WKU Sets Record $24.46 Million
In Sponsored Programs

Bowling Green, Ky. - An emphasis in applied research has helped Western Kentucky University attract a record $24.46 million in sponsored program funding for 2001-02.

That total in research grants and service contracts is nearly 9 percent above the previous year and 112 percent above 1996-97, said Phillip Myers, director of the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Of the total, about $18 million is funding projects in applied research designed to address the needs of Western's service area and contribute to economic development.

"The very good thing is that these efforts are spread across all of the University's colleges," Dr. Myers said. "Most of our applied research is in Ogden College of Science and Engineering, and they've had a banner year, but other academic colleges have shown marked improvement in this area."

WKU President Gary Ransdell said the growth in sponsored programs funding "is a sign that Western is growing and evolving from more than a teaching institution to one of applied research. This research provides valuable experience for our students and faculty while fulfilling real needs in our area."

Dr. Myers said the continued climb in funding can be attributed to several factors, including:

· An emphasis in applied research by the colleges in hiring new faculty members. In some cases, faculty bring research projects with them, he said.

· The maturity of the University's research programs, such as those found in the Applied Research and Technology Program in Ogden College, one of two Programs of Distinction at Western. "Those have now been in existence for a few years and the fact that we have them has attracted new research faculty," Dr. Myers said.

· Increased federal funding from several federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. That allows the agencies to fund more projects. The College of Education and Behavioral Science has benefited from several large applied research grants from the U. S. Department of Education and from the Council on Postsecondary Education to improve teacher quality and literacy development, Myers said. One of these projects ties Western as the lead institution to eight other universities across the nation.

· An increased acceptance of the importance of research in teaching. "Faculty are beginning to see that scholarship is defined as a combination of teaching and research, especially in the applied areas such as the sciences and professional education," Dr. Myers said.

· Increased use of electronic research aids that bring funding opportunities to faculty members' desktops on a daily basis, and workshops on grant opportunities conducted by the Office of Sponsored Programs.

· The increase in awards has brought hundreds of thousands of dollars more in incentive funds that are pumped back into Western's grants community to spawn more research.

Sponsored Programs Totals
2001-02 $24.46 million
2000-01 $22.47 million
1999-00 $20.89 million
1998-99 $19.07 million
1997-98 $15.04 million
1996-97 $11.53 million

For more information, contact Dr. Phil Myers at (270) 745-4652. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

-WKU-