Albany, NY — Rep. Paul D. Tonko (D-Amsterdam) awarded $2,269,072 in science grants to five metropolitan institutions of higher education to improve STEM education and train the future workforce in semiconductor technology. announced that it will fund research including

“The vision and dedication of researchers, professors and students in our own capital region continue to drive transformative research and innovation here and around the world,” said Tonko. Research enhances and inspires talented young minds in their respective fields and helps take our nation to new heights of scientific achievement.The successful development of these projects has earned them these well-deserved awards. Congratulations to all involved.”

• $749,633 will be donated to the SUNY Polytechnic Institute to connect freshmen and transfer students with scholarships and effective advocacy to increase retention of students pursuing STEM education.
• $634,799 will go to the University of Albany to build an experimental radio telescope and determine how best to mitigate radio frequency interference (RFI) from other users of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• $415,881 will be donated to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to demonstrate a prototype of a quantum sensing device, and through this research will help train the next generation of workforce in semiconductors, nanoscale technology, optical science and engineering.
• $299,715 will be donated to Siena College to increase student interest and understanding of magnetism and other complex physics topics through the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR).
• $169,044 will be donated to Union College to study how rice farming practices affect the release of arsenic from the soil with climate change and to promote better rice farming practices.

Established by Congress in 1950 as an independent federal agency, NSF is committed to developing cutting-edge technologies in physics, mathematics, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education. NSF is currently responsible for funding 25% of all federally-funded research at national universities.