ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On Friday, Sept. 23, Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico and will sign a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) that significantly strengthens collaborative research and development between the two institutions, expanding the opportunities for students to participate in cutting-edge research and preparing them for a global job market.
The signing ceremony will take place at UNM’s Advanced Materials Laboratory (AML), 1001 University Blvd. SE, at 1:30 p.m.
UNM Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julia Fulghum noted, “The MOU creates opportunities for UNM faculty and Sandia technical staff to create or expand partnerships that advance research, education and technology development. We are formalizing a substantive plan for collaboration that will have benefits that extend well beyond the two institutions.” Fulghum adds, “Students will have increased opportunities for internships and graduate research funding as well as job possibilities as we expand research collaborations.”
Sandia VP Steve Rottler said, “Sandia and UNM have a long history of working together. We jointly participated in the initial AML dedication in 1992. Twenty Sandia employees currently serve in some teaching capacity at UNM, and 1,800 UNM alumni are currently working at Sandia. Updating the AML MOU is symbolic of this history, the strong bonds between the two institutions and our intent to develop future collaborations that will benefit New Mexico and the nation.”
Specifically, the memorandum will provide a basis for Sandia and UNM to work together to advance areas of mutual interest and to achieve strategic goals, including: attracting and retaining highly talented students, faculty and researchers; developing and nurturing new and nationally recognized expertise and technologies; highlighting research and development with wide-reaching benefits; and expanding UNM’s key role as a source of talented students and nationally prominent faculty and researchers.
Sandia and UNM have identified numerous areas of collaboration including quantum information, energy technologies and nanoparticle-based drug delivery.
“It is imperative that we continue to emphasize the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, and it is our duty to provide training and research opportunities that prepare our students to develop technologies that will address critical societal challenges,” said UNM President David J. Schmidly.
Said Sandia President Paul Hommert, “Our goals, as outlined in the MOU, are to develop joint nationally recognized competencies, to attract and retain highly talented individuals, and to develop collaborations that benefit the community, state and nation. By building on successes already reported, such as those in cancer research and quantum science, the partnership between Sandia and UNM will further highlight Albuquerque as an important science and engineering center in our state and the nation.”
Goals of the MOU include developing at least one new shared and nationally recognized research area every three years and working to increase research funding from external sources for both institutions.