Opportunities & Benefits

Sponsor and Mentor a Design Project

$6,000+/year

(Industry & National Labs)

  • Receive low-cost, high-quality solutions to engineering and research challenges
  • Mentor a multidisciplinary team of top-performing engineering seniors
  • Evaluate potential future hires in a rigorous, project-based environment
  • Collaborate with expert NMSU faculty with applied research expertise
  • Explore scalable solutions in fields like aerospace, defense, energy, and manufacturing
  • Access university labs, machine shops, software, and simulation tools to extend your R&D capacity
  • Support a design process that includes concept development, prototyping, testing, and validation
  • Increase your visibility across NMSU’s talent pipeline and research network

Faculty-Led Research & Creativity Project

$4,000+/year

(Academic & Internal Sponsors)

  • Advance applied or translational research using student-driven design
  • Translate theoretical frameworks into functioning prototypes or testbeds
  • Amplify grant outcomes through real-world engineering deliverables
  • Generate experimental data and performance testing for proposals or publications
  • Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches
  • Mentor students in technical writing, modeling, simulation, and fabrication
  • Strengthen visibility and competitiveness for future funding opportunities
  • Document results through final reports, testing protocols, and design artifacts

Launch an Entrepreneurial Capstone Project

$500 – 2,500+/year

(Startup & Innovation Focused)

  • Transform your early-stage idea into a functioning proof of concept
  • Prototype hardware and experimental testing
  • Validate market feasibility through hands-on design and testing
  • Receive technical deliverables including CAD models, source code, and test results
  • Access NMSU prototyping labs, fabrication tools, and maker resources
  • Use experimental data to refine your minimum viable product (MVP)
  • Gain feedback on design, manufacturability, and potential IP strategy
  • Bridge your concept into venture-readiness with entrepreneurial mentorship

What You Provide

  • An early-stage concept or technical challenge aligned with your innovation goals
  • A mentor or founder willing to engage in occasional reviews and provide feedback
  • Optional seed funding, in-kind components, or prototyping support
  • General guidance on user needs, customer discovery, or desired performance goals

What You Get

Your student team will:

  • Develop and prototype your concept using engineering design methodology
  • Conduct feasibility studies and early-stage validation through testing
  • Create detailed documentation including design files, schematics, and test results
  • Apply modeling, simulation, and system analysis to support decision-making
  • Collaborate on risk identification, manufacturability, and possible go-to-market strategy

You’ll receive a complete design package and recommendations for next steps by May.

University Resources

Capstone teams at NMSU benefit from access to a robust ecosystem for innovation and engineering:

  • Aggie Innovation Space NMSU: Design-to-market innovation space with tools, testing zones, and expert mentoring (visit site)
  • Rapid Prototyping & Fabrication: Use laser cutters, CNC, and 3D printers at Shop Facilities and 3D Printing Area
  • Multidisciplinary Student Teams: Recruit from aerospace, mechanical, electrical, computer, industrial, mechanical engineering tech, electrical and computer engineering tech, and more
  • Faculty & Engineering Mentorship: Access to NMSU faculty advisors and machine shop engineers with real-world expertise