Researchers earn record funding boost
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Date: 2008-07-08
Contact: Cathy Lawhon
Phone: (949) 824-1151
Email: clawhon@uci.edu

Note to editors: Images available at http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1789

IRVINE — Building on its strengths in emerging avenues of research, UC Irvine received more than $327 million in contract and grant funding during fiscal year 2007-08. This is the highest total funding received for sponsored projects, increasing almost 19 percent from last fiscal year and 5 percent over the previous record high in fiscal year 2005-06.

"UCI has been recruiting outstanding faculty members, and we have a very active research development team to help put proposals together," said Susan V. Bryant, research vice chancellor, explaining the record increase. "Campus leadership also has been very good at fostering emerging avenues of research and education, such as stem cell biology and energy and the environment."

Federal funding at $201 million made up almost 62 percent of the total, increasing 2 percent over last year.

State funding totaled ¬$53 million, representing an 818 percent jump, and more than half of that came from a $27 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine for construction of a stem cell research facility.

Another growing category was grants from businesses, up 12 percent to $23 million.

Money from foundations, trusts and nonprofits remained level at $36 million.

Among the highlights:

Schools receiving the most federal funding:

• Medicine: $92,700,184

• Physical Sciences: $28,378,804

• Biological Sciences: $27, 335,954

Schools showing increases in funding:

• Humanities: +77 percent

• Biological Sciences: +30 percent

• Engineering: +23 percent

• Medicine: +12 percent

• Physical Sciences: +5 percent

Schools receiving the most funding from profit-making entities:

• Medicine: $16,156,335

• Engineering: $2,557,239

In addition, 15 individuals received new or renewal funding of more than $1 million each. The top three are:

• Chancellor Michael V. Drake, $27.2 million from CIRM for stem cell research facility construction • Dr. James Swanson, pediatrics, $15.2 million from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to support the UCI Center of the National Children’s Study • Dr. David Theo Goldberg, Humanities Research Institute, $5.6 million for "The Digital Media and Learning: Competition II and III"

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