Posted 10/26/2006

University sets record $173.3 million for research

As the University of South Carolina prepares to dedicate the first building of its research campus, officials announced Thursday that faculty had garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state and private funding for research, outreach and training programs in 2005 - 06.

The amount is a 4.3-percent increase over last year's $166.2 million.

USC President Andrew Sorensen said the funding includes an impressive $38.8 million from the National Institutes of Health.

"This is a 47-percent increase in NIH funding over the $26.4 million that USC received last year," Sorensen said. "An increase of this magnitude from one of the nation's most prestigious funding agencies is a tribute to the quality research that is being done by scientists across the university."

On Friday, the university will dedicate a new building for the Arnold School of Public Health. Located at the corner of College and Assembly streets, the five-story, $22-million structure is the cornerstone of Innovista, the university's research campus.

A grant of $17.3 million from NIH to bolster biomedical research and expand educational opportunities for undergraduates is being shared by USC – the lead institution – Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, the College of Charleston and Claflin, Furman and Winthrop universities.

The University of South Carolina and Claflin are partners on a $7.5-million grant from NIH to eliminate health disparities in HIV/AIDS and cancer in the Palmetto State. The grant also will fund undergraduate research with scientists at both institutions.

"These NIH awards, among others, will improve the health and lives of South Carolinians and give students at colleges and universities throughout the state an opportunity to enhance their education through research," Sorensen said. "Students are working with top scientists, and these experiences will be invaluable for their future careers in research, medicine, education, science and technology."

The university launched its own Magellan Scholars Program last year to enrich the academic experience of its undergraduates through research in disciplines as varied as science, technology, medicine, theater, music and art. Already, 66 students have been named Magellan scholars, and another group will be announced later this year.

Dr. Harris Pastides, the university's vice president of research and health sciences, said the funding shows that the university is making make strides in its research focus areas: biomedicine, nanotechnology, future fuels and the environment.

"This record level of research funding shows that our faculty, staff and students are dedicated to the key research areas where USC can make a difference," Pastides said.

"Our scientists are looking at ways to solve our country's most pressing health problems, understand the emerging field of nanoscience, develop future fuels to curb the nation's dependence on foreign oil and protect our environment," he said. "Their research is critical to the future of our state and nation."

Among the awards:

•  Nanotechnology: Researchers from philosophy, history, English and journalism will use a $1.35-million grant from the National Science Foundation to examine the growing role of nanotechnology in society.

•   Engineering: A $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will enable civil engineers from the university's College of Engineering and Information Technology to continue studying ways to improve levees in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

•   HIV/AIDS: A $6-million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will support a program in the university's Arnold School of Public Health to tackle the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among minorities.

•   Future Fuels: University engineers will use a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to make hydrogen, which can be used in fuel cells to power electric vehicles.

•   Criminal Justice: A $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice is funding a study on the use of police force and tasers.

•   Environmental chemicals: A $1.36-million grant from the National Institutes of Heath will link researchers from the School of Medicine and Arnold School of Public Health for a study to identify environmental chemicals that cause developmental disabilities and mental retardation in children.