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Strategic Research Areas: Institutional Research Strengths

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The mission of the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is to advance university success in research, scholarship, and creative activity through exemplary service to the faculty, staff, and student corps. The following research areas are institutional strengths and lie at the intersection of having a critical mass of active inter-disciplinary researchers at NMSU, being a national priority or challenge, and aligning with the goals of NMSU LEADS 2025.

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1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Strengths and interests at NMSU include: AI, bioinformatics, data mining, knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning and deep learning, sensing and sensor development, signal processing, and applications of AI in agriculture, cybersecurity, and finance.

This area aligns with:

Department of Defense, Digital Modernization Strategy [DOD1] and Modernization Priorities [DOD2]
Department of Energy, Office of Science, Initiatives of Special Priority [DOE1]
National Science Board, Vision 2030 [NSB]
National Science Foundation's 10 Big Ideas: Harnessing the Data Revolution [NSF1]
National Science and Technology Council, National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan [NSTC]

2. Biomedical Science

Strengths and interests at NMSU include: bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, cancer research, cell signaling and regulation, community health, drug discovery, imaging technology, molecular biology, reproduction, and vector biology.

This area aligns with:

Department of Agriculture, Interagency Programs [USDA1], [USDA2]

National Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review, Regular Standing Study Sections and Continuing SEPs [NIH1-NIH16]

National Science Foundation's 10 Big Ideas: Harnessing the Data Revolution, Understanding the Rules of Life and Growing Convergence Research, Understanding the Rules of Life, [NSF1, NSF2, NSF5]

NMSU LEADS2025, Global Challenges, Biomedical Research, Objective 2.3 [LEADS1]

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3. Energy, Environment, and Water

Strengths and interests at NMSU include: (Energy) photovoltaics, smart grids; (Environment) environmental microbiology, policy, wastewater treatment; (Water) conservation, desalination, management, efficient water use in food processing and oil and gas production, i.e. produced water.

This area aligns with:

Department of Agriculture, Challenge Areas: Water [USDA]
Department of Energy, Office of Science, Initiatives of Special Priority [DOE2]
National Academy of Engineering, Grand Challenges for Engineering: Make Solar Energy Economical [NAE1], Manage the Nitrogen Cycle [NAE2], and Provide Access to Clean Water [NAE3]
NMSU LEADS2025, Global Challenges: Energy, Water and Natural Resources [LEADS1]
USAID, Grand Challenge for Development: Powering Agriculture [USAID1] and Water and Energy for Food [USAID2]

4. Food Production, Safety, Science, and Security

Strengths and interests at NMSU include: agriculture and food production in arid lands, food safety, food science and technology, food security including supply chain and logistics, food sustainability including bioprocessing and microbiology.

This area aligns with:

Department of Agriculture, Challenge Areas: Food Safety and Food Security [USDA]
National Academy of Engineering, Grand Challenges for Engineering: Manage the Nitrogen Cycle [NAE2] and Provide Access to Clean Water [NAE3]
National Science Foundation10 Big Ideas: Understanding the Rules of Life [NSF2]
NMSU LEADS2025, Global Challenges: Food and Agriculture [LEADS1]
USAID, Grand Challenge for Development: Powering Agriculture [USAID1] and Securing Water for Food [USAID3]
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5. Transforming STEM Education

Strengths and interests at NMSU include: career pathways, K-12 family engagementcurriculum, extra-curricular, professional/teacher development, teaching diverse populations, and pedagogy.

Activity

In Progress: STEM ED Center

This area aligns with:

National Academy of Engineering, Grand Challenges for Engineering: Advance Personalized Learning [NAE4]
National Science Foundation10 Big Ideas: Enhancing Science and Engineering Education through Diversity [NSF3]
NMSU LEADS2025 Objective 3.3: Improve PK-20 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education [LEADS2]

References

[DOD1] Department of Defense, "Digital Modernization Strategy," https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jul/12/2002156622/-1/-1/1/DOD-DIGITAL-MODERNIZATION-STRATEGY-2019.PDF

[DOD2] Department of Defense, "Modernization Priorities," https://www.cto.mil/modernization-priorities/

[DOE1] Department of Energy, Office of Science, "Initiatives of Special Priority: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning,” https://www.energy.gov/science/initiatives/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning

[DOE2] Department of Energy, Office of Science, "Initiatives of Special Priority: Advanced and Sustainable Energy,” https://www.energy.gov/science/initiatives/advanced-and-sustainable-energy

[LEADS1] New Mexico State University, "LEADS 2025: Global Challenges” https://www-1888.nmsu.edu/LEADS/

[LEADS2] New Mexico State University, "LEADS2025 Objective 3.3: Improve PK-20 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education," https://www-1888.nmsu.edu/LEADS/goal3.html

[LEADS3] New Mexico State University, "LEADS 2025: Objective 2.2: Intentionally grow humanities, social sciences and creative arts to achieve comprehensive excellence in research and creative activity," https://www-1888.nmsu.edu/LEADS/goal2.html

[NAE1] The National Academy of Engineering, "Grand Challenges for Engineering: Make Solar Energy Economical,” http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/challenges/solar.aspx

[NAE2] The National Academy of Engineering, "Grand Challenges for Engineering: Manage the Nitrogen Cycle,” http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/9132.aspx

[NAE3] The National Academy of Engineering, "Grand Challenges for Engineering: Provide Access to Clean Water,” http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/challenges/water.aspx

[NAE4] The National Academy of Engineering, "Advance Personalized Learning,” http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/challenges/learning.aspx

[NSB] National Science Board, "Vision 2030," https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2020/nsb202015.pdf

[NSF1] National Science Foundation, "NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Harnessing the Data Revolution,"https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/harnessing.jsp

[NSF2] National Science Foundation, "NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Understanding the Rules of Life," https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/life.jsp

[NSF3] National Science Foundation, "NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Enhancing Science and Engineering Education through Diversity," https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/includes.jsp

[NSF5] National Science Foundation, "NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Growing Convergence Research", https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/convergent.jsp

[NSTC] National Science and Technology Council, "National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan," https://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/National-AI-RD-Strategy-2019.pdf

[USAID1] USAID, "Grand Challenge for Development: Powering Agriculture," https://poweringag.org

[USAID2] USAID, Grand Challenge for Development: Water and Energy for Food," https://we4f.org

[USAID3] USAID, "Grand Challenge for Development: Securing Water for Food," https://securingwaterforfood.org

[USDA1] Department of Agriculture, "Dual Purpose with Dual Benefit: Research in Biomedicine and Agriculture," https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/afri-interagency-programs#DPDB

[USDA2] Department of Agriculture, "Big Data, Informatics, and Smart Communities," https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/afri-interagency-programs#BigData

[USDA3] Department of Agriculture, "Challenge Areas: Food Safety, Food Security, and Water," https://nifa.usda.gov/challenge-areas