UTEP orders to suspend aerospace project

According to the University of Texas at El Paso, the National Science Foundation has suspended a grant that could have added $160 million to El Paso’s regional economy due to some “misrepresentations” in the proposal.

The grant, awarded based on a proposal from Ahsan Choudhuri, associate vice president of UTEP’s Aerospace Center, is a key component in El Paso’s important economic development strategy for the coming decades – the development of a manufacturing center for the aerospace industry.

Choudhuri’s attorney said in a statement released Monday evening that the grant application “did not contain any meaningful or material misstatements or deficiencies that would justify a freeze or suspension of the grant.”

UTEP issued a statement to El Paso Matters Monday afternoon saying the university became aware of possible flaws in its proposal to NSF for the Regional Innovation Engines program in early April. An internal review found that the opinions in question gave the NSF resources that the institution did not have, the statement said.

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On April 25, the NSF directed UTEP to suspend work on its regional innovation engines pending further review.

The university sent a letter to the NSF on Tuesday addressing what it said were false claims in its proposal.

“UTEP will work with our regional partners and the NSF to provide the NSF information necessary to quickly resume this important work for El Paso,” the university statement said.

El Paso’s elected leaders expressed concern about the suddenness of the announcement and the potential economic impact on the community.

Mayor Oscar Leeser, in a statement to El Paso Matters, praised Choudhuri’s contributions and expressed concern that key community partners were caught off guard by UTEP’s announcement.

“I am surprised that a decision of this magnitude would be made in a collaborative effort without notification or discussion with relevant partners, and I look forward to working with UTEP to resolve any issues,” Leeser said. “This is too important to our community, and we must all work together to ensure the success of this effort – for UTEP, for our region and for the thousands of families who will benefit from its success.”

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said Choudhuri was a visionary leader of the aerospace project.

“Today (UTEP President) Dr. Heather Wilson removed this beloved El Pasoan from leading this endeavor. This collaboration – led by Dr. Ahsan Choudhuri – is far too important to our community and I know relevant stakeholders are as concerned as I am by today’s news. Together we must get to the bottom of this, with a focus on transparency and what is in the best interest of our community and this important collaboration.”

The university’s statement did not mention Choudhuri, but he was the driving force behind the awarding of several large grants for the development of aerospace manufacturing. Kenneth Meissner, dean of the College of Engineering, will serve as acting director of the UTEP Aerospace Center effective immediately, UTEP said in its statement.

Choudhuri’s attorney Bob Blumenfeld said in a statement to El Paso Matters that UTEP reviewed and approved the grant application.

He said UTEP began asking questions about the proposal in recent days and Choudhuri “provided full and complete responses to UTEP’s inquiries.”

“Today we can say with full confidence that there are no submissions or statements made by Dr. Choudhuri in connection with the NSF grant are false or materially misleading,” Blumenfeld said. “To the extent that anyone suggests otherwise, they are either misinformed or wrong.”

UTEP was one of 10 institutions to receive the NSF Regional Innovation Engines award on Jan. 29. Each team was scheduled to receive up to $15 million over the next two years and could earn up to $160 million over the next ten years.

In 2022, Choudhuri’s proposal also won a $40 million grant under the Biden administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

At the time, Choudhuri said the grant would unlock the potential of small and medium-sized manufacturers in the region to participate in the U.S. aerospace and defense supply chain.

The UTEP team, led by the Aerospace Center and the WM Keck Center for 3D Innovation, consisting of 18 partners in Texas and southern New Mexico, formed the Paso del Norte Defense and Aerospace Innovation Engine. The focus should be on robotics and advanced manufacturing.

Choudhuri estimates the program could support the necessary talent and infrastructure to increase the share of advanced manufacturing jobs in the region from 3.2% to 25%.

State Senator César Blanco’s office issued a statement noting the key roles Choudhuri and Ryan Wicker, executive director of the Keck Center, played in the aerospace center’s development.

“We will continue our collaboration with UTEP and local partners to ensure the Aerospace Center continues to create economic opportunities and a brighter future for the students, workers and communities of Far West Texas,” the statement said.

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