spotlight Forum: Engineering Mechanics and Dynamics

2019-03-05T13:00:00 - 2019-03-05T17:30:00

Please join UNM, NM Tech, NMSU, and Sandia for the second edition of the Research Spotlight Forum, focused on the topic of Engineering Mechanics & Dynamics. Sandia Labs, the University of New Mexico, New Mexico Tech and New Mexico State University will present on their current work and collaboration interests in relation to this topic. They will also discuss hiring needs and opportunities.

NSF Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students

2019-05-01T17:00:00

Fostering the growth of a globally competitive and diverse research workforce and advancing the scientific and innovation skills of the Nation is a strategic objective of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Nation's global competitiveness depends critically on the readiness of the Nation's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce and NSF seeks to continue to invest in programs that directly advance this workforce.

DataONE Webinar Series: A story of data won, data lost and data re-found

2019-01-08T10:00:00 - 2019-01-08T11:00:00

A story of data won, data lost and data re-found: the realities of ecological data preservation

Successful maintenance and accessibility of ecological data enables comprehension of the nature and causes of ecosystem change and makes informed action possible. However, much valuable data are not in institutional hands, and there are many pitfalls of non-institutional ecological data conservation. Interruptions to custodianship, outdated media, lost knowledge and the continuous evolution of species names makes conservation of such data challenging.

NM EPSCoR Researchers Pen Open Letter to the Next Governor New Mexico

Author
Natalie Rogers

Four research scientists, all of whom have been part of New Mexico EPSCoR projects in the past, penned an open letter to the next governor of New Mexico. Laura Crossey, Dan Cadol, Sam Fernald, and Cliff Dahm wrote about the importance of higher education research for the NM Political Report. The letter was published before the 2018 Midterm Elections on November 2nd.

Team Member Form

NM EPSCoR SMART Grid Team Member Form

This form is intended to collect information about NM SMART Grid Center team members. The information will be used internally for project management purposes and aggregated for reporting to NSF. 

 

 


 

Another Successful NMAS Research Symposium in the Books!

Author
Natalie Rogers

Continuing a tradition of collaboration and research excellence, our 6th Annual Research Symposium was a success! Sponsored by the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS), NM EPSCoR, the American Chemical Society, UNM Center for Water and the Environment, and the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (NM AMP), the Symposium took place at the Sheraton Airport in Albuquerque on Saturday, October 28th. With over 110 attendees, 40 posters, and 25 presentations, the day was filled with networking and topics spanning several STEM fields.

Computer Science Education Week

2018-12-03T14:30:00 - 2018-12-08T14:30:00

Hour of Code™ events at Explora for children and adults: Join this fun introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and help you learn the basics!

Included with regular admission (range $4-8); Explora members, free. Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, 505-224-8300, www.explora.us

Offered, twice: Come to one or both!
Monday, December 3, 2:30-4:30pm,
Saturday, December 8, 1:30-2:30pm.

DataONE Webinar Series: Improving access to data

2018-11-13T10:00:00 - 2018-11-13T11:00:00

Improving access to data through a standardized language

Finding data can be hard and a common solution to this problem has been to create search portals. However, finding these search portals is often challenging. DataONE partially addresses this problem by providing a unified search portal over its member repositories' holdings (many with their own search portals). But it remains a problem to find DataONE's search portal in the first place.