LUBBOCK -- Texas Tech University is showing a 19 percent increase in grants coming
into the university to support research and instruction.
In fiscal year 2006, which ended Aug. 31, $48,726,026 was awarded to Texas Tech researchers
from federal, state and private sources, up $7.7 million from fiscal year 2005.
“We’re very proud of our faculty,” said Dr. Dean Smith, vice president for Research.
“They have aggressively gone after external funding to support their research programs.
Furthermore, every college showed an increase this year. So success is spread across
the entire Texas Tech campus.”
Expenditures on research, rather than awards, are most often used by universities
to measure research productivity. The increase in awards received should translate
to increased research expenditures. The amount of research expenditures will not be
available until the university completes its annual financial report later this year.
Last year Texas Tech expended $57 million for research. President Jon Whitmore’s long-term
goal is for Texas Tech to reach $100 million in research expenditures.
“I’m excited that Texas Tech is showing an increase in funding coming in for this
year,” Whitmore said. “While most of these grants support research, some support instructional
activities. What this increase tells me is that groups that provide funding are looking
favorably at the exceptional faculty and facilities at Texas Tech. Texas needs more
top research universities and Texas Tech is positioned to fill that void.”
Among the departments with notable increases in funding support are the Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry which showed a 30 percent increase in funding and the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics which showed a more than 200 percent increase.
In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. William Hase, the department’s
Welch chair, holds grants from numerous organizations and is now in his 34th consecutive
year of funding from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Wijesuriya P. Dayawansa
received the most funding in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics including
two separate grants from the National Science Foundation.
“This tremendous growth in Texas Tech’s research is nearly double the national average
which is closer to about 10 percent annually,” said Smith. “This is an exciting period
in our history as we continue to mature as a research university.”
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CONTACT: Dr. Dean Smith, vice president for research, Texas Tech University at (806)
742-3905 or via email at dean.smith@ttu.edu.