The National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing around $30 million in institutions across several states to establish research centers in science and technology that will bolster efforts in semiconductors and biotechnology.
The soon-to-be-built NSF EPSCoR Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (NSF EPSCoR CREST Centers) will be located in Montana at Montana Technological University, Idaho at Boise State University, and Louisiana at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Specifically, the centers aim to “expand STEM knowledge, enhance research productivity and attract more students from those regions into STEM fields,” said NSF officials in a press release.
The Center for Energy Technologies in Montana will focus on energy systems and develop tools to convert biomass into biochar and renewable energy.
Boise State University’s Center for Advancing Workforce Experience through Semiconductors, Outreach, and Mentoring Excellence will “transform education at the university by integrating semiconductor science into classroom experiences.”
The center in Boise aims to “revolutionize and drastically lower the energy cost of AI through research, establish Boise State’s national research competitiveness as a leader in semiconductor research and education, and improve the opportunity and educational experiences of students going into semiconductor industries,” said university officials.
Featuring mentorship and workforce development, the center will create and implement modern computing courses to create accessible on-ramps and educational opportunities to grow the semiconductor workforce.
Growing that workforce has been a bipartisan priority in order to shift reliance from China for semiconductors – which are necessary for advanced technologies such as AI – and has been funded through programs such as the CHIPS and Science Act.
Meanwhile, LSU’s Health Sciences Centers in New Orleans will host the Center for Adaptive Nanometer Development to combine research and workforce development to help grow critical technologies in molecular design, energy transduction, and motor proteins. LSU’s center in Shreveport will focus on how cells regulate metabolism through post-transcriptional processes to pave “the way for biotechnological innovations and translational applications.”
“These new centers are an important way to enhance research capabilities, strengthen STEM capacity and ensure research opportunities are made available at institutions across the nation,” said James L. Moore III, assistant director for NSF STEM Education, in a statement.