College is a place where students can reach for the stars, so the saying goes. At UNLV, it's not just a phrase – it's a possibility – thanks to a pair of recent grants the university earned from NASA.

As part of NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), UNLV students will soon gain hands-on experience in NASA and partner labs nationwide, attend workshops and mentorship experiences with top scientists, and develop new technology that may one day improve the safety of NASA’s space flight teams.

MUREP, part of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, manages competitive grant programs to enhance research, academic, and technology capabilities at Minority Serving Institutions (including UNLV). UNLV earned funding this month through MUREP’s research and curriculum award programs, both new this year. 

"These awards help NASA reach students and institutions that traditionally have had fewer opportunities in cutting-edge spaceflight research," said Shahra Lambert, NASA's senior advisor for engagement. “We want the Artemis Generation to feel excited and prepared to join us in tackling the scientific and technological challenges of space exploration.”

Diversifying NASA’s Workforce Pipeline

UNLV psychology professor Ashley Blackwell earned a $1.2 million curriculum award through MUREP to strengthen student education and research opportunities, and bolster faculty training, through initiatives with NASA and a nationwide group of university partners. UNLV is one of only five universities to receive this new NASA award.  

“Everyone involved, from NASA to the partner institutions, are dedicated and motivated about the program and our goal to improve diverse representation and enhance research education for minority students at UNLV,” said Blackwell. “We’re trying to engage students who haven’t been involved in science yet, and show them the path, and give them the resources they need to be able to succeed.”

The project will include mentorship opportunities in robotics, engineering, and planetary science for students at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Students will also tour the NASA Johnson Space Center in Texas where they’ll work in a neuroscience lab and interact with astronauts or they could go to the University of Florida to learn about sensorimotor response to space flight and the intricacies of the NASA system.

All participants will attend virtual and in-person lectures and workshops with other NASA and partner labs. Participating students will also receive paid internships, stipends, and funds to support travel costs. The goal is to recruit more than a dozen students into the program each summer during its three-year term. 

According to Blackwell, the program will also boost training opportunities in culturally relevant and responsive teaching practices for both university faculty and K-12 teachers, which will pave the way for greater diversity in STEM education programs and the workforce. 

Improving Fire-Proof Space Suits

Chemistry professor Pradip Bhowmik was awarded $50,000 through MUREP’s research program to adapt his longtime work on fire-retardant polymers for applications important to NASA, including clothing and other textiles that could survive in extreme environments. 

Bhowmik’s longtime research on these materials has wide commercial potential. It has already been applied to produce fire-resistant electric vehicle battery casings and other next-gen energy storage devices through a partnership with Las Vegas startup Quantum Copper. 

Bhowmik’s design allows for the polymers to be sprayed, brushed on, or blended into different materials in a manner that’s both effective and far more environmentally friendly than currently used fire-retardant additives. 

“Human safety is at the core of why we began this work on fire-retardant materials, and I’m encouraged to see its potential both with everyday applications and for needs as specialized as space crew clothing systems,” said Bhowmik. “It’s also a great thrill for students working on the project, to know that their work here at UNLV could one day make it to space with NASA.”

Both undergraduate and graduate students will partner with Bhowmik over the next six months to develop proof-of-concept materials that could be further refined through additional, and larger, NASA funding programs. 

Rebel Space Research Rising

The recent MUREP grants continue UNLV’s sterling – and rising – reputation in the field of space-related research. 

UNLV researchers in physics and astronomy, engineering, geoscience, psychology, computer science, health physics, and more are hard at work uncovering the mysteries of deep space and unlocking clues to how stars, planets, and entire galaxies form. They’re also helping to chart the course of NASA’s Mars rover, developing new technologies, and studying risks and stressors associated with space travel.