Research Centers and Facilities
Aerospace Center
The Aerospace Center has expanded beyond its initial research focus when it was founded in 2009 as the Center for Space Exploration Technology Research. In partnership with NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and many industry partners, this premiere, minority-serving research center explores new technologies and challenges in space, aeronautics, defense, and energy using digital tools and skills that are transforming the way we design, build and test. The Aerospace Center has grown from a 3,000 square foot lab employing 30 students as research assistants to over 35,000 square feet in laboratory space and 8,000 acres of test facilities employing 200 students today and still growing. The Aerospace Center’s mission is to educate and prepare a diverse, future-ready workforce for high-paying, in-demand careers through project-based learning in applied, cutting-edge research in aerospace, defense, and energy.
Center for Advanced Materials Research (CMR)
The Center for Advanced Materials Research (CMR) is actively pursuing the research related to two main focus areas: Materials for Energy and Biomaterials.
Center for the Advancement of Space Safety and Mission Assurance Research (CASSMAR)
Serve as an interdisciplinary, cross-functional research center focused on the enhancement of the safety, reliability and mission assurance of spaceflight - from the materials, vehicle and systems perspectives. Establish partnerships with government and commercial spaceflight organizations to identify knowledge gaps, support technical interchange of research advancements and share experiences from lessons-learned. Educate the next generation of competent, diverse, and enthusiastic space scientists and engineers through advanced research and collaboration.
Center for Environmental Resource Management (CERM)
The Center for Environmental Resource Management (CERM) provides university-wide leadership and coordination for energy and environmentally-related academic, policy, research, and service activities. CERM focuses university resources to address energy, hazardous waste, air quality, water availability and quality, ecosystem, and policy issues through an active program of research, outreach, policy and academic programs, including support for a culturally diverse student population to develop the skills necessary to become environmental engineers and scientists. CERM is committed to developing both the human and technical resources needed to build the capacity of the region to solve its environmental problems.
Center for Inland Desalination Systems (CIDS)
CIDS builds on a strong foundation of related research already being done by faculty members in geological sciences, chemistry and civil engineering. CIDS funding is currently a combination of a $2 million grant from the state of Texas through its Emerging Technology Fund, $2 million from The University of Texas System, and matching funds raised by UTEP (goal is $2 million in sponsored research from industry partners).
Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS)
It is with pleasure to announce the formation of the Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) at UTEP. The focus of CTIS, which supplants the Center for Highway Materials Research, is to coordinate basic and applied research related to the nation's transportation infrastructure at UTEP. One of the missions of this new Center is to directly support the new PhD in Civil Engineering with focus in Infrastructure Systems.
Research Institute for Manufacturing and Engineering Systems (RIMES)
RIMES was created in 1995 as the Institute for Manufacturing and Materials Management. We have recently renamed the Institute and it has taken the lead in focusing on the research and applications of Systems Engineering.
W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation
Located at the University of Texas at El Paso, The Keck Center is home to state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing technology and a dedicated staff ready for any challenge, be it medical or mechanical. From surgical models to tissue engineering to product prototypes, the Keck Center is ready to transform your ideas into three dimensions.
Center of Excellence for Sharing resources for the Advancement of Research and Education through Cyberinfrastructure (Cyber-ShARE)
The Center concentrates specifically on the aspects of CI that deal with software and middleware services and tools, with the focus on the development of scientific CI applications and on training the next generation of scientists who can effectively use CI to perform leading-edge science.
The Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce
The Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce sponsors, conducts and promotes three main avenues of research: research in innovation and commerce, research for commercialization of innovation, and research in entrepreneurship education. The Center was founded in 2012 through generous contributions from UTEP alumnus Mike Loya. The Center connects the College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering. The Center is part of a UTEP and El Paso ecosystem to support innovation and commerce.
Micro and Nanofabrication Facility
The Nanofabrication Facility is equipped with 6,000 square feet of class-100 clean room space which is used for enabling research in micro- and nanotechnology. It comprises of more than 25 pieces of major research instrumentation for the deposition of thin films, lithographic fabrication and the characterization of materials and devices for areas such as photovoltaics, memristors and silicon microelectronic processing.
