CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/01/09

UGA research funding reaches record high

By Terry Marie Hastings
University of Georgia

University of Georgia research funding reached a record high last year with UGA researchers receiving more than $173 million from external sources.

“This is a very welcome indication that our efforts to enhance UGA research are paying off,” said Vice President for Research David Lee. “Through the efforts of many across campus, we have worked to build interdisciplinary themes, leverage our strengths and recruit outstanding faculty. In current times, academic research is extraordinarily competitive, so that if you’re not moving forward, you’re inevitably slipping behind. We’d rather move forward.”

The previous peak, $150.6 million, was reached in fiscal year 2005. UGA is among the top 100 public and private research universities for federal research and development expenditures. The National Science Foundation ranks UGA 94th in nation among all universities, based on 2007 rankings, the most recent available.

Sponsored research funding stems from contracts and grants awarded to the university primarily by federal, state or local government agencies; state, national or international private foundations; or individual donors from Georgia and elsewhere.

“The funding success achieved by UGA faculty researchers this year is a reflection of their scientific contributions in areas of important state and national need, such as health, sustainable energy, human development and the environment,” Lee said. “It is work they will continue to build on in the future.”

In addition, Lee said, “the funding UGA researchers bring in, mostly from the federal government, benefits the local and state economy.”

By conservative estimates, every research dollar UGA researchers earn generates almost $2 that is spent in Georgia on services, equipment and support personnel, according to Jeff Humphreys of the Selig Center for Economic Growth, UGA Terry College of Business.

In 2009, federal agencies awarded grants and contracts to UGA researchers totaling $100.6 million, or almost 60 percent of the total. Funding agencies include NSF, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Education, Defense and Commerce.

UGA researchers also received sponsored research funding from the state and local governments, international agencies and foundations and private companies developing new technologies.

UGA’s total external funding—which includes research, instruction, public service and outreach—also rose, ending the year at $246.7 million, according to Regina A. Smith, associate vice president for research. Declines in instruction and public service awards were offset by increases in Cooperative Extension and research awards.

A sample of 2009 research awards include:

  • $1.7 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Faculty of Engineering Outreach to improve air quality by retrofitting diesel vehicles in Athens-Clarke and Washington counties.

  • $18.7 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases to research ways to reduce morbidity from schistosomiasis in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

  • $2.4 million from the National Science Foundation to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to understand how to genetically engineer better soybeans; $1.7 million to from the USDA to advance the blueberry industry in the Southeast, $1 million from the Georgia Peanut Commission to improve peanuts, and $1.75 million to reduce risk to tomatoes and peppers from thrips and tomato spotted wilt virus in the southeastern U.S.

  • $1.3 million from the National Institutes of Health to the College of Veterinary Medicine to “bring biology to life” for high school students using 3-D models and animation.

  • $149,999 from the National Science Foundation to the Lamar Dodd School of Art, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, to explore the link between creativity and solutions for complex human and environmental systems.

  • $648,000 from the Andrew Mellon Foundation to the University of Georgia Press to support “Early American Places,” a new scholarly book series devoted to early North American history.

    • Complete information on award data can be found in the Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report, Office of the Vice President for Research, http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/communications/facts/reports/2009/.

    Terry Hastings is the director of communications for the UGA Office of the Vice President for Research.

    Experts/Sources:
    Regina Smith
    uga commencement CAES News
    CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
    As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
    A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
    UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
    The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
    Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
    Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
    During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.
    2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education. CAES News
    Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
    An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.
    Peach growers are looking forward to a fruitful season as the weather this winter and spring have been near-perfect for the sensitive crop. This year is projected to be a much-needed comeback from the disastrous season they experienced after a late freeze in March 2023 took out more than 90% of the state's crop. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA) CAES News
    Growers hopeful 2024 peach season will rebound from disastrous 2023 04/10/24 Emily Cabrera
    Last year, the peach industry lost $60 million due to the late freeze that hit much of the Southeast in mid-March 2023, said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for Peach and Taylor counties. With no freezing temperatures in the forecast and hope for strong pricing during the upcoming season, peach growers are looking forward to a much-needed rebound year.
    UGA wheat breeder and geneticist Mohamed Mergoum smells one of several test brews created by Creature Comforts on its annual Get Comfortable collaboration using a variety of wheat Mergoum developed at CAES. CAES News
    Creature Comforts partners with UGA wheat breeder to create 2024 Get Comfortable brew 04/09/24 Maria M. Lameiras
    Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile. These two exacting professions came together this spring when Athens-based Creature Comforts Brewing Co. reached out to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to find a sustainable wheat variety they could use to make a good beer for a great cause.