UNM spends hundreds of millions of dollars on technological development each year. The federal government foots most of the bill according to The Office of Instutional Research.
In one project, undergraduate students are building satellites for NASA, using funding supplied by the Air Force.
In one of the closest partnerships between UNM and federal agencies, students work with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate on military and aerospace innovations, including a type of microsatellite that uses light-detection technology to study the upper atmosphere and enhance GPS systems.
AFRL is working with the Configurable Space Microsystems Innovations and Applications Center (COSMIAC), which is housed in UNM’s electrical engineering department, to develop CubeSats.
The 4×4×4-inch satellites are expected to be ready for use by NASA by the end of this year, said Matthew McCullough, an electrical engineering undergraduate researcher. He said the project is a unique opportunity for undergraduates to participate in important research, an opportunity not available at all universities.
“A nice thing about COSMIAC is that we are not merely focused on research,” he said. “We also want to expose motivated students to space electronics and space systems.”
McCullough, who has worked with COSMIAC since May 2010, said developing leading technology in college is an opportunity all undergraduates should take advantage of.
“You learn a lot in the classroom, but here you apply what you have learn.”
Federal agencies contributed 78 percent of the $370 million in research awards and grants given to UNM in 2010, the most recent data year.
The majority of grants, research awards and partnerships go to hard science departments and come from agencies including NASA, the Department of Energy and the Office of Naval Research.
For more information about the programs, visit Cosmiac.org
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
