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2415 Eisenhower Avenue | Alexandria, VA 22314www.nsf.gov

RHODE ISLANDFY 2021 Fast Facts

$60,554,000Total NSFAwards to

Rhode Island

$54,321,000Invested in

Fundamental Research in Rhode Island

$6,234,000Invested in

STEM Education in Rhode Island

$275,000Invested in

Rhode Island startups

Top NSF-funded Academic Institutions for FY 2021

$35,343,000Brown University

$21,467,000University of Rhode Island

NSF By The Numbers

Data represents FY 2021 Actuals unless otherwise indicated.*Corresponds to NSF investments initiated in FY 2021 and spanning multiple years.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an $8.8 billion independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense. NSF’s vital role is to support basic research and researchers who create knowledge that transforms the future.

NSF-funded COVID-19 Research and RecoveryThe protection afforded by face masks has emerged as a particularly important issue in the COVID-19 pandemic, but the flow physics of face masks is complex and is not well studied. Led by Brown University, this project will develop a set of innovative, powerful and accurate computational and experimental tools, rooted in flow physics and mechanics that can be used for the quantitative analysis of the protective performance of face masks. The objectives of this project include developing improved computational and experimental tools necessary to characterize the performance of face masks; employing these tools to perform a detailed characterization of mask performance under a variety of conditions; and generating in a timely manner data that can be used for improved facemask design and to guide more effective public health policies. The project will promote the multidisciplinary education of students in science and engineering and increase public knowledge about the fluid dynamics principles of effective facemasks.

STEM Education & Broadening ParticipationAn NSF CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service project at the University of Rhode Island seeks to increase the number of cybersecurity professionals prepared to join the government workforce by supporting computer science students working to complete their master’s degree in cybersecurity at URI. URI has been designated as both a National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, or NCAE-C, and a CAE in research since 2013, the only institution in Rhode Island with either designation. URI partners with the Community College of Rhode Island.

Research Driving InnovationThe NSF-supported Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics, or ICERM, at Brown University is a national institute whose mission is to catalyze fundamental research in the mathematical sciences. ICERM convenes leading scientists from academia and industry, together with students and early-career researchers, in programs that generate new mathematics and that accelerate the development of technology arising from new mathematics. ICERM pursues its mission by supporting theoretical advances related to computation and by addressing mathematical problems posed by the use of computers. Mathematics influences an ever-widening range of scientific and industrial enterprises, including cryptography, data analysis, fluid dynamics, image processing and industrial design, and computation is at the heart of this interaction. The institute has a special focus on training the next generation in computational skills, preparing them for a variety of scientific careers. It also works to increase the participation of groups underrepresented in mathematics by. To support these goals, ICERN provides a sophisticated research infrastructure including access to high-performance computing and state-of-the-art software resources.

EPSCoRCOMPETITIVE RESEARCH | Rhode Island is one of 28 U.S. states or territories under NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Over $6,150,000 in awards have been made to Rhode Island academic institutions through EPSCoR in FY 2021. For more information, visit Rhode Island’s EPSCoR state web page.

NCSESAccording to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), which is housed in NSF, 25% of Science, Engineering and Health doctorates conferred in Rhode Island are made in Life sciences.

5.44% of Rhode Island’s workforce are employed in S&E occupations.

33.02% of Rhode Island’s higher education degrees are concentrated in S&E fields.

2415 Eisenhower Avenue | Alexandria, VA 22314www.nsf.gov

RHODE ISLAND STATE FACT SHEET | FY 2021

Learn MoreCOVID RELIEF - Congress provided NSF with funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 in the CARES Act of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021. For more information on NSF-funded COVID-19 research and recovery, visit NSF’s award database for CARES Act and ARP awards, and NSF’s Toolkit for COVID funding updates.

NSF FACT SHEETS – NSF provides fact sheets about the agency and its bold investments in basic research. These fact sheets profile NSF investments in research across all fields of science and engineering, including quantum, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, and the NSF-supported research and computing infrastructure powering the U.S. response to COVID-19.

CONNECT WITH NSF – For more information on NSF’s impact in your state, please contact NSF’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at congressionalteam@nsf.gov.