TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
NATIONAL WIND INSTITUTE (NWI)
STRATEGIC PLAN - 2015-2019
Approved March 2015
VISION:*
The National Wind Institute’s mission is to serve as Texas Tech University’s intellectual hub
for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education, research, and commercialization
related to wind science, wind energy, wind engineering and wind hazard mitigation. The
institute will support Texas Tech faculty, students, and external partners involved in these
activities and in other related areas of interest.
The vision of NWI is to educate the next generation of wind workforce and researchers;
stimulate discovery and innovation; provide and implement solutions to wind-related
problems; and establish multi-dimensional relationships within the wind field.
OBJECTIVE:
The five-year NWI Strategic Plan serves as the road map for addressing some of the most
complicated and pressing scientific problems lying at the intersections of traditional
disciplines and advancing the NWI twin tenets:


To reduce the impact of wind hazards
To maximize the benefit of wind energy
The efforts proposed will further strengthen NWI’s support of interdisciplinary and
potentially transformative ideas by complementing existing efforts with a portfolio of
innovative coordinated research and educational endeavors.
GOALS:
Goal 1 – Transform the NWI field site at Reese Technology Center into a national and
international epicenter for full-scale wind studies.
We will leverage our unique assets, our infrastructure, and the natural environment at NWI’s
67-acre field site to further enhance its observational capabilities for studies of atmospheric
characteristics and fluid-structure interactions. A wide range of instruments (combined with
NWI’s extensive historical records) will position NWI as the leading provider of benchmark
data for modal development and full-scale testing for emerging technologies. NWI, in
Box 41023 | Lubbock, Texas 79409-1023 | T 806.742.3476 | F 806.742.3446 | www.wind.ttu.edu
An EEO/Affirmative Action Institution
collaboration with Reese Technology Center and with TTU’s Office of the Vice President for
Research, will make Lubbock one of the premier R&D centers of the growing global wind
energy industry.
Goal 2 – Build an institute-wide cyber infrastructure to spur scientific recovery.
We will integrate existing and add new computing resources to build an industry-grade,
cloud-based cyber infrastructure (CI) to support NWI-related research needs and future
opportunities. The CI will store data generated from NWI facilities (e.g., the wind tunnel,
Mesonet network, and met towers) and from research projects conducted by NWI
researchers (e.g. post-storm damage survey, radar imaging, Sticknet) and offer a userfriendly interface for browsing, querying, and retrieving data for further research. NWI shall
be recognized as the leader in cyber-enabled discovery, big data management and analytics,
and in cyber security.
Goal 3 – Strengthen our partnership with industry on technology transfer and
commercialization.
We will partner with industry on transforming NWI-related research findings into products
with economic benefits. The institute will coordinate closely with the TTU Office of Research
Commercialization to develop working knowledge to better support our researchers who
are interested in pursuing commercial opportunities. NWI will maintain an inventory of
intellectual properties generated by our researchers and market it to external partners.
Goal 4 – Enhance the quality and accessibility of wind-focused educational programs.
We will pursue innovative ways in delivering high-quality wind programs at the Bachelor’s,
Master’s and doctoral levels. Working with TTU Administration and TTU System
Institutional Advancement, NWI will identify and leverage both internal (e.g. course fees)
and external resources (e.g., grants, donations, endowed scholarships) to provide sufficient
and sustainable instructional and administrative support.
Goal 5 – Lead and support wind-related research.
We will provide financial flexibility and administrative support to NWI researchers who are
active in attracting external funding and contributing to the Institute’s mission. NWI will
develop the expertise and infrastructure needed for leading large-scale proposals and for
managing complex projects. NWI will strive to become a model organization for financial
transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
* Adapted from the NWI Establishment Document.
V.1.4. Updated: 10/23/2014, 10/24/2014, 11/24/2014, 02/24/2015.