800万美元的拨款提高了社区大学的研究能力, undergraduate-serving institutions, industry

Tuesday, May 14, 2024
A male and female student work together in front of a piece of scientific equipment

Undergraduate researchers test samples in the Additive Biomanufacturing Lab at Keene State College, a partner in the new NH-LIFT initiative. 威廉·罗贝尔/基恩州立学院摄.

New Hampshire will advance its leadership as an innovator in science and technology and increase its STEM workforce with investments across the state’s institutions of higher education, 由国家科学基金会资助. 800万美元的合作协议授予UNH, 这是全国仅有的三家之一, aims to increase research opportunities, mentoring, training, 以及新罕布什尔州社区学院之间的合作关系, 四年制大学和工业.

“UNH will collaborate across New Hampshire to create a more robust research infrastructure that allows all institutions in the state to more meaningfully participate in funded research projects, building New Hampshire’s STEM workforce and driving the state’s innovation economy.”

“With this support, UNH will collaborate across New Hampshire to create a more robust research infrastructure that allows all institutions in the state to more meaningfully participate in funded research projects, building New Hampshire’s STEM workforce and driving the state’s innovation economy,” said Marian McCord, senior vice provost for research, 经济参与和推广以及赠款的首席研究员.

The initiative, called New Hampshire Long-term Investment to Fuel Transformative research (NH-LIFT), will provide opportunities for students to pursue research experiences in areas that align with their interests; for academic and industry researchers to expand their research pursuits through external funding and accessible research infrastructure; and for the state to increase and retain a skilled workforce-ready population.

Among NH-LIFT’s initiatives are:

  • Developing a statewide network of research facilities to broaden access to advanced instrumentation and technical expertise.
  • Increasing student and early-career researcher success through cross-institution programming and partnerships that support research, mentoring, career development and retention.
  • Improving research support and service capacity at primarily undergraduate institutions and small businesses.

“新罕布什尔州的研究界推动着科学进步. It creates jobs, strengthens our local economy and addresses some of our nation’s most pressing challenges,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, chair of the U.S. 参议院小企业和创业委员会主席.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. “这个奖项是花岗岩州科学界的胜利. I look forward to following and celebrating its results while continuing to fight for investments, through the EPSCoR program, that benefit the state of New Hampshire.”

“The NH-LIFT project encapsulates New Hampshire’s innovative spirit by bringing together New Hampshire colleges and universities with our businesses to drive our economy forward,” said Sen. Maggie Hassan. “I worked across the aisle to help develop and pass into law the Chips and Science Act so that projects like this one would be possible, and I’m excited to see $8 million coming to our state to help strengthen cutting edge research and our STEM workforce.”

Partners in the four-year NH-LIFT initiative are the Community College System of New Hampshire; UNH and Dartmouth College, the state’s two research universities; and primarily undergraduate-serving institutions Antioch University New England, Colby-Sawyer College, Franklin Pierce University, Keene State College, New England College, Plymouth State University, 里维尔大学和圣安瑟姆学院.

通过在州内开展全方位的高等教育, NH-LIFT aims to expand opportunities to contribute to the state’s innovation-based economies to more students who are ethnically diverse, 第一代或来自低社会经济背景.

“To build sustainable research capacity, we are leveraging individual institutional strengths across the state and creating enduring networks,” said Melinda Treadwell, president of Keene State College. “At Keene State College, we look forward to building upon existing collaborative partnerships across the state to enhance opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in powerful research.”

NH-LIFT is supported by an award from the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement E-CORE program. UNH also secured and managed NSF EPSCoR’s last major investment in New Hampshire, the $20 million NH BioMade initiative该项目支持该州快速发展的生物材料产业.