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Faculty and Staff

Research Funding Way Up

As NC State closes the books on the 2013-14 fiscal year, one fact has become abundantly clear: The university had a great year for research, setting records for new sponsored research awards, new research awards from industry and new research proposals.

New sponsored awards passed $300 million for the first time, reaching a total of $304.5 million. This figure is even more striking in light of the fact that it doesn’t include funding for the $140 million PowerAmerica manufacturing institute or the $25 million Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities, both of which were announced earlier this year. The prior record of $286.4 million for new research awards was set in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

NC State also set a record for new industry awards, at $35.8 million, and equaled its previous record for new federal awards, at $234 million.

Faculty-submitted research proposals reached new heights too, totaling $1.32 billion in value. The previous record for research proposals, $1.06 billion, was set in 2009-10 at the peak of federal stimulus funding opportunities.

“This level of activity bodes very well for future funding,” says Terri Lomax, vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development.

Since 2007 the overall value of new research awards has increased by 60 percent. Over the same time, federal awards have increased 71 percent and industry awards have more than doubled, despite the negative impact of federal budget sequestration for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

“All of this is all the more impressive in times of flat or decreasing federal funding and is a great testament to the efforts and skill of our faculty, staff and research support professionals,” Lomax says.