Just Announced! NH-LIFT 2025 Summer Summit Registration is Open! Join the LIFT team on August 19&20. Read more
Who We Are
NH EPSCoR advances New Hampshire's competitiveness in science and engineering by strategically investing in research infrastructure, promoting education in the STEM disciplines, and fostering partnerships with technology-based businesses that enhance job creation and economic development.
Our program is administered by the University of New Hampshire Senior Vice Provost for Research, External Engagement and Outreach, with oversight by the NH Research and Industry Council.
Our Projects
Explore our initiatives to expand research competitiveness in NH
NH-LIFT
Building research capacity by expanding research opportunities, student mentoring & training, and creating new partnerships among New Hampshire’s institutions of higher education and industry.
ENACTS
Leading research and workforce development on the design and implementation of Nature-based Solutions in three living hubs in Kentucky, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
BIO-SENS
An engineering collaboration driving the future of biomanufacturing in Alabama, Maine, New Hampshire & Wyoming.
NH BioMade
Enabling rapid advancement in biomaterials design and manufacturing to support the rapidly growing New Hampshire biomaterials industry.
News
Cancer Immunology Co-op
Former NH BioMade grad student and UNH PhD candidate in chemistry Tran Truong just completed a 5-month co-op experience at Boehringer Ingelheim (Ridgefield, CT) in their Oncology Department. Tran is enthusiastic about her experience, noting she benefitted both as a scientist and collaborator.
Seed Funding Available
NH-LIFT aims to foster a collaborative and inclusive research ecosystem that broadens participation, catalyzes innovation, and strengthens New Hampshire’s economy. To support this aim, NH-LIFT is offering two complementary seed grant funding programs intended to build and strengthen research collaborations across NH-LIFT partner institutions and lead to successful proposals for external funding. Apply now!
We Have LIFT OFF!
NH-LIFT’s first Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program is officially underway here in the Granite State. Fifteen students from our partner institutions—New England College, Keene State College, St. Anselm College, Plymouth State University, and Nashua Community College—are embarking on hands-on research experiences this summer.
And some hands might get pretty dirty ---one of our students will be assisting with an archaeological dig in Italy!
These summer opportunities are great catalysts for students’ curiosity and enthusiasm for discovery—and may inspire them to pursue careers in STEM. Welcome to all our SURE students!
Our Stories
Meet a LIFTER!
Dr. Chery A. Whipple is an Associate Professor of Biology at Colby-Sawyer College. Inspired by conversations with a colleague, Chery became excited about developing research opportunities for her students that connect with her tropical ecology course—specifically to explore the resilience of coral reefs. She is especially enthusiastic about the depth and impact this work can achieve through her collaboration with Dr. Geoff Cook of New England College, an expert in tropical ecology.
Confidence in the Lab, Clarity in the Future
When Katherine Austin joined Jeffrey Halpern’s SEEDS lab as an undergraduate in 2019, she didn’t expect to have a key role that could impact the future of biomanufacturing. But with federal support, strong mentorship, and real leadership opportunities, she did just that — and it has shaped the course of her career.
Halpern had just received a $6 million award from the National Science Foundation for the project Bio-Inspired On-demand Strategies for Engineering Nanostructured Sensors (BIO-SENS).
Our Impact in New Hampshire
The NH EPSCoR program office oversees NSF cooperative agreements for state-based research infrastructure projects, enhancing New Hampshire's research competitiveness. Across the state, these NSF investments have expanded research opportunities for faculty, post-docs, and students, strengthened academic and industrial collaborations, and increased expertise in various scientific disciplines. The initial $123 million in NSF funding has successfully attracted over $327 million in new research funding, enabling New Hampshire scientists to build upon their earlier discoveries.
Investment from NSF EPSCoR
NEW Research Funding LEVERAGED FROM NSF EPSCoR
Student & POST DOC Researchers
PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
Research Accomplishments
New Biomaterials Patent
NH BioMade researcher Kyung Jae Jeong was recently awarded a biomaterials patent, Injectable Porous Hydrogels, that describes different types of injectable hydrogels with large pores. These hydrogels are made by combining small gelatin particles with an enzyme, typically microbial transglutaminase (mTG). mTG promotes strong bonds between the gelatin particles, making it well-suited for cell growth and healing.
NH BioMade's Road to Building Better Materials
The goal of our Track 1 project NH BioMade (NSF Award #1757371) was to predict and control the composition, structure, properties, and function of biomaterials. This research was led by the University of New Hampshire in partnership with Dartmouth College and Keene State College. There were four research thrust areas: Composites for Orthopedic Bearings for Joint Implants, Sheet Metal Implants for Trauma Repair, Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration, and Biocompatible Sensors for Use in the Human Body.
Collectively, NH BioMade provided research opportunities to 205 students and post-docs, who are now employed at engineering firms, in bioscience and chemical industries, as faculty members at high schools and universities, or are pursuing their advanced degrees.
The roadmap below highlights the many research accomplishments of NH BioMade from 2018 through 2024.
