NSHE Workshop Supports Two-Year Collaboration to Advance Technology for Research and STEM Education
The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) held the first Nevada Research Technology Strategy Workshop, gathering Nevada’s research-intensive higher education institutions to collaborate on ways to improve computing, data, networks, and general IT support for research and STEM education.
The workshop was hosted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and led by NSHE System Computing Services (SCS) in partnership with Internet2. It marked the beginning of a two-year effort funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through an initiative called NV-DICE, which stands for the Nevada Vision for a co-Developed Impactful Cyberinfrastructure Ecosystem.
Representatives from NSHE, UNLV, the University of Nevada, Reno, and DRI helped guide the workshop, which featured presentations from NSF program officers, a panel discussion with Chief Information Officers, researcher-IT collaboration talks, and working sessions focused on campus-level planning for research technology and support services.
The National Science Foundation provided initial funding for the project. Dr. Scotty Strachan, Principal Research Engineer for NSHE-SCS and principal investigator for the initiative, emphasized that additional funding opportunities may be available through collaborative strategies developed during the effort.
“Our goal is for each institution to develop an implementable plan for faculty- and student-facing technology infrastructure and workforce development,” said Dr. Strachan. “Together, we can evolve a regional strategy to coordinate technology resources and seek external funding to augment our internal investments.”
The NV-DICE project is designed to:
- Chart a path to modernize research technology infrastructure across NSHE institutions
- Support science-driven education and student engagement in STEM
- Strengthen collaboration between faculty, students, and IT professionals
- Focus on key technology areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, sensor networks, and cloud computing
- Expand efforts in workforce development and regional collaboration
“There was a clear recognition of the importance of cyberinfrastructure (CI) and research technology to the research and education missions across and within the institutions,” said Lauren Michael, Research Engagement Strategic Consultant at Internet2, who co-facilitated the workshop. “Nevada campuses are now well-positioned to engage in CI strategic planning and development, leveraging frameworks common across the national community, as well as opportunities for federal funding.”
Researchers shared how access to technology and support from IT teams helps translate academic work into meaningful outcomes.
“The work I do sits in between research and management operations, so it’s vital having IT help make sure that the data I collect is accessible to anyone who is using it on the operations side or outside of our own academic institution,” said Dr. Anne Heggli, Assistant Research Professor in Mountain Hydrometeorology at DRI. “Being able to make the data accessible helps improve decision making and situational awareness so that our frontline climate responders can make the decisions to help our communities prepare appropriately.”
The NV-DICE project also emphasizes workforce development and team-building in STEM fields across NSHE campuses. The next workshop will be held in 2026 in Reno, where institutions will share progress, success stories, and solutions developed as part of the two-year initiative.
For media inquiries or additional information, please contact Elizabeth Callahan at ecallahan@nshe.nevada.edu or 702-522-7021.
