The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded roughly $8 million to colleges and universities across New Hampshire to increase research opportunities and industry partnerships.

Keene State College will receive $40,000 per year over four years, totaling $160,000, to fund summer undergraduate research stipends and supplies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (fields collectively known as STEM).

The University of New Hampshire will spearhead the cooperative agreement for the state and leads New Hampshire’s Long-term Investment to Fuel Transformative Research, or NH-LIFT, according to a news release from Keene State’s spokesperson Paul Miller.

This network of representatives from 17 colleges and universities — including Keene State College, Franklin Pierce University and the Community College System of New Hampshire — aims to improve research support and strengthen collaborations with businesses in fields such as biotechnology and precision optics.

The funding will support two Keene State faculty research mentors during each of the four summers, Miller said.

One of NH-LIFT’s core goals is to retain a broad and diverse group of students in STEM fields, the release notes. The collaboration aims to expand opportunities to students who are ethnically diverse, first-generation or from low socioeconomic backgrounds. As of 2020, 49% of undergraduate students at Keene State disclosed they were the first generation in their families to pursue a college education.

The NSF awards come through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program (E-CORE RII). Similar programs in Maine and South Dakota also each received $8 million in funding.

Miller noted the NSF awards come with an opportunity to reapply for three additional years of support.

Keene State faculty and students participated in NSF’s last major EPSCoR investment in the state, according to the release. NH BioMade, a five-year $20 million initiative, aims to advance the rapidly growing biomaterials industry in the state through research partnerships and workforce development, according to the NH EPSCoR website.

“To build sustainable research capacity, we are leveraging individual institutional strengths across the state and creating enduring networks,” Keene State President Melinda Treadwell said in the release.

“We look forward to building upon existing collaborative partnerships across the state to enhance opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in powerful research.”

— JAMES RINKER/KEENE SENTINEL