This award to the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez will enable early career faculty to travel to Arlington to meet with program directors at the National Science Foundation and other agencies. The intellectual merit of this project lies in its ability to enhance the research activities of early career faculty via meetings to discuss their research areas and specific funding opportunities. By speaking directly with program directors about their proposed research, faculty can engage in deep discussion about research areas and activities, receiving feedback that will help them submit successful proposals and produce more impactful outcomes. The broader impact of this award is in its ability to support a population that is historically under-represented in engineering. The faculty are of Hispanic heritage and have positions at institutions that are Hispanic serving. Supporting the faculty efforts to successfully compete for research funds and generate more effective outcomes will directly benefit the graduate and undergraduate student populations at their institutions.
