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Coalition of Energy Experts Wins NSF Engines Development Award to Lay the Foundation for an Innovation Hub in the Permian Basin

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $1M in seed funding to lay the groundwork for a new regional innovation engine in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. This two-year award, known as the “NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing energy and resilience technologies in the Permian Basin (TX, NM),” is the first step toward a possible ten-year, $160M NSF investment to implement the engine.

The Permian Basin based-program will leverage the region’s considerable energy infrastructure and expertise — developed through decades of producing energy on a globally significant scale — to support research, development and commercialization of advanced energy solutions and technologies. Community engagement plays a critical role in this effort, fostering trust and inclusive growth.  

ABOUT THE AWARD

The NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program is funded out of the CHIPS and Science Act to support the development of regional innovation ecosystems. The program provides grant funding to coalitions across industry, academia, governments, nonprofits, civil society and communities of practice. These coalitions advance use-inspired research and implementation of critical technologies with the potential to drive regional economic growth and address pressing societal challenges.  

NSF is an independent federal agency that provides billions of dollars in grants each year to support basic scientific research, including biology, chemistry, geosciences, physics and more. Their innovation engines program reflects a new focus on helping places thrive — especially places that have not fully participated in the technology boom of recent decades.

“NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships. This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems all across our nation.”

— NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

Program Goals: Outcomes & Impacts

The Regional Innovation Engines Development Award will support collaboration among community members and energy experts from the public and private sectors to develop a regional engine for advancing energy innovation. This framework will ultimately inform other oil- and gas-dependent regions. Together they will work to ensure that the future of energy in America is safe, reliable, affordable, clean and fair.

01

Develop and demonstrate advanced energy technologies at scale

02

Improve systemic environmental performance

03

Share the benefits of the energy economy through workforce development and education

04

Accelerate growth of the region’s innovation ecosystem

Project Team

A broad coalition of partners is focused on the success and service of Permian Basin communities.

  • Local ties and outreach will ensure that the engine’s activities are community-driven.

  • Colleges and universities will share their considerable resources in use-inspired research and educational programming, as will the Department of Energy’s national labs.

  • Economic development organizations and local colleges will provide vital support for workforce development.

  • Industry partners will translate innovation to practice.  

Leadership

  • Close-up of a man with brown hair and a beard, smiling slightly, in an indoor setting with windows in the background.

    Brian Korgel

    The University of Texas at Austin

  • A portrait of a woman with long gray hair, wearing a dark outfit and a teal scarf, against a plain gray background.

    Jill Engel-Cox

    National Renewable Energy Laboratory

  • A woman with light brown hair smiling at the camera outdoors, wearing a blue blazer and pearl necklace.

    Marilu Hastings

    The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation

  • A man with glasses wearing a suit and tie, smiling at the camera.

    George Nnanna

    The University of Texas Permian Basin

  • Close-up portrait of an elderly woman with gray hair, blue eyes, and earrings, against a black background.

    Nelia Dunbar

    New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology

Advisory Group

  • A smiling woman with short black hair wearing a blue top and a pearl necklace, standing against a plain light-colored background.

    Tramaine Anderson

    Odessa College

  • Smiling middle-aged man in a suit jacket and blue shirt, in an indoor setting with ceiling lights, a large monitor, and a conference room background.

    Ben Cook

    Sandia National Laboratories

  • Portrait of a middle-aged man with dark hair, blue eyes, wearing a suit and tie, against a gray background.

    James Kubicki

    The University of Texas at El Paso

  • Close-up of a woman with short reddish-brown hair, wearing a patterned scarf, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

    Jennifer Myers

    Midland College

  • A middle-aged man with dark hair in a suit and tie, posing for a professional portrait against a gray background.

    Efstratios Pistikopoulos

    Texas A&M University

  • Smiling middle-aged man with glasses and gray hair, wearing a gray blazer and black shirt.

    Gregory Pogue

    The University of Texas at Austin

  • Portrait of a smiling older man with glasses, a light beard, and a blue button-up shirt, in an indoor setting with blurred background.

    Kyle Simpson

    KSE Holdings

  • Close-up of a middle-aged man with short brown hair, slight beard, wearing a suit and tie, smiling at the camera.

    Brian Weeks

    GTI Energy

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling against a blurred outdoor background.

    Patricia Sullivan

    New Mexico State University

  • A smiling man with short dark hair and a beard, wearing a light blue shirt, standing outdoors with blurred buildings in the background.

    Michael Young

    The University of Texas at Austin