IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

$2.3M in STEM, Workforce Grants for Capital Region Higher Ed

Five higher education institutions in and around Albany will receive science grants to advance research, connect students to scholarships and help train a future workforce in semiconductor technology.

Female soldering a computer motherboard, microchips, semiconductors
(TNS) — Rep. Paul D. Tonko (D-Amsterdam) announced $2,269,072 in science grants awarded to five Capital Region higher education institutions to fund research that includes improving STEM education and training the future workforce in semiconductor technology.

"The vision and dedication of researchers, professors and students in our very own Capital Region continue to drive transformative research and innovation here and around the world," Tonko said. "This pioneering work will help lift up and inspire talented young minds in their fields and carry our nation to new heights of scientific achievement. Congratulations to all involved on your success in developing these projects that have earned these well-deserved awards."

  • $749,633 will go to SUNY Polytechnic Institute to connect first-year and transfer students with scholarships and effective supporting activities in order to increase retention of students in pursuit of a STEM education.

  • $634,799 will go to the University at Albany to construct an experimental radio telescope to determine how best to mitigate radio frequency interference (RFI) from other users of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  • $415,881 will go to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to demonstrate a prototype of a quantum sensing device and through this research help train the next generation workforce for semiconductors, nanoscale technology, optical science, and engineering.

  • $299,715 will go to Siena College to improve and increase students' interest and understanding of magnetism and other complex physics topics through the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR).

  • $169,044 will go to Union College to research how rice cultivation practices, along with climate change, impact the release of arsenic from the soil in order to promote better rice cultivation practices.

The NSF was established by Congress in 1950 as an independent federal agency and works to develop cutting-edge technologies in physics, mathematics, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education. Currently, NSF is responsible for funding 25 percent of all federally backed research at national colleges and universities.

©2022 The Record, Troy, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.