The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) recently received a competitive 3-year, $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of their Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program to strengthen the University’s role in research, innovation, and workforce development. This is the second largest award from NSF in UTPB’s history. For this collaborative proposal, UTPB partnered with four additional institutions, University of West Florida, Frostberg State University, Northern Virgina Community College, and University of Wisconsin Parkside, with each institution in the cohort receiving their own $400,000 grant from NSF. The theme of the collaborative proposal is Advancing Regional Innovation through Sustainable Engagement, or ARISE for short.
The NSF EPIIC program is designed to help smaller research universities like UTPB expand their role as key contributors to regional economic growth. By leveraging partnerships and collaborations with industry and community partners in key technology areas like advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, . UTPB will use the grant to increase the overall capacity of the University to engage in activities that have the ability to generate more impact within the regional innovation ecosystem.
Dr. Raj Dakshinamurthy, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs served as a Co-Principal Investigator for the grant. He believes this grant advances UTPB’s mission of strengthening its role in the community.
“This exciting initiative reflects the university’s commitment to innovation, applied research, and meaningful collaboration with industry and community partners across the Permian Basin,” Dr. Dakshinamurthy said. “UTPB extends special recognition to Dr. Brian Shedd for his dedication and efforts in spearheading this effort and advancing UTPB’s strategic vision for applied research and its regional impact.”
With this funding, UTPB plans to establish new partnerships across industry, academia, and government fields, while providing faculty and staff with workshops and incentives to encourage collaborative research. The University expects the grant to demonstrate UTPB’s capabilities to potential partners and expand opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to participate in meaningful projects that directly impact the community.
The proposed outcomes from the grant include the development of a collaborative, university-wide partnership program to help effectively communicate UTPB’s capabilities and interests to potential external partners, as well as increasing institutional capability to support faculty and staff in their collaborative research and partnering activities. These activities are focused into parallel tracks for internal engagement and professional development and external communication and partnership expansion. Potential partners under this program include external organizations from industry, academic, and governmental sources with a focus on collaborative research with R1/R2 institutions, governmental labs, and industry
This initiative will help prepare the next generation of innovators and researchers while positioning UTPB as a leader in advancing technology and economic development in West Texas.
The project will run until September 2028 and is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Brian Shedd, Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, along with Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Dakshinamurthy, and Dr. Seyed R. Ghiaasiaan, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Those interested in collaborating with the University on the initiative can find more information at utpb.edu/arise.
