Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 19, 2002 -- External funding for University of Nebraska-Lincoln research programs increased significantly in the past year, according to an annual report from the UNL Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Federal research awards, funds awarded to the university from federal agencies, increased 18.1 percent to $52.7 million for the fiscal year ending in June 2002. Total research funding increased 18.3 percent, to $74.4 million in that period. Total sponsored programs funding, which includes funding for research and non-research activities such as instruction, public service, administration, and student services, increased 24 percent, to $145 million, in the same period.
This year's funding numbers reflect a continuing trend in increased research awards for UNL, said Prem Paul, UNL Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. In the two-year period since 2000, federal research funding has grown from $31.7 million to $52.7 million, a 66 percent increase, he said.
"These funding successes are a tribute to the expertise and hard work of our faculty and our initiatives to increase UNL's external research funding," Paul said. "Increased federal funding not only improves our ability to do quality research, it also increases UNL's stature among national research universities." A few of the large grants contributing to the increase include:
* $4.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to establish the Center for Reading and Behavior, which supports research and pilot programs for at-risk children at seven Lincoln elementary schools
* $3.1 million from the National Institutes of Health to study substance abuse among Native American children and develop culturally-specific interventions
* $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to study how the HIV virus evolves in infected children
* $1 million from the National Science Foundation to develop techniques for drought risk assessment In addition to funding research projects, external awards support many university functions, including libraries, the colleges, business and finance offices, regulatory compliance, and technology transfer.
Paul is confident that the upward trend will continue, citing UNL's recent news that two grants for major federally-funded research centers, totaling more than $11 million, have been recommended for funding.
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies annual report was released this week. It is available online (www.unl.edu/research.html).
Contact: Monica Norby, Office of Research, (402) 472-4180
( mnorby1@unl.edu )
For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons1@unl.edu
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825