Research is at the heart of the California State University's mission and strategic plan to prepare students for post-graduation careers through hands-on learning and to positively impact California and its communities to secure a brighter future. Across the CSU, faculty and student research is focused on myriad topics from marine health to agriculture to climate change.
Twenty-one CSUs are federally designated emerging research institutions (ERIs), meaning they have an established undergraduate or graduate program that has less than $50 million in federal research expenditures and do not award significant numbers of doctoral degrees.
ERIs graduate more than 40% of STEM degrees in the U.S. but receive less than a tenth of federal research and development funding. However, ERIs like those of the CSU are the institutions graduating first-generation students, students from underrepresented communities and Pell-eligible students—helping to diversify and grow the STEM workforce. And, empowering these students to engage in high-impact research and hands-on study is integral to helping them persist to graduation, gain relevant skills and ultimately achieve economic mobility.
Directing federal funding to the CSU's ERIs would unlock substantial innovation potential among both faculty and students and bolster the national economy.
Cal State Monterey Bay is leading the effort to help bring in more federal funding to the ERIs of the CSU. Though a smaller campus within the system, the university is highly engaged in research activity and had the third highest level of sponsored programs funding per capita in the CSU in 2023.
With a one-year planning grant from the National Science Foundation's
Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Economic Development (GRANTED) program—which aims to specifically support innovation at ERIs—CSUMB is developing a framework for ERIs to conduct needs assessments of their research infrastructure and determine what areas need greater support. The framework will be scalable across the CSU's ERIs, and understanding those needs will help universities apply to ERI-targeted programs such as GRANTED and NSF's
Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program, which supports capacity-building efforts at institutions with limited research capacity.
In addition, the grant sponsored a convening of CSU research officers focused on expanding research capacity among CSU ERIs, which was held on March 17. The workshop included presentations, applied activities, peer exchange and an NSF-led session on the GRANTED program.
Emerging Research Institutions in Action
Cal Poly Humboldt students design computer games during an introduction to technology class.
A number of CSUs have secured GRANTED and EPIIC funding in recent years to expand their research capacity.
Cal Poly Humboldt received an EPIIC grant in 2023 as part of the program's first cohort to increase internship capacity for students in its new engineering and computational degree programs. The university introduced programs in energy systems engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering and data science when it became a polytechnic in 2022—but it did not have the industry partnerships and alumni connections to provide students with the needed experience to land jobs after graduation.
With the funding, Cal Poly Humboldt has been able to develop discipline-focused career fairs and connect students with industry partners for internships. In addition, it hosted a Tech Partnership Summit that brought together alumni, industry partners, faculty and other stakeholders to share the computing, data and technology needs of the professional community. Students also presented their skills and projects during lightning talks.
“The impetus was essentially knowing that this is something we want for our programs in order to provide better career outcomes and more opportunities for our students,"
said Bori Mazzag, associate dean of the College of Natural Resources & Sciences and the grant's principal investigator.
With funding through the GRANTED program awarded in 2024, CSU Dominguez Hills is growing its research capacity by building out its “post-award" services. The new Research Administration Unit will host staff dedicated to administrative activities for award management, such as human resources and finance. By improving these services for faculty and students, the university will encourage more researchers to apply for grant funding and expand research activity, especially among underrepresented groups.
Finally, as part of the North San Joaquin Valley Regional Innovation Translation Ecosystem (NSJV-RITE) project, Stanislaus State and the University of the Pacific are using an EPIIC grant awarded in 2025 to make their region a hub of research, entrepreneurship and applied learning. With a team of consultants and coordinators, Stanislaus State will analyze its current infrastructure and identify opportunities for partnerships to expand learning and career opportunities for students, such as internships, externships, applied research and workforce pathways.
“We need to be looking at what kind of skills industries in the region are looking for from our students, and how we can better support that,"
said Stanislaus State Professor of Art Jake Weigel, the principal investigator and project coordinator. “As an institution, how can we build those 21st-century skills and soft skills? What is the region in need of, in terms of sustainable, higher wage jobs that can push this newer industry and bring some more life to the Central Valley?"
Learn more about research at the CSU.