Research Infrastructure for Nevada's Growth - Targeting Research with Uniqueness and Excellence

提案：EPS-0447416提案标题：内华达州增长研究基础设施-目标确定 研究与Universides和大学机构：内华达大学和社区学院系统的内华达州EPSCoR研究基础设施改善奖将建立能力和能力的国家竞争力在三个重点领域，这是非常相关的国家脆弱的沙漠环境和人口迅速增长所带来的挑战是这个日益干旱的景观。干旱土壤环境过程的重点将开发两个独特的实验系统设施（室外称重蒸渗仪和室内二维细胞），以探索这样的问题：（1）沙漠土壤微生物种群对含水量变化的反应是什么？土壤异质性如何影响荒漠生态系统的水分利用和碳吸收？传感器技术的第二个重点将强调设计方法来合成用于生物传感器的化学和基因工程生物材料，并开发电化学，荧光和光纤传感器。第三个重点是认知信息处理将使智能计算机系统背后的科学进步，学习，模仿人类思维，并与环境交互;潜在的应用包括人的识别，物体识别和跟踪，机械系统的控制和生物信息学。 这第三个重点领域不仅与内华达州的需求和增强的研究竞争力有关，而且与国土安全的国家问题有关。 该项目建立的通用、共享设备和设施将促进三个重点领域内部和之间以及参与机构特拉基梅多斯社区学院、内华达州里诺大学、内华达大学的教师之间的协作研究工作。内华达州拉斯维加斯，和沙漠研究所。在里诺和拉斯维加斯两个非常大的学区，吸引更多的学生，特别是来自代表性不足群体和/或贫困背景的学生接受高等教育，并从事科学和工程研究和职业。 一个暑期密集课程将缓解高中到大学的过渡，一个对本科生研究经验有重大支持的导师计划将提高理科专业的留存率。第0阶段SBIR计划将为不同机构提供更成功的SBIR提案的开发和编写援助。 这些努力，沿着提高研究竞争力的投资，应该有助于内华达州发展一个更加以技术为基础的经济。

Proposal: EPS-0447416Proposal Title: Research Infrastructure for Nevada's Growth - Targeting Research with Uniqueness and ExcellenceInstitution: University and Community College System of NevadaThe Nevada EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement award will build capacity and capability for national competitiveness in three focus areas, which are very relevant to the fragile desert environment of the state and the challenges being posed by a burgeoning human population is this increasingly arid landscape. The focus on Environmental Processes in Arid Soils will develop two unique experimental system facilities (outdoor weighing lysimeters and indoor two-dimensional cells) to explore such questions as (1) what is the response of desert soil microbial populations to changes in water content? and (2) how does soil heterogeneity influence water use and carbon uptake by desert ecosystems? The second focus on Sensor Technology will emphasize devising methods to synthesize chemical and genetically engineered biological material for biosensors and developing electrochemical, flourescence, and optical-fiber-based sensors. The third focus on Cognitive Information Processing will enable advances in the science behind intelligent computer systems that learn, mimic human thought, and interact with their environment; potential applications include identification of people, object recognition and tracking, control of mechanical systems, and bioinformatics. This third focus area is relevant not only to Nevada's needs and enhanced research competitiveness but also to national issues of homeland security. Common, shared use equipment and facilities established by this project will foster collaborative research efforts both within and among the three focus areas and among faculties at the participating institutions, Truckee Meadows Community College, the University of Nevada Reno, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and the Desert Research Institute.Outreach efforts to middle schools and high schools in the two very large school districts serving Reno and Las Vegas will attract more students, especially those from underrepresented groups and/or underprivileged backgrounds, to higher education and to science and engineering studies and careers. A summer intensive program will ease the high school to college transition and a mentorship program with significant support for undergraduate research experiences will increase the retention rate for majors in the sciences. A Phase 0 SBIR program will offer assistance with development and writing of more successful SBIR proposals to different agencies. These efforts, along with the investments to enhance research competitiveness, should assist in developing a more technology-based economy for Nevada.