MERCED, CA— Faculty researchers at the
University of California, Merced have been awarded nearly $8.4
million in research grants and awards during the first half of the
2007-08 fiscal year, the largest six-month total since the
university began research operations in 2003.
The $8.4 million received between July 1 and December 31, 2007,
representing 55 different projects, exceeds the full-year total of
just two years ago, when the university’s faculty earned nearly
$7.6 million in grants and awards. Last year’s full-year total was
$12.2 million.
“Rapid growth in the value of faculty research grants is a
direct reflection of the quality of UC Merced’s growing faculty and
the importance of the work they are doing,” said Samuel Traina,
acting vice chancellor for research and dean of graduate studies.
“Global competition for scarce research dollars is very intense. We
are extremely pleased that our faculty is developing the kind of
proposals that society values and wants to support.”
UC Merced faculty members conduct research on a wide range of
scientific, economic, social and cultural issues, many of which
have direct relevance to the San Joaquin Valley and the State of
California. Federal, state and private funding brought in to the
university is typically used to pay salaries, hire student research
assistants, outfit laboratories, purchase supplies, fund travel and
conduct day-to-day research activities.
Because many goods and services are purchased locally, the
Valley community benefits directly from the inflow of cash as well
as from the ideas and discoveries resulting from the actual research.
Among the awards in the most recent six-month period are:
- $235,000 from the National Science Foundation to fund student
research training in environmental science; - $811,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to study the
ecological effects of climate change at high altitudes; - $100,000 from the California Department of Water Resources to
study the impact of forest management on water quality and quantity
in the Sierra Nevada; - $226,000 from the U.S. Department of Education’s TRIO Talent
Search Program to conduct outreach and support programs for
high-school students from underprivileged backgrounds; - $250,000 from the National Science Foundation to help establish
a facility for the study of full-body motion, eye movement and
cognitive function; - $500,000 from the National Science Foundation to study the
effects of climate change on complex natural systems and life forms
along the snowline in the Sierra Nevada; - $220,000 from the U.S. Department of Education’s McNair
Scholarship Program to increase participation of economically
disadvantaged students in UC-level research projects; - $250,000 from a private individual to conduct research on solar
energy; and - $184,000 from the California Institute for Regenerative
Medicine for the study of immunological responses to transplanted
tissues derived from stem cells.
“UC Merced embraces the University of California’s commitment to
excellence in both student instruction and research,” said Keith
Alley, UC Merced executive vice chancellor and provost. “The two
activities go hand-in-hand, enriching the academic environment for
faculty and students while producing benefits for society.
“Research into the pressing issues of the 21st century is a
major part of the UC Merced mission and a key contribution our
faculty members are making to the Valley, the state and the world.”
Information about interdisciplinary research institutes and
cooperative core laboratories at UC Merced can be found at
ucmerced.edu/research.
