University of Nevada Las Vegas
AC-10: Support for Research

As of May 2013, UNLV will take a leading role in a $20 million research project that will enhance solar energy technology and advance understanding of the connection between solar energy, water, and the environment in Nevada. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program, whose mission is to assist the NSF in strengthening research and education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics throughout the United States.

NSHE announces the 2013-2014 Undergraduate Research Opportunity (UROP) scholarship program to promote undergraduate research in all NSHE institutions. The program is supported by funding from Nevada’s NSF EPSCoR Solar Energy-Water-Environment Nexus program and the State of Nevada. Students working in any STEM discipline or addressing STEM-related issues are eligible, but at least 50% of the proposals will be awarded to projects that support the Solar Energy-Water-Environment Nexus mission and goals.

Research areas: Students working in any area of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) are encouraged to apply. Fields related to solar energy, water and/or environmental research are of special interest. These include (but are not limited to): Biology, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Climatology, Computer Science, Ecology, Education, Environmental Studies, Geography, Hydrology, Journalism, Natural Resources, and Political Science

The Faculty Opportunity Awards Program provides internal support for development of research with potential for continued funding by extramural funding agencies, private foundations, or industry. The program also supports projects to develop new intellectual property.

The 2014 call for proposals is limited to full-time faculty and will provide short-term, non-renewable funding for projects in two categories: Individual Investigator Award and Innovation/Technology Development Award. Up to $300,000 is available for the 2014 funding cycle. Individual awards will be in the range of $5,000-$20,000 each. Awards are intended to fund personnel and supplies for no more than 18 months (12 months for the Innovation/Technology Development Awards) from the official July 1 start date of the award.

The UNLV Libraries collection contains more than one million monographs, access to over 20,000 serial subscriptions, over 170 electronic bibliographic, full-text and informational databases, 27,000 media materials, over 600,000 electronic books, 1.5 million microforms, 20,000 maps, and 1.1 million state and federal government documents. In addition to general collections, The Special Collections Division houses two research centers and rich and diverse collections documenting the history, culture and physical environment of the city of Las Vegas, southern Nevada and the American West, the international gaming industry, and the history of UNLV.

Notable Holdings:

Special Collections Manuscript Collection
Special Collections Photograph Collections
Special Collections Gaming Collection
Digital Collections
Oral History Research Center
Center for Gaming Research
Architecture at the Architectural Studies Library
Kits and Devices at the Curriculum Materials Library
Vellucci Music Collection at the Music Library
Digital Scholarship at UNLV

The UNLV Libraries strive to build a collection that defines the academic and research library of the 21st century with an emphasis on access and discovery of widely available resources, regardless of format or ownership. The UNLV Libraries’ collection embrace the shift from a traditional collection-centric library to a more responsive “user-centric” library. Primary emphasis is on building the collection via ownership covering the core areas for curriculum and research and areas of regional interest. Secondary emphasis is on expanding the ownership model by providing library patrons with multiple services in order to enhance access to information at the point of need. UNLV Libraries provide increased access to information through enhanced document delivery services and leasing of information resources through implementation of new collection services, such as patron-driven acquisitions.

UNLV Libraries develop their collections and plan information access strategies based on a continuing analysis of the University's evolving academic programs, research interests, and user needs. The UNLV Libraries acquires or provide access to a wide variety of resources in all formats, with a special emphasis on increasing access to online scholarly resources. The Libraries' first priority in selection of materials is to support the research and curricular needs of the University’s students and faculty, by providing material for curricular and research needs. The second priority is to provide a collection that supports the public service mission of UNLV and to provide Nevada residents resources to support individual, business, cultural, educational, governmental, and other information needs.

The collection management department conducts periodic and systematic evaluations using a variety of techniques to ensure that the collection keeps pace with the changing and growing needs of the University community. The Libraries regularly assess materials for reformatting, preservation, replacement, storage or withdrawal to ensure the continued integrity and usefulness of the collection. As new programs are developed, the UNLV Libraries looks forward to working with departments and administrators to ensure that valuable library collections and information resources are made available to students and faculty in these areas.

The administration and development of the Libraries’ collection is conducted on a collaborative basis with faculty and user communities, along with cooperation and partnerships with regional and national academic libraries. The Libraries spend state and endowed funds in the most efficient and cost-effective methods possible, pursuing appropriate consortial relationships that maximize our buying power, deliver cost avoidance, and increases our ability to acquire and access scholarly resources. Currently, the UNLV Libraries participates in several library consortial partnerships, including the Greater Western Library Alliance, Utah Academic Library Consortia, Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium, and LYRASIS.