MRI funds will be used to acquire a multi-collector inductively coupled mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS), equipment that will be critical to establishing a MC-ICP-MS laboratory at New Mexico State University (NMSU). This award leverages NSF funds, state funds, and a private gift to build a regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized and utilized, multi-disciplinary facility that will support a range of currently funded and future collaborative projects spanning a wide range of research in the earth sciences, and train highly qualified personnel to fill future technical positions across the US. The lab will focus on cutting-edge geochemical techniques applied to the geological sciences but these same techniques will enhance scientific inquiry in the fields of biology, wildlife and conservation science, plant and soil science, engineering, and chemistry.
In addition to expanding the research infrastructure of NMSU, both in- and out-of-house student research opportunities will be enhanced with new interdisciplinary degree options introduced at NMSU. Graduate and undergraduate students at a Hispanic serving educational institution will have opportunities to gain invaluable hands-on experience using modern mass spectrometry techniques and reconstitute the pool of well-qualified users to run newly established labs nationally and internationally. PIs, senior personnel, and students from underrepresented groups in the sciences will gain new opportunities to use modern equipment and expand their research interests and impact of results.
