SDSU Receives Record $140 Million for Research, Programs

University Grants Show 65 Percent Increase Over Past Five Years

San Diego State University faculty members received $140.4 million in grants and contracts during the 2001-2002 fiscal year, a 13 percent increase over the 2000-2001 total and a record for the university. This year’s jump in funding caps a 65 percent increase in dollars awarded to SDSU faculty for research and administering programs during the past five years.

This further demonstrates that SDSU is continuing to make its mark as a research institution. The Carnegie Foundation classifies SDSU as a Doctoral/Research Intensive university, which places SDSU among the top 6.7 percent of 3,800 higher education institutions nationwide engaged in research.

“Research is an important element of San Diego State University’s mission,” said SDSU President Stephen L. Weber. “The San Diego region presents dynamic possibilities for innovation in many areas, and SDSU teacher-scholars constantly are developing technologies and solutions for social issues.”

SDSU currently has approximately 1,400 grant programs and research projects under way. Submission of grant proposals has increased 43 percent during the last five years at SDSU.
Provost Nancy Marlin said the impact of more research funding is felt throughout the university. “Thanks to the extraordinary work of our faculty, SDSU continues to experience increased success in securing highly competitive research funding,” Marlin said. “Such funding not only allows faculty to conduct vital research that adds to our knowledge but allows our graduate and undergraduate students to work directly with faculty on their research projects.”

Frea Sladek, chief executive officer for San Diego State University Foundation (a nonprofit auxiliary of the university that helps faculty members find, apply for and administer grants), said SDSU faculty received funding from more than 300 federal, state and local sponsors including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NASA.
“Our faculty have been extremely successful at crafting award-winning proposals,” Sladek said. “More than 50 percent of new proposals submitted to funding agencies receive awards. In comparison, NSF and NIH fund less than a third of all proposals they receive. Ours is a success rate any higher education research institution would be proud of.”

Faculty members securing significant awards this year include:

• Donna Beshgetoor, Exercise and Nutritional Sciences and Kenneth Bart, Graduate School of Public Health, $4,058,204, for “Women, Infants and Children,” from the California Department of Health Services.
  
  
• Timothy Hushen, SDSU Foundation and Sanford Ehrlich, College of Business Administration, $2,674,473, for “Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology,” from the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Naval Research.
  
  
• Timothy Hushen, SDSU Foundation and Alan Sweedler, Office of International Programs, $2,500,000, for “Public Interest Energy Research: Energy Innovations Small Grant Program,” from the California Energy Commission via the California State University Chancellor’s Office.
  
  
• Terry Carrilio, School of Social Work, $2,230,000, for “Family Support Home Visiting Dissemination Project,” from the California Department of Social Services.

Significant research-based grants and awards include:

• James Sallis, Psychology, $677,474, for “Ecological Analysis of Physical Activity,”
  from the National Institutes of Health.
  
  
• John Clapp, School of Social Work, $99,398, for “Community-Collegiate Alcohol Prevention Partnership (C-CAPP): A Comprehensive Science-based Environmental Program,” from the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  
• John Love, Chemistry, $103,954, for “A New Class of Anti-cancer Compounds for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer,” from the California Cancer Research Program.

CONTACT: Steve Dolan,SDSU Marketing & Communications
(619) 594-4298, Pager (619) 620-1184 sdolan@mail.sdsu.edu

Theresa Nakata, SDSU Foundation
(619) 594-8762, Mobile (619) 913-8445, tnakata@foundation.sdsu.edu