SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nicole Tafoya, a microbiologist in the environmental microbiology laboratory at the Department of Health’s Scientific Laboratory, tests a sample June 3 for the salmonella outbreak investigation. Photo by Celina Phelps.
Overview of Science and Technology Projects
Investments in research, science and technology are critical to lay the foundation for a stronger economy. Current estimates show that the Recovery Act will invest more than $70.7 million in cutting-edge research projects at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, and at New Mexico's universities and research institutions.
Examples include rapid testing for avian flu, cancer research, and ways to combat global warming.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROJECT
Fighting Healthcare-Associated Infections
Funding Recipient: New Mexico Department of Health
Award: $1 million
Location: Statewide
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The New Mexico Department of Health, in collaboration with the New Mexico Healthcare-associated Infections Advisory Committee, is working on a project to decrease healthcare-associated infections and thereby make healthcare facilities around the state safer for patients and healthcare workers.
With the help of $1 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of Health will expand the healthcare-associated infections initiative that was launched in 2008. Governor Bill Richardson signed a bill in 2009 that created a permanent Healthcare-associated Infections Advisory Committee that is led by the New Mexico Department of Health. The Advisory Committee recently completed a pilot project with six hospitals in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Farmington and Las Cruces to conduct surveillance for certain bloodstream infections and to document rates of healthcare worker influenza vaccination.
“New Mexico has laid groundwork to contribute to improved patient and healthcare worker safety in our hospitals,” said Dr. Joan Baumbach, medical epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health. “Working with hospitals across New Mexico to track and report rates of healthcare-associated infections will provide important information for action to decrease or even eliminate certain infections in hospitalized patients.”
The Healthcare-associated Infections Advisory Committee is establishing standards for reporting hospital-associated infections, training hospitals to assure proper reporting and distributing findings to the public. Dr. Baumbach said the next steps include identifying additional hospitals to participate in the project, training hospitals to enroll in the National Healthcare Safety Network, reviewing hospitals' surveillance systems, and identifying specific educational needs of participating hospitals in order to develop tailored trainings.
“Additional funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help us to contribute to improved safety of New Mexico's healthcare system,” said Dr. Baumbach, who leads the Healthcare-associated Infections Advisory Committee.
The Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee recently published the findings of the pilot study.
Source: New Mexico Department of Health
RECOVERY DOLLARS AT WORK
LOS ALAMOS – Kevin John, a program manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is leading an effort to upgrade a crucial national resource at the lab's Isotope Production Facility.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is paying for critical equipment and lab upgrades for a facility that produces isotopes used in medical imaging, national defense and other science applications.
For example, some isotopes are used by cardiologists to create images to assess heart damage, and others are produced for environmental tracer studies.
The United States currently faces a shortage of some isotopes, John says. But Los Alamos is doing its part, and is moving forward with upgrades thanks to the Recovery Act.
The lab has been awarded $1.3 million by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The funds will be used to refurbish seven hot cell windows where the work is performed; replace eight manipulators, or mechanical arms that allow scientists to handle radioactive material remotely; and to replace a control panel that regulates critical systems in part of the facility.
The hot cells were built in the 1950s. The manipulators, or mechanical arms, were built in the late 1960s. And the control panel components were fabricated during the same era.
“This is a tremendous drain on our maintenance resources,” John says of the aging equipment. “So the stimulus funding will be a huge shot in the arm for us.”
These upgrades provided by the Recovery Act will put the laboratory in a better position for future success, John says. The control panel will be designed, fabricated and installed by machinists and engineers from Los Alamos, which highlights the diversity of talent located at the Northern New Mexico lab.
As of March 2010, Los Alamos National Laboratory has been awarded $212 million for environmental cleanup and more than $61 million for science and research from the Recovery Act.
For more information about the environmental cleanup, science and research projects funded by the Recovery Act, visit the LANL Stimulus Project Office website.
Dr. Sukumar Brahma of Las Cruces sought research funding for one of his projects for the past four years. The Recovery Act finally delivered in July 2009.
Brahma is an assistant professor at New Mexico State University. His project researching how wind farms respond to severe electrical disturbances has been allocated $272,816 from the U.S. Department of Energy.
“It's a godsend,” Brahma said. “For power systems researchers this is great, because a lot of this money is going into energy infrastructure.”
The project is called “Investigating Short Circuit Models for Wind Turbine Generators.” It will be part of New Mexico State University's Electric Utility Management Program.
Brahma is creating simulation-based mathematical models to test different scenarios, such as how a wind farm would respond to electrical short-circuits in the grid caused by lightning, birds or falling trees.
The bottom line is that the research will strengthen New Mexico's position as a leader in alternative energy, and help promote the expansion of wind power as an alternative power source.
“It's great that funding is finally available for researchers in this area to do what they want to do,” Brahma said.
Brahma said the money will support a research assistant for two years and support his own work during the summer break, among other expenses.
