Washington, D.C., Sep 5 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) announced today that the National Science Foundation (NSF) will award a $225,035 research grant to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

The award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program under the National Science Foundation, will help UTEP acquire an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer.  The proposal, under the direction of UTEP professor Luis Echegoyen, is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels in chemistry and physics.  The EPR spectrometer will provide faculty and research students with modern instrumentation not currently available at UTEP and will advance their research projects significantly.

“As co-chair of the STEM Caucus, I am pleased that the National Science Foundation has awarded UTEP this grant.  Grants like this one will help UTEP as it strives to reach Tier 1 status by increasing its research capacity, and expanding opportunities for undergraduate and post-graduate students,” said Congressman Reyes.

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of about $6.9 billion, NSF is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing.