1. Puerto Rico
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering.
BY THE NUMBERS
Puerto Rico in FY 2016
$16 Million: NSF funds awarded
11: NSF-funded institutions : NSF grants awarded 1: NSF research centers/facilities
“Puerto Rico has a tremendous value proposition. We have an amazing, highly educated workforce and great universities doing important research.”
− Iván Lugo, Executive Director
Industry University Research Consortium
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN PUERTO RICO
Researchers at the University of Puerto Rico developed a new and economical method for producing microcrystalline diamond films. The inclusion of diamond into high-powered, high-temperature electronic devices improves performance by extending working lifetimes.
While studying marine bacteria, researchers at the University of Puerto Rico discovered a new pathway to construct vital fatty acids without a protein catalyst. If the team can extend its discovery to other organisms, the work could facilitate the manufacture of natural products.
Researchers at the University of Puerto Rico have identified two key genes of the cassava plant, an important tropical root crop and basic staple food for millions of people worldwide. Isolation of these genes may help researchers develop more nutritious, less toxic varieties of this critical food source.
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INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN PUERTO RICO INNOVATION
Puerto Rico universities conferred 1,340 M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in science and engineering fields in
Over 23,000 individuals are employed in science and engineering occupations.1
About $16 million in venture capital investment was made in Puerto Rico in
In 2014, 40 patents were awarded to inventors in Puerto Rico. 1
Over 22,000 STEM students graduate from Puerto Rico’s universities each year.2
Puerto Rico ranks third in the U.S. in availability of scientists and engineers.3
1 Science and Engineering Indicators Report 2016 NSF
2 Puerto Rico’s Science and Technology Trust
3 The Global Competitiveness Report
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) 

2. Puerto Rico
Since 1952, NSF has supported nearly 50,000 graduate students through research fellowships.
Puerto Rico received $3 million in NSF educational funding in FY 2016.
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) not only funds cutting-edge research at institutions across the country; NSF’s education initiatives ensure the U.S. will remain a global leader in innovation for generations to come.
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN PUERTO RICO
The NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education project at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez brings science to thousands of K-12 students through the “Science On Wheels” program. Graduate research fellows travel to schools and field sites to work with teachers to bring hands-on science experiences to students.
The University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez has started a three-year program offering Research Experience for Undergraduates and Teachers. The program engages 12 undergraduates from universities across the U.S. and two teachers from underserved regions of Puerto Rico. By engaging undergraduates and K-12 teachers in frontier research, this program helps build a broadly inclusive science engineering workforce.
Puerto Rico’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation in STEM fields contributes to increasing graduates in underrepresented populations. The alliance institution strategies include peer and faculty mentoring, engaged academic learning communities, research experiences for undergraduates and private and public sector research organizations. The academic and research experiences garnered numerous awards and recognition for alliance students and faculty.
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“With this innovative collaborative Project – Expanding Undergraduate Students Education, Opportunities and Options in Clinical and Translational Research – … we are responding to the need of equipping these professionals, from their academic foundation, with research skills which will translate to our community’s well-being.”
- Dr. Rubén García García, Project Director, Title V collaborative grant, UPR-MSC and UCC
“Our long-term goal is to keep expanding our Postdoctoral Research Fellows program to provide opportunities right here in Puerto Rico so scientists and researchers don’t have to leave the island…There are a lot of highly talented people here who need…support so that Puerto Rico can continue developing local research groups, commercialize their efforts to create innovative products, and generate more jobs.”
−Dr. Jose Ginel Rodriguez, President, Universidad Central del Caribe President
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) 