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RCW, Thank You, and Closing Reflection(with assistance of ChatGPT)
By Dr. Luis Cifuentes, Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Economic DevelopmentSo much has changed since the first Research and Creativity Digest article in July 2019—the post-COVID new normal, our Carnegie R1 designation, a renewed embrace of the arts and humanities, and the rapid rise of AI, to name a few. I would be remiss if I did not begin by thanking you—sincerely and wholeheartedly—for being part of a remarkable seven-year journey. New Mexico State University is not the same university it was when I stepped into the role of vice president for research on July 1, 2018. Through every challenge and triumph, your energy, your commitment, and your passion never wavered. Together, we advanced LEADS 2025 and fulfilled our R1 aspirations. The accomplishments are too many to name here. But at the heart of it all is one enduring truth: the Office of Research, Creativity, and Economic Development has always existed to serve you—our research and creativity community. We moved forward as a team. And if we continue in that spirit, answering President Ferme’s call to work collaboratively, there is no telling how far you will go. One of the most joyful expressions of that spirit is Research and Creativity Week. This year, more than 3,000 presenters, musicians, lecturers, artists, and attendees came together in a celebration of scholarship and expression. About 70 percent represented the arts and humanities—a powerful reminder of their central role in our enterprise. I am especially grateful to everyone who helped shape the event into something that now feels like tradition. My heartfelt thanks to our sponsors: the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, Art Museum, Black Programs, Doña Ana Community College, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, Graduate School, Instructional Media Services, NMSU Global, Library, New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, Office of the Provost, Research, Creativity, and Economic Development, the Southwest Outreach Academic Research Evaluation & Policy Center, Water Resources Research Institute, Drs. Ammu R. Devasthali and Ramakrishna Devasthali, NMSU Foundation, and Streamlyne. Special thanks to our hosts: the Department of Art, Department of English, and Department of Music. And a warm thank you to Megan Apodaca, Paul Baugh, Fred Bugbee, David Chavez, Ethan Grant, Anna Harmon, Aubrey Iglesias, Dominic Marquez, Tracey Miller-Tomlinson, Marko Mohlenhoff, Devin Perez, Cecil Rose, Qwincee Saliu, Stephanie Schumacher, Diana Sandoval, Marshall Taylor, Ruth Torres Castillo, Courtney Uldrich, Megan Wilson, and the University Research Council. You made this possible. Research and Creativity Week is a mirror of our enterprise—condensing in just a few days the ambition, intellect, artistry, and heart that define us. Its six-year journey has followed NMSU’s own: marked by ups and downs, quiet acts of heroism, and a deep belief in what we can accomplish together. As I close this chapter, I leave you with this: Cultivate. Communicate. Cherish. Celebrate. NMSU’s research and creativity enterprise is not just what we do. It is who we are—and the best part of who we are still becoming. |
Dr. Luis Cifuentes, NMSU
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News from Research Administration: The Everchanging Federal Grant Landscape
By Ms. Alisha Giron, Associate Vice President for ResearchIt is May and most federal sponsors have yet to formalize funding agency changes with clarity or certainty. We are all continuously plagued with confusion and apprehension. And innuendo from various external sources doesn’t help any of us. NMSU Research Administration continues to monitor multiple outlets and professional networks and most importantly, we continue to follow the guidance directly received from sponsors as it relates to specific grants and contracts. To deal with rapid changes that affect awards, we are following a case-by-case approach dependent on the sponsor’s program/grants office. Outside of universal federal laws, there are no requirements that apply to all externally funded awards; there is no blanket approach to any of this at this time. Additionally, regarding capped indirect cost rates, depending on legal temporary restraining orders/injunctions and whether or not New Mexico is a named plaintiff in lawsuits, we are required to isolate each situation and potential ramifications. Reminders:
We have received approximately 20 grant terminations mostly from the US Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation. VPR Cifuentes and I continue to keep NMSU leadership (and others) apprised of pauses/stop-work orders and terminations. Further, we both serve on President Ferme’s Federal and State Government Initiatives Task Force and related subcommittees. The subject of grant/contract pauses and terminations is deeply impactful for some. I personally recognize the potential effect to livelihoods, promotion and tenure efforts, student programs, the university’s research posture, and the like. I encourage everyone to be mindful of the human aspect; we cannot simply treat any of this as transactional when the implications are far-reaching. During this unprecedented time, I want to also thank the incredible women and men in NMSU Research Administration, especially those that are grants/contracts professionals. Managing terminations is difficult enough already and then having to work very quickly on notifications, subaward amendments, and other contractual documentation is compounded when there is no relief in sight. Thank you all for continuing to extend top-tier service even when faced with crisis. |
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Spotlight on Industry Partnerships: Diversifying Research Funding and Expanding Student Opportunities
By Dr. Tanner Schaub, Assistant Vice President for ResearchThe Infrastructure and Partnerships unit within the Office of Research is working to expand NMSU’s network of industry collaborations to diversify our research funding portfolio and deliver high-impact outcomes that align with workforce, economic, and societal needs. Recent activity includes a growing conversation with Keysight Technologies, exploring opportunities in chip-level, network, and full-stack AI workload testing. This collaboration is a workforce and business development opportunity pursued with the College of Engineering Office of Research and ADR Jay Misra. We are also exploring partnership opportunities with Fujitsu Limited around next-generation computing hardware deployment and applications (thank you, NMSU Affiliate Scholar Henry Newman, for bringing this opportunity forward), and with Cellarcus Biosciences on the potential development of a single-cell analysis and cytometry core facility at NMSU. We thank Prof. Jessica Houston for her leadership in advancing this conversation, which could position NMSU at the forefront of high-resolution cellular analytics. This work builds on a growing track record of industrial engagement, including NMSU’s multi-year collaboration with Plug Power. This week, after extensive coordination (thank you, Prof. Olga Lavorva, Dr. Patricia Sullivan, among others), NMSU took delivery of a large-scale hydrogen hydrolyzer donated by Plug Power. A small ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the unit's arrival, which will support research in hydrogen energy systems, distributed power generation in remote areas, water treatment, and grid engineering. Mr. Tim Cortes, Plug Power’s CTO and proud NMSU alum, joined us on campus as part of the College of Engineering’s Electric Utility Management Program meeting, May 1–2 (see photo). Now more than ever, faculty are encouraged to work with the research office to explore how industry partnerships can enhance their programs. These collaborations deliver real-world impact, train students in emerging technologies, and demonstrate how university research continues to drive America’s economic and technological leadership. |
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Recognizing Recipients of Large Awards (Feb-April 2025)By Dr. Allison Layfield, Senior Proposal Specialist, RAS |
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Congratulations to Dr. Erik Yukl, professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, who received a grant from the National Institutes of Health for the project, “Structure, Function, and Mechanism of Zinc ABC Transporters in Bacteria.” Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a significant and growing concern for human health that requires the development of more effective antibiotics. In order to survive in the human body, the bacteria that cause disease have to acquire essential metals such as zinc from a human host, and they often acquire these metals through transporter proteins. This project aims to provide information about the structure, function and mechanisms of bacterial zinc transporters that will enable the development of new therapies against antibiotic resistance. Questions can be directed to Dr. Erik Yukl, etyukl@nmsu.edu
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Congratulations to the 2025 Arts & Humanities Seed Grantees
By Dr. Allison Layfield, Senior Proposal Development Specialist, RASCongratulations this year's Arts & Humanities Seed Grant awardees! Since 2021, the Office of Research, Creativity and Economic Development has administered the Arts & Humanities seed grant program, open to faculty members from any department working in creative and humanistic research. In January 2025, a panel of administrators, alongside faculty in the arts and humanities and RCED selected the following NMSU faculty for this year's seed grant awards: Spencer Herrera, Department of Languages and Linguistics Dylan McCarthy Blackston, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program Laura Hooton, Department of History Justine Wells, Department of English |
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Cowboys for Cancer Research Proposals due May 15
By Dr. Jessica Houston, Professor, Chemical EngineeringCowboys for Cancer Research (C4CR) is currently inviting applications from NMSU investigators for pilot-project cancer research support. C4CR (https://c4cr.com/) is a Las Cruces based nonprofit, making contributions to cancer research in the state of New Mexico for over 40 years. The C4CR Endowed Fund at New Mexico State University supports all domains of cancer research including basic, preclinical, clinical, population-based and translational. Support also includes funding for the acquisition of equipment/instruments that support collaborative cancer research. One of the key advantages of the C4CR program is its emphasis on locally impactful cancer research. This program provides NMSU investigators with support to develop innovative ideas that span all domains of cancer science. Additionally, it encourages researchers to engage with interdisciplinary and/or community partners, fostering meaningful connections within both NMSU and our region. Applications from all disciplines are invited to apply. Applications may also include requests for equipment or instrumentation for collaborative multi-investigator use. Examples of previously supported cancer research projects include discovery of cancer biomarkers and molecular targets, novel drugs, new technologies for detection, cancer epidemiology and prevention, cancer health disparities, understanding barriers to cancer screening and cancer care, and exploration of cancer behavioral sciences and comparative effectiveness. Submissions are due May 15, 2025 @ 5:00 pm. The application should be a single PDF file labeled using last name-C4CR-FY2025. Access the full call for proposals and application template: https://flowcytometry.nmsu.edu/houston-team/index.html |
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Questions and comments regarding NMSU’s Research Digest should be directed to Dr. Allison Layfield at layfield@nmsu.edu, (575) 646-3110. |
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Ribbon cutting on the Plug Power Hydrolyzer
