UNM’S CONSORTIUM OF THE AMERICAS AWARDED MAJOR NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

September 19, 2003

UNM’S CONSORTIUM OF THE AMERICAS AWARDED MAJOR NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT

The Consortium of the Americas for Interdisciplinary Science at the University of New Mexico, directed by Nitant Kenkre, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded a three-year grant in excess of $1 million by the National Science Foundation to bring about international collaboration of scientists in the United States with scientists from Latin America to perform high caliber research in interdisciplinary science with linkage to education.

“The twin goals of the Consortium, interdisciplinary science research and international collaborations, are important and timely,” said Kenkre. “The recognition given to this UNM initiative by the NSF is significant. It will help support the exciting research programs launched by the Consortium in mathematical biology, complex systems, nanoscience and novel materials, ” he added. “This is the first International Science Center supported by the NSF, which regards their funding the Consortium as a pilot activity on which to base further international science efforts.

“It is an honor for UNM to receive this NSF grant,” said Bernd Bassalleck, chair, physics and astronomy. “Professor Kenkre’s untiring efforts to bridge across disciplines and countries in pursuit of science are appreciated within the University as well as outside. He received a special award for International Outreach in Science from the Department a few years ago,” he added.

Kenkre is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and a respected scientist of international reputation whose research spans broad areas of theoretical physics. He introduced several years ago the idea of the Consortium to the UNM administration, which supported it at all levels, in particular the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

More recently, the Provost’s office has recognized the overlap of Consortium activities with UNM’s newly forming ‘New Mexico Circle on Sovereignty and Sustainability’ and lent the Consortium strong support.

Of the external agencies that provided funding, the most important initially was the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which gave to UNM $480,000 in a three-year contract for Kenkre’s Consortium research. Many LANL scientists have collaborated under Consortium auspices with Consortium visitors and UNM faculty. “Los Alamos National Laboratory has played a major role in supporting the Consortium scientifically as well as financially,” said Kenkre.

"The Consortium provides a coordinated framework for international cooperation between scientists in the United States and Latin American institutions," said Robert Duncan, Associate Dean for Research of A&S. "The selected focus of the Consortium research on complex systems, nanoscience, and novel materials is excellent." He added. "We are confident that the Consortium activities will result in intellectual networks being built and international partnerships being formed in collaborative science."

Activities supported by the NSF grant will include trimester plans of interdisciplinary projects, visits of Latin American scientists to New Mexico, international conferences, mini-workshops and lecture courses on interdisciplinary topics at UNM. They will also involve international student exchanges including a Junior Consortium Fellowship program. Consortium activities are conceived, planned and implemented by Kenkre with input provided by an external advisory panel of internationally renowned and distinguished scientists and an internal advisory committee comprised of UNM faculty.

Since its inception less than three years ago, the Consortium has organized 18 workshops at UNM and in Latin America, and hosted more than 30 Latin American scientists at all levels of seniority ranging from distinguished professors to graduate students who have spent periods at UNM varying between weeks and a year.

“The visits have also led to collaborations among the Latin American scientists themselves. The collaborations have started at UNM and have continued after the scientists returned to their own countries,” said Kenkre.

He says that three factors make the Consortium unique: the willingness of UNM (consistent with its Strategic Plan) to play host to a collaborative enterprise involving Latin American science, the Latin flavor of the State of New Mexico, unique among all the states of USA, and the current excitement and potential associated with the focus topics in interdisciplinary science.

For more information visit the Consortium website at: http://panda.unm.edu/consort/consortium.html.

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