Sponsored Research and Grants

Collaborative Research: From Awareness to Action: Integrating responsible AI practice into Undergraduate Engineering Education

PI: Md Fashiar Rahman
Co-PI: Honglun Xu
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Proposal/Award Number: 2518850
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso, RIMES
Amount awarded: $150,000
Award start date: 10/2025
Award end date: 09/2028
Overall Objectives: The goal of the proposed project is to build an educational framework that not only teaches the theoretical aspects of AI and data science but also empowers students to apply responsible and sustainable AI principles to real-world applications, such as the healthcare sector, where ethical and responsible practices are essential.

FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS - PHASE II

PI: Tzu-Liang Tseng
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Yirong Lin
Sponsor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Proposal/Award Number:
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso, RIMES
Amount awarded: $149,500
Award start date: 03/2025
Award end date: 12/2025
Overall Objectives: This proposal will develop a Foreign Objects Damage Simulation Software for LMA.

Travel Support for the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Expo

PI: Faisal Aqlan
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Ismail Fidan
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Proposal/Award Number:2500279
**Primary Place of Performance: University of Louisville
Amount awarded: $25,00
Award start date: 11/2024
Award end date: 10/2025
Overall Objectives: The key objectives of this proposal are to (1) provide financial support to 25-30 undergraduate and graduate students attending the ASEE Annual Conference to ensure their participation in the Manufacturing Division sessions and activities, (2) promote student engagement in state-of-the-art manufacturing innovation and education, with an emphasis on digital manufacturing, advanced manufacturing systems, and sustainable manufacturing practices, (3) increase participation of students from underrepresented groups in manufacturing engineering, thereby promoting diversity and inclusion in the field, (4) provide students with opportunities to network with experts and professionals in manufacturing for future collaborations and career development, and (5) contribute to the growth and development of the U.S. manufacturing workforce by exposing students to the latest research and technological advancements in manufacturing education.

Empowering Underrepresented Minorites Through Applied Artificial Intelligence Education with Enhanced Access and Success in Engineering

PI: Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Yirong Lin, and Arturo Olivarez
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education
Proposal/Award Number: P120A220044
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso
Amount awarded: $900,000
Award start date: 10/2024
Award end date: 09/2027
Overall Objectives: This project aims to nurture a supportive academic environment for URMs and provide them with premium, career-focused education, hands-on training in applied AI fields, and an extensive support network for successful career growth.

Enhancing Career Pathway in Intelligent Manufacturing Through Remote Accelerated Center of Engineering Student Success (REMOTE-ACCESS)

PI: Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Michael Pokojovy, Yirong Lin, and Arturo Olivarez
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education
Proposal/Award Number: P120A220044
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso
Amount awarded: $900,000
Award start date: 10/2022
Award end date: 09/2025
Overall Objectives: The short-term impacts of this project are improved student success in graduation, enhanced student career pathways, student technical readiness in IM, and accelerated remote learning capability.

Student Engagement and Training in Healthcare Engineering with Advanced Data Analytics Solutions

PI: Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Michael Pokojovy, and Sreenath Chalil Madathil
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Proposal/Award Number: DUE-2216396
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso
Amount awarded: $300,000
Award start date: 09/2022
Award end date: 08/2025
Overall Objectives: The overarching goal of the proposed three-year project is to develop healthcare systems-related education and training materials and prepare the underrepresented student groups, especially the Hispanic students and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, for today’s healthcare sectors and make them successful in their academic goals.

FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS - PHASE I

PI: Tzu-Liang Tseng
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Yirong Lin
Sponsor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Proposal/Award Number:
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso, RIMES
Amount awarded: $149,500
Award start date: 09/2023
Award end date: 05/2024
Overall Objectives: This proposal will develop a Foreign Objects Damage Simulation Software for LMA.

Developing Modeling and Simulation based Engineering Learning Environment for Capacity Transformation (M-SELECT) in Higher Education

PI: Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng
Co-PI: Md Fashiar Rahman, Michael Pokojovy, and Arturo Olivarez
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education
Proposal/Award Number: P116S210004
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso
Amount awarded: $1,061,509
Award start date: 01/2022
Award end date: 12/2024
Overall Objectives: The Department of Industrial Manufacturing and Systems Engineering (IMSE) at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in collaboration with Mathematical Science (MS) and Educational Leadership and Foundation (EDLF) Departments, wants to leverage the funding opportunity solicited by Modeling and Simulation Program (MSP) from the Department of Education (DoEd) to develop a new concentration in Systems Modeling and Simulation (SMS).

A Smart Manufacturing Implementation and Workforce Development Playbook for Underserved Small Medium Manufacturers.

PI: Amit Lopes
Co-PI: Sergio Luna Fong, Tzu-Liang Tseng, Md Fashiar Rahman, and Ivan A Renteria Marquez
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy Through University of California, Los Angeles
Proposal/Award Number:
Primary Place of Performance: The University of Texas at El Paso, RIMES
Amount awarded: $150,000
Award start date: 07/2023
Award end date: 12/2023
Overall Objectives: This project develops a Smart Manufacturing “playbook” to guide regional underserved small and mid-sized manufacturers in achieving higher levels of productivity and build capacity, particularly in a resource constrained environment.