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Grant funding continues upward;
year-end total tops $38 million

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By Bill Hunt
University Grants and Research Office

By the end of 1999 we reported that grant-funded projects at Fresno State had reached a new record of $26 million. By December, 2001 the growth had reached $33 million. Now, by the end of the last fiscal year (June 2002) the new growth will exceed $38 million, making Fresno State one of the top five CSU campuses in terms of grant funding.

How did we do it?

One big reason is the management emphasis and fundamental organizational structure of Academic Affairs, headed by Dr. J. Michael Ortiz. Academic Affairs is organized to include more than 50 academic departments, eight colleges/schools, the Henry Madden Library, the Division of Graduate Studies, Extended Education and dozens of centers and institutes.

Academic Affairs also manages the University Grants and Research Office (UGRO), and thereby directly reviews and approves all proposals before they leave campus.

Dr. Thomas McClanahan, associate vice president for Grants and Research, credits many people, including the president, provost, deans and UGRO staff, but lavishes his most enthusiastic praise on faculty.

"Excellent faculty members form the backbone of all successful research programs, and we are fortunate to have so many superbly qualified people who, in increasing numbers, are devoting their time and talent to research activities."

Growth in sponsored programs began mushrooming six years ago, increasing each successive year by 10 percent, 30 percent, 54 percent, 27 percent and 15 percent last year.

UGRO works with faculty and submitted more than 550 proposals last year. Not all proposals are funded, but the percentage of proposals that turn into contracts has been growing ­ to nearly 50 percent.

Grants and contracts come in all shapes and sizes, from modest awards to individual faculty members to multimillion-dollar grants that involve collegewide, university-wide and community-wide cooperation. Dr. Isabel Kaprielian, for example, received a $1,500 grant from the Garabedian Foundation to research the history and impact of Armenians in the local raisin industry. Biologist Brian Tsukimura was awarded $1,800 from the California Rice Board to study the reproductive cycles of tadpole shrimp.

At the other extreme, The Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) is under contract with the California Energy Commission to conduct a multiyear, multimillion-dollar project designed to improve energy efficiency across the state. Dr. David Zoldoske, CIT's director, calls this project a "watershed" for the center.

The College of Health and Human Services has also expanded its outreach tremendously through grants and contracts. Recently, the college was awarded a $5-million grant to manage the One-Stop-Center, a community-wide service designed to provide opportunities for the integration of employment and training services, with the ultimate purpose to increase the quality and availability of a viable workforce in Fresno County.

The majority of Fresno State's grant-funded projects are sponsored by the various departments and offices of federal, state and local government, ranging from the National Science Foundation to local counties. But 41 current grants are from a full array of private foundations and industry groups. Chief examples from this group would include the California Endowment, the Garabedian Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the American Vineyard Foundation, the Coleman Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation.

Fresno State has the distinction of being the only university in the nation that has two Upward Bound grants, two Gear-Up grants and two Hispanic-Serving Institution grants all at the same time from the U.S. Department of Education. These six grants total more than $14 million over five years.

Back to University Journal, 09/03/02 Issue