On April 25th, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) received instructions from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to suspend work on the Regional Innovation Engine and Aerospace Center pending further review. This directive was issued after the NSF became aware of potential issues with the NSF Regional Innovation Engine led by UTEP.
In a statement to ABC-7, the NSF emphasized that they take all allegations seriously and have referred the matter to their Office of Inspector General for a thorough investigation. Until the review is complete, no NSF funding will flow to the NSF Engine or any organizations affiliated with the award. All proposals submitted to the NSF must be accurate, and awards are subject to rigorous scientific evaluation.
UTEP acknowledged the discrepancies in its proposal to the National Science Foundation for the Regional Innovation Engine Program. Upon discovering potentially incorrect statements, UTEP conducted a review and found that it had committed resources it does not possess to the NSF grant. A letter was sent to the NSF on May 6th informing them of these inaccuracies.
For further comments or information on this matter, we have reached out to UTEP and are awaiting their response. KVIA ABC 7 encourages civil and constructive conversation and advises readers to keep their comments respectful and relevant. Community Guidelines are available for review by clicking on the link. If you have a story idea to share, you can submit it here.
