Transcript Texas THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering. “The.

Texas
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
is the only federal agency whose mission includes support
for all fields of fundamental science and engineering.
“The large universities of the United States…are
becoming critical assets to the country. They have
become the wellspring of multidisciplinary research and
innovation as some of the large corporate labs have
begun to be shrunk back.”
BY THE NUMBERS
TEXAS IN FY 2012
$261 Million: NSF funds awarded
8th: National ranking in NSF funds
83: NSF-funded institutions
1,180: NSF grants awarded
10: NSF research centers/facilities
−Molecular Imprints Inc. CEO Dr. Mark Melliar-Smith
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN TEXAS
NSF-supported researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, have developed a novel
technique to study the resistance of ovarian cancer cells to multiple drug therapies. The new
technique, called scanning electrochemical microscopy, allows researchers to trap ovarian
cancer cells in order to detect and selectively block their ability to reject anticancer drugs.
A research team at the University of Houston has developed mathematical tools to study the
interaction of arterial walls and pulsating blood flow within the human heart. The group ‘s NSFfunded work also has helped to produce improved stents for opening narrowed arteries and
better stent-grafts that are more compatible with the human body.
An NSF-funded scientist at Baylor College of Medicine is examining how plants internally
transport nutrients and toxic metals. An improved understanding of how plants nourish
themselves may contribute to enhanced crop productivity, nutritional quality, and stress
tolerance, and could lead to novel strategies for environmental cleanup.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN TEXAS INNOVATION
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
were awarded more than 140 patents from 2006 to
2010, helping Austin to earn a ranking of second
in the nation in patents issued per capita.1
In 2010, faculty at Baylor College of Medicine had
more than 500 active license agreements and
reported over 1,800 invention disclosures. More
than 200 diagnostic, clinical, and research
products currently on the market are based on
Baylor technologies.2
With about $88 million in total research
expenditures in FY 2009, Texas Tech University
has been identified as an emerging research
university by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, and is on the verge of gaining
“Tier One National Research University” status.3
1
The University of Texas at Austin: An Investment That Pays Off for
Texas (2010).
2 Technology Transfer Quick Facts at Baylor College of Medicine (2010).
3 Texas Tech University Tier One FAQ (2010).
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org
Texas
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
45,000 graduate students through
research fellowships.
Texas received $49 million in NSF
educational and human resource
funding in FY 2012.
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN TEXAS
As part of the NSF-sponsored Hunting for Worm Viruses project, minority students from the
greater Austin metro area collaborate with University of Texas at Austin undergraduates and
faculty to attempt to isolate viruses from tiny round worms called nematodes. The project will
lead to a better understanding of virus-host interactions and help students develop an interest in
science.
Texas A&M University at Kingsville's NSF Center for Research on Environmental Sustainability
of Semi-Arid Coastal Areas has developed an educational outreach exhibit for the Corpus
Christi Museum of Science and History. The exhibit, Real-Time Air Quality Information
Dissemination Project, helps elementary and middle school students learn about air pollution
and ozone levels.
Under the guidance of an NSF-funded faculty member at Texas A&M University, U.S. students
work together with an international team of researchers to design, build, and test new devices to
prevent earthquake damage to buildings and other structures.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
“Advanced research at the university has created many opportunities for patents, licensing, corporate start-ups,
and spin-off companies in Texas. Perhaps our biggest contribution is educating the young people who will soon
become leaders in the sciences, the professions, the humanities, and the arts.”
−University of Texas at Austin President William Powers, Jr.
“In spite of economic challenges, our research expenditures and enrollment are at record levels. Our research
reaches around the world to solve some of the most pressing problems of our time.”
−Texas Tech University President Dr. Guy Bailey
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org