By Maria Gonzalez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS — JAN. 27, 2026 –  The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley received a five-year, $570,160 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research led by Dr. Farid Ahmed, assistant professor of manufacturing and industrial engineering, focused on improving the speed and reliability of metal additive manufacturing.

The research is aimed at solving one of advanced manufacturing’s most persistent challenges: producing metal parts faster without sacrificing quality.

“NSF CAREER awards recognize faculty who demonstrate both research excellence and a strong commitment to education,” said Dr. Can Saygin, senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College at UTRGV.

“Dr. Ahmed’s work advances a critical area of advanced manufacturing while creating meaningful research and training opportunities for students. This award reflects the strength of our faculty and UTRGV’s growing national research profile.”

The award supports Ahmed’s project, Integration and Tailoring of Thermal Energy Sources to Enable Defect-Free High Deposition Rate Metal Additive Manufacturing, funded through NSF’s Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation within the Directorate for Engineering.

Metal additive manufacturing enables manufacturers to produce complex, customized metal parts, but scaling the process for industrial use remains a significant challenge. Increasing production speed often introduces defects that affect material quality and limit broader adoption.

For Ahmed, the award provides the support needed to address those challenges through his research.

“Receiving the NSF CAREER award is a significant milestone in my career journey at UTRGV. To me, this award is a recognition of the passion, purpose, and commitment that drive my work as a scholar and educator,” Ahmed said.

He said it validates the direction of his research and provides critical support to pursue high-impact ideas in advanced manufacturing.

“It enables me to create new opportunities for student involvement in cutting-edge manufacturing research and to contribute meaningfully to the university’s mission of serving the RGV through education and discovery.”

ACCELERATING THE FUTURE

Ahmed’s research focuses on improving how heat is applied during high-speed metal printing. By combining multiple energy sources, including laser beam shaping, induction heating and ultrasonic vibration, the project aims to better control temperature during the printing process, reducing defects while increasing production speed.

“Current metal additive manufacturing technologies are, in general, constrained in scalability by slow deposition rates and process-related defects,” Ahmed said. “My research focuses on significantly increasing deposition speed while reducing defects to improve overall process efficiency.”

If successful, Ahmed said, the work could accelerate the industrial adoption of metal additive manufacturing, reduce material waste, expand its use across industries, and contribute to broader societal advancement.

In addition to improving the manufacturing process, the project will examine ways to reduce internal stress in printed metal parts and use artificial intelligence tools to help predict defects and material behavior during production.

Education and workforce development are central to the CAREER award. Undergraduate and graduate students at UTRGV will participate in hands-on research activities designed to prepare them for careers in advanced manufacturing.

“This project directly supports workforce development by equipping students with the interdisciplinary skills needed in the rapidly evolving field of advanced manufacturing,” Ahmed said. “It will integrate students’ research opportunities that foster hands-on learning in metal additive manufacturing, which will not only deepen their technical knowledge but also prepare them to pursue impactful careers in advanced manufacturing.”

Looking ahead, Ahmed said the project positions his research program to address larger challenges in the field.

“This project offers an opportunity to uncover fundamental challenges and develop innovative solutions in metal additive manufacturing,” he said. “The outcomes will strengthen my capacity to address broader and more complex problems in the field, ultimately enabling me to make transformative contributions to advanced manufacturing and establish myself as a leading scholar in this domain.”

Ahmed credited institutional support at UTRGV for enabling the work.

“I sincerely appreciate the support, resources and mentorship provided by the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (IAM), the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, the College of Engineering, and the Division of Research at UTRGV,” he said. “The institutional support has been instrumental in creating an environment that allows me to pursue ambitious research and educational goals.”

The five-year NSF CAREER award will support Ahmed’s research at UTRGV as he advances metal additive manufacturing while expanding student training and workforce development in advanced manufacturing.