The University of Texas at El Paso confirmed Wednesday that it has started a national search for a new leader of its Aerospace Center, a few days after the National Science Foundation suspended its grant that could have meant up to $160 million for the region.
But the legal team that represents Ahsan Choudhuri, the center’s former associate vice president, believes that search is premature.
Attorney Bob Blumenfeld said Choudhuri, who remains employed by UTEP, asked the public to withhold judgment until after the NSF’s Office of Inspector General completes its review of the university’s proposal to be part of the foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program.
In a statement from Blumenfeld, Choudhuri, a professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, said he respects the process and expects the truth to come out in the coming weeks. Additionally, the announcement stressed that the grant was suspended and not terminated.
“There have been no findings of any wrongdoing by Dr. Choudhuri or anyone else,” according to the statement.
UTEP announced Monday that it learned in early April that it had found “incorrect statements” in its NSF proposal that committed resources to the program that the university did not have. Additionally, the institution stated that Kenneth Meissner, dean of the College of Engineering, would serve as the center’s acting leader.
The NSF announced in January its selection of the UTEP-led Paso del Norte Defense and Aerospace Innovation Engine as one of the 10 grant recipients. It was made up of 18 collaborators in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. Choudhuri was the program’s principal investigator. Each of the 10 grant winners was to receive up to $15 million over the next two years, and up to $160 million by the end of the program.
In its own statement, the NSF said that none of its funding will go to the UTEP program – and that includes any of the organizations involved in the award – until the foundation’s Office of Inspector General completes its review.
“Every organization that submits a proposal to NSF for potential award must certify the accuracy of the proposal’s contents, and all awards that NSF makes undergo a rigorous review of scientific merit and broader impacts,” according to the statement.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales issued a statement that referenced an “internal audit” UTEP used to identify “faculty falsifying grant submissions.” He represents Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from San Antonio to Far East El Paso County. His district includes properties in Fabens and Tornillo that are part of UTEP’s Tech 1 campus.
Blumenfield said “to the extent Congressman Gonzales has received information of a ‘falsification’ regarding the NSF grant, we believe he is in receipt of incorrect information.”
El Paso Matters asked UTEP, the NSF and Gonzales to provide additional details about what was learned, when it was learned and who received that information, but their public information offices did not provide answers to those questions.
UTEP’s Monday announcement surprised many elected officials who had worked closely with the university on this proposal to raise the region’s economic development. They also made it a point to praise Choudhuri for his numerous efforts through the years to build the region’s manufacturing muscles, especially in the fields of defense and aerospace manufacturing.
The officials vowed to work with the university to investigate what happened and get the program back on track.
For example, another Choudhuri proposal earned a $40 million grant through the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge in 2022.
