Sponsored Programs Reports

Board of Regents Report, WRED Committee, September 6, 2012

Industry Sector Mapping 

Mapping Currently Funded Research Projects at UNR, UNLV and DRI to Targeted Industry Sectors under Nevada’s 2012-14 Plan for Economic Development

Executive Summary

In February 2012, the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development released “Moving Nevada Forward: A Plan for Excellence in Economic Development 2012-2014” (State Plan). This dynamic new plan outlines goals and objectives with the stated vision of “A vibrant, innovative, and sustainable economy” and mission of “high-quality jobs for Nevadans.” The State Plan further identifies targeted sectors and specific opportunities and provides the strategies and initiatives that are best expected to capitalize on the State’s existing assets and improve in other areas that require progress. As a key partner in education and a stakeholder in Nevada’s future, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is committed to contributing to the achievement of the goals and objectives contained in the State Plan.

To give the Board of Regents and the Governor’s Office an idea of the substantial contributions NSHE institutions are already making to economic development efforts through their research projects, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); University of Nevada, Reno (UNR); and Desert Research Institute (DRI) identified research areas that are aligned with the eight industry sectors targeted under the State Plan:

1. Tourism, Gaming, and Entertainment;

2. Clean Energy;

3. Health and Medical Services;

4. Aerospace and Defense;

5. Mining, Materials, and Manufacturing;

6. Business IT Ecosystems;

7. Logistics and Operations; and

8. Additional promising possibilities including agriculture, intangibles and financial enterprises, and water technology.

Throughout this process of “mapping” existing research projects to the industry sectors, the institutions took a somewhat conservative approach in line with the objective of effectively illustrating the many existing efforts in the various fields of research that tie into Nevada’s economic development plans. Because the focus of this report is the research that aligns with the identified industry sectors, it is important to keep in mind that numerous important fields of research are underway that are not specific to the industry sectors targeted under the State Plan, and thus are not included in the list of research projects in this report. Over $120 million in funding from sponsored programs in other fields of research is not reflected in this report, including approximately $49 million for UNLV, $42 million for UNR, and $30 million for DRI.

In addition, some of the research efforts identified by the universities and DRI were clearly related to the economic development plans and goals, but did not fit neatly into one of the identified sectors. To ensure these relevant research efforts were reflected, some of the sectors were modestly adjusted or expanded for purposes of the “mapping” process: (1) the Clean Energy sector also includes research more broadly relating to the environment, water and “green” energy; and (2) the Logistics and Operations sector includes transportation-related research. Based upon the description of these sectors under the State Plan, these adjustments seemed reasonable.

Overview of the Report

This report consists of the “maps” developed by UNR, UNLV and DRI showing the currently funded research projects that relate to an industry sector. Over 860 research projects have direct links to single or multiple industry sectors. These projects amount to over $350 million dollars in funding from sponsored programs across the NSHE, including approximately $106 million at UNLV, $218 million at UNR, and $26 million at DRI. The table below summarizes the number of research projects included in the report for each institution.

In the report, the main industry sector the sponsored project supports is listed, and in appropriate cases, a secondary industry sector may be noted when cross-over into other identified areas exists. The column headers in the report define the institution leading the research project and if applicable, the institution that awarded the institution a subgrant. If a subgrant is not listed, then the institution is the prime awardee, meaning it received the sponsored award directly. The report also includes the funding agency and the lead principal investigator with a brief project description.

Downloads

• RAC Mapping Report (full pdf document)
• A searchable spreadsheet containing the mapping sectors by  NSHE Research Institutions (.xlsx)
• Click on the icon below for downloads of specific mapping sectors by industry (pdf)

The Role of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

In mapping NSHE sponsored projects to the identified industry sectors, the role of EPSCoR in Nevada cannot be overlooked. The on-going commitment and contribution of NSHE institutions to important fields of research, including those relating to economic development, is strongly demonstrated by Nevada’s participation in the national Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. Administered in Nevada through the NSHE Sponsored Programs Office, EPSCoR was first created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund national areas that have historically received less financial support through research and development (R&D) funding. The goal of EPSCoR is to create strategic partnerships between federal and state agencies, higher education institutions, and private industries to create long-term improvements in scientific research, infrastructures, R&D capacity and national competitiveness. Today, six other federal agencies also conduct EPSCoR programs, including NASA and the Department of Defense, and many of these programs in Nevada support the industry sectors identified in the State Plan.

Nevada is one of 27 states, in addition to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, participating in the NSF EPSCoR project, which begin its fifth and final year this September. Awarded $15 million, this program links to clean energy industry sector, as expanded for the purposes of the mapping, with a focus on Nevada infrastructure, climate change science, education and outreach. NSF EPSCoR is creating a statewide interdisciplinary program that stimulates transformative research, education, and outreach on the effects of regional climate change on ecosystem services (especially water resources) and supports use of this knowledge by policy makers and stakeholders. With its scarcity of water resources, Nevada is uniquely situated to participate in research exploring water resource issues and technologies.

More recently, the NSF’s EPSCoR awarded $6 million to the tri-state consortium of Nevada, New Mexico, and Idaho to advance computing capabilities and enhance cyber interconnection at their higher education institutions with a goal to transform climate change research. Nevada also began working with a NASA EPSCoR planning grant in 1999, through which Nevada has had the opportunity to establish research and development competitiveness and strengthen its economy through the expansion of aerospace technology, which directly relates to one of the seven industry sectors.

Conclusion

With over $350 million in funding from sponsored projects linked to the industry sectors from the State’s economic development plan, the contributions of UNLV, UNR and DRI to the State in the field of research are clearly demonstrated. With the State Plan as a roadmap, these on-going efforts, along with the other important fields of research in which the institutions are engaged, will help promote Nevada’s economic diversity both now and in the future.