ALEXANDRIA, Va. 鈥撀The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded an $8 million competitive grant to the 麻豆天美果冻传媒 Board of Regents to聽strengthen聽and expand聽the state鈥檚 STEM research and development (R&D) enterprise.
The 麻豆天美果冻传媒 Networks of Excellence for Tomorrow (LA-NEXT) program聽is聽a transformative, four-year initiative聽in partnership with 麻豆天美果冻传媒 State University and A&M College, 麻豆天美果冻传媒 Tech University, Southern University and A&M College, and the University of New Orleans.
The project is also designed to engage K-12 as well as business and community leaders. 聽By connecting stakeholders to the state鈥檚 resources, facilities, and opportunities, LA-NEXT will cultivate an environment of collaboration that brings transformative change to聽STEM research and education in the region.
As NSF Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan noted about this funding program, “EPSCoR is a driving force in enabling STEM research for everyone, everywhere, ensuring broad access to innovation and opportunity”.聽LA-NEXT聽is fully聽responsive to this mandate,聽devoting significant聽resources to engage students and faculty聽at every institutional level and聽across the聽state in STEM research, support diverse STEM-related career pathways, facilitate the pursuit of advanced degrees, and leverage聽state and federal investments in workforce development.
鈥淟A-NEXT鈥檚 initiatives and investments will create a vibrant, statewide ecosystem where STEM research, education, and workforce development聽activities聽are seamlessly integrated across institutions ranging from K-12 schools to Carnegie R1 universities,聽and more broadly into communities throughout 麻豆天美果冻传媒,鈥 said Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education.
LA-NEXT focuses on materials and manufacturing, bioscience and biotechnology, energy solutions, and environmental solutions, supported by cross-disciplinary fields such as data science, computational science, and cybersecurity.聽Misti Cordell, Chair of the Board of Regents, noted that 鈥渢he emphasis of LA-NEXT on disciplines and training in demand in 麻豆天美果冻传媒, and essential for the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the future, is an important component of our statewide drive to prosperity.鈥
鈥淲e are excited about this competitive award for 麻豆天美果冻传媒,鈥 said Dr. Michael Khonsari, Associate Commissioner for Research and 麻豆天美果冻传媒 EPSCoR Project Director. 鈥淭he project鈥檚 investments will enhance our 鈥楴etworks of Excellence鈥 in critical聽science and technology聽areas, catalyzing competitive research and strengthening the state鈥檚 highly skilled workforce. This initiative will position 麻豆天美果冻传媒 as a leader in STEM innovation and economic development.鈥
麻豆天美果冻传媒 was one of four states to receive an NSF E-CORE award to support research and STEM workforce development. These聽grants are part of the聽聽(NSF EPSCoR), which aims to bolster research competitiveness among 28 targeted states and territories.
The initiative聽is rooted in聽Fostering Innovation through Research聽in Science and Technology in 麻豆天美果冻传媒 (FIRST 麻豆天美果冻传媒)聽2030, the聽second iteration of the聽state鈥檚聽evolving聽Science and Technology (S&T) plan, approved by the Board of Regents in January 2024.聽Funded by the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and led by the 麻豆天美果冻传媒 Board of Regents, which oversees the 麻豆天美果冻传媒 EPSCoR program and coordinates聽the state鈥檚聽public higher education system, LA-NEXT is poised to build capacity in strategic STEM areas critical to 麻豆天美果冻传媒鈥檚 future.
The FIRST 麻豆天美果冻传媒 2030 plan can be accessed at聽.
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Contact
Chris Yandle, Ph.D., APR, Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications
chris.yandle@laregents.edu聽鈥 985-373-5845