In an effort to prevent another failure with a massive federal grant to El Paso, the City Council will consider a plan Tuesday for the city government to take over administration of a $40 million award from 2022 meant to expand the region’s aerospace manufacturing sector.
The University of Texas at El Paso was the lead applicant in the original grant, with support from the city and other organizations, which was part of the Biden administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. El Paso was among 21 recipients of funding from the program.
But the grant has languished after UTEP President Heather Wilson removed the leader of the grant coalition, Ahsan Choudhuri, from his role as associate vice president of UTEP’s Aerospace Center in 2024. The move came as UTEP raised concerns – disputed by Choudhuri – about his successful application for a grant of up to $160 million from the National Science Foundation, which also was focused on developing aerospace manufacturing in the El Paso region. The NSF suspended the grant in April 2024, then eliminated the grant in August 2025, saying funds were no longer available to support the original award…