Faculty and staff at San Diego State University won more than 700 private and public grants totaling $130 million in the recently completed fiscal year, over $9 million more than last year, school officials announced Tuesday.
The total is the highest for SDSU in five years, and helped fund faculty and student research, department projects and other university initiatives.
Some of the notable awards from last year include $10 million over 20 years to support updated infrastructure for research into health disparities research in San Diego neighborhoods; $2 million over five years to look for early developmental signatures of autism in the brain; and $2 million over five years to explore how the molecular properties of RNA could lead to new antibiotics.
"Funding for research and creative endeavors provides our community with opportunities to address pressing societal challenges, deepen scholarly inquiry and enrich our students' educational and professional experiences," said SDSU President Elliot Hirshman.
"I am extraordinarily proud of the successes of our faculty, staff and students who are competing nationally to bring essential resources to our campus and our region," Hirshman said.
Major funders included the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense and California Department of Health Services. Organizations such as the Price Family Charitable Fund, the Institute of International Education and the Family Resource Center Network of California also funded SDSU research.
"This rise in funding is a reflection of the tremendous efforts of our faculty who are making important discoveries and developing real-world applications for these research advancements," said Stephen Welter, vice president for research and dean of graduate affairs. "SDSU continues to make investments in research and creative activities so that our students are challenged and society is served."
The funding is a key step in the aspirations of campus leaders to boost SDSU into becoming a top 50 research institution, school officials said.
