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Award Abstract # 2434833
Equipment: Building AI and Cybersecurity Talent Pathways Through Enriched Student Learning Experiences

NSF Org: EES
Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM
Recipient: NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: August 5, 2024
Latest Amendment Date: January 27, 2025
Award Number: 2434833
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Sonja Montas-Hunter
smontash@nsf.gov
 (703)292-0000
EES
 Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: August 15, 2024
End Date: July 31, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $200,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $200,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2024 = $200,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Van Minh Tuan Le (Principal Investigator)
    tuanle@nmsu.edu
  • Huiping Cao (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Christabel Wayllace (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Gaurav Panwar (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Patricia Lopez (Former Principal Investigator)
  • Van Minh Tuan Le (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: New Mexico State University
1050 STEWART ST.
LAS CRUCES
NM  US  88003
(575)646-1590
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: New Mexico State University
1050 STEWART ST.
LAS CRUCES
NM  US  88003
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): J3M5GZAT8N85
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): HSI-Hispanic Serving Instituti
Primary Program Source: 04002425DB NSF STEM Education
Program Reference Code(s): 093Z, 8209, 9150, 9178
Program Element Code(s): 077Y00
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Educational Instrumentation (EI) project aims to acquire cutting-edge computing equipment to strengthen Computer Science (CS) education, empowering students at New Mexico State University (NMSU) to pursue successful careers in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity. With NMSU serving a diverse student body?58% women and 59% Hispanic/Latino?the equipment will support over ten specialized CS courses, benefiting approximately 200 students. It will integrate course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and enable faculty to design materials that cultivate proficiency in modern computing hardware. This initiative promises year-round access to resources for student projects, homework, and research, enhancing their practical skills and readiness for careers in AI and Cybersecurity.

This project will equip virtual and in-person classrooms with state-of-the-art (SOTA) servers and robots to support education in five key domains: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Cybersecurity, Human-robot Interaction, and Introductory CS. As AI and Cybersecurity gain global prominence, the demand for high-performance servers and GPUs intensifies due to complex computational tasks and system vulnerabilities. This project will procure advanced servers, some equipped with GPU cards, robots, security gateways, and AI accelerator cards. These resources will be strategically deployed across multiple educational domains: (i) Servers featuring high-performance GPU cards will support courses in AI and ML. (ii) Servers without GPU cards and dedicated security gateways will be tailored for hands-on cybersecurity training. (iii) Advanced robots will be utilized in courses focusing on human-robot interaction. (iv) Servers without GPU cards and AI accelerators will be dedicated to introductory CS courses. By integrating these cutting-edge technologies into the curriculum, students will gain practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

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