UNM Research Brochure

IDEA INCUBATORS HERE, IDEAS ARE EVERYWHERE. At The University of New Mexico, faculty from 115 units across 14 colleges, four branch campuses and one extension campus lead a vast array of sponsored and non-sponsored research efforts. Class projects, scholarly activities and creative works add immensely to the equation. Two distinctively different but interconnected programs to nurture ideas and even turn them into flourishing businesses. I NNOVATE ABQ This seven-acre Innovation District in the heart of the city is where inventive students and local entrepreneurs come together to do real research that culminates in pioneering startups and regional jobs. It’s where you’ll find the Cecchi Venture Lab, which helps bring technologies developed at UNM to market. It’s also home to a new bioscience business incubator, which is expected to create 155 jobs and leverage $2.5 million in private investment. I NNOVAT I ON ACADEMY Our entrepreneurial program offers a curriculum for students who are interested in innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. The program allows students to create new companies while completing their degree program. Through a partnership with the Rainforest Student Pitch Competitions, the Academy has spun out 29 student startups. R E S E A R C H I N I T I A T I V E S 0 8 U N M R E S E A R C H | 0 9 The University of New Mexico is dedicated to improving lives in New Mexico. To help meet this goal, UNM has identified three Grand Challenges that will build upon the expertise, commitment and focus of our faculty and staff to address three of the state’s most important issues. As a UNM presidential initiative, these research projects will leverage partnerships with other researchers, communities and stakeholders around the state to focus on Sustainable Water Resources, Substance Use Disorders and Successful Aging. New Mexico’s Grand Challenges affect us all. From our smallest communities to our largest cities, from all four corners and every place in between, we all feel the need to develop sustainable water resources, reduce the prevalence of substance use disorders and ensure a high quality of life for our aging friends and family members. Grand Challenges SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS SUCCESSFUL AGING Water management in New Mexico has always been a grand challenge. We have the fifth largest landmass of all the states but the least amount of available surface water. Despite these challenges, New Mexicans are resilient and innovative people and UNM is poised to catalyze an alternative path towards a sustainable water resources future. Dozens of UNM faculty researchers from a variety of academic disciplines possess the talent, experience and networks necessary to secure New Mexico’s water future. Substance use and addiction are leading causes of morbidity and mortality, and are associated with excessive social costs and human suffering. To address these challenges, UNM will form a large multidisciplinary team of expert investigators. This team will utilize a comprehensive approach to target substance use and addiction prevention, treatment and policy in New Mexico. This collaborative venture will combine two approaches to achieve amazing results. By 2030, New Mexico is projected to have 26.5% of its population age 65 years and over, ranking 4th among all states, doubling the demand on our communities and healthcare systems. Through this Grand Challenge, UNM will leverage research and resources to shift the threshold of functional status at which a person can remain independent, allowing individuals to have the resources to age in place. Four multi-disciplinary research thrusts will be pursued to achieve this goal. R E A D M O R E AT G R A N D C H A L L E N G E S . U N M . E D U