Transcript Slide 1
Puerto Rico THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering. “Puerto Rico has a tremendous value proposition. We have an amazing, highly educated workforce and great universities doing important research.” BY THE NUMBERS PUERTO RICO IN FY 2011 $14.6 Million: NSF funds awarded 11: NSF-funded institutions 41: NSF grants awarded 1: NSF research centers/facilities −Iván Lugo, Executive Director Industry University Research Consortium EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN PUERTO RICO Two NSF-funded research projects at the University of Puerto Rico are producing discoveries important for the incorporation of diamond materials into electrical components and electronic devices. In one project, scientists developed a new and economical method for producing microcrystalline diamond films. The inclusion of diamond into high-powered, high-temperature electronic devices improves their performance by extending their working lifetimes. In a related project, researchers made a scientific and technological breakthrough enabling the direct integration of diamond nanoparticles into electronic components with widespread applications for medical implants, environmental sensors, optical components, and electrodes. Researchers at the University of Puerto Rico have identified two key genes of the cassava plant, an important tropical root crop and basic staple food for millions of people worldwide. Isolation of these genes may help researchers develop more nutritious, less toxic varieties of this critical food source. Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN PUERTO RICO INNOVATION In 2006, the bio-sciences sector of Puerto Rico represented about 28.6 percent of GDP and close to 72 percent of all exports. The computing and telecommunications sector generated around 12,000 direct jobs.1 In 2010, NSF awarded the University of Puerto Rico $20 million for five years to bolster academic research and education in nanoscience and technology.2 With more than 2,000 acres, the Knowledge Corridor of San Juan seeks to create a “Science City” completely dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and innovation. The Knowledge Corridor is the backbone of an ambitious strategy for economic development based on the science, information, and high-tech economies.3 1 Economic Development and Government Transformation Plan for Puerto Rico (2006). 2 NSF Press Release: NSF Research Dollars Boost Science and Engineering Infrastructure in Regions in Need of Support (2010). 3 Puerto Rico Science, Technology, & Research Trust Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) 1527 Eighteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 www.cnsfweb.org Puerto Rico THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) not only funds cutting-edge research at institutions across the country; NSF’s education initiatives ensure the U.S. will remain a global leader in innovation for generations to come. Since 1952, NSF has supported 42,000 graduate students through research fellowships. Puerto Rico received $6.3 million in NSF educational and human resource funding in FY 2011. EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN PUERTO RICO An “NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)” project at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez brings science to thousands of K-12 students through the “Science On Wheels” program. Graduate research fellows travel to schools and field sites to work with teachers to bring hands-on science experiences to students. The University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez has started a three-year program offering Research Experience for Undergraduates and Teachers. The program engages 12 undergraduates from universities across the U.S. and two teachers from underserved regions of Puerto Rico. By engaging undergraduates and K-12 teachers in frontier research, this program helps build a broadly inclusive science engineering workforce. The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields increased to 39 alliances across America in 2008, producing 25,000 graduates, mostly from populations underrepresented in those fields. More than 500 U.S. institutions participate in the program, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Native American Institutions and community colleges. Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation “Universities are engines of economic development, and many are unaware that local scientists bring millions of dollars in direct federal funds to the island and create thousands of jobs.” −Thomas Forest Farb, Executive Director The Puerto Rico Science, Technology , & Research Trust “Our long-term goal is to keep expanding our Postdoctoral Research Fellows program to provide opportunities right here in Puerto Rico so scientists and researchers don’t have to leave the island…There are a lot of highly talented people here who need…support so that Puerto Rico can continue developing local research groups, commercialize their efforts to create innovative products, and generate more jobs.” −Universidad Central del Caribe President José Ginel Rodríguez, MD Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) 1527 Eighteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 www.cnsfweb.org