09-21-04

Iowa State's College of Education receives record external funding in 2004

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's College of Education set a record for external funding with a combined award of almost $7 million in grants and contracts in fiscal 2004, almost 30 percent more than the previous year's total of $5.4 million.

External funding comes to the college from government agencies, corporations and foundations for specific research, public service and training.

Federal government agencies contributed $4.9 million of the 2004 awards. The largest federal funding contributors were the National Institutes of Health ($2.6 million), U.S. Department of Education ($760,000), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ($600,00), and National Science Foundation ($580,000).

State, county and city governments were the largest source of non-federal funding to the college at $1 million. Another $550,000 came from other universities/colleges for joint projects.

"College of Education faculty and staff are being very productive in obtaining external resources to support their research programs and our undergraduate and graduate students," said Jerry Thomas, interim dean for the college. "I'm particularly pleased with the success we are having with federal support agencies, specifically the National Institutes of Health. As I look at the increased numbers of grant proposals that have recently been submitted, I expect this upward trend to continue."

Examples of externally funded research for the college include:

• Ongoing study funded by the National Institutes of Health to determine the affects of echinacea, a popular dietary supplement, on the immune system by Marian Kohut, assistant professor of health and human performance.
• Continuing research funded by the U.S. Department of Education to create tools to measure academic achievement in algebra by students with disabilities in general and special education classrooms by Anne Foegen, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction.
• New research funded by the National Science Foundation to develop instructional technology strategies and curricula for design and technical graphics courses at community colleges by Ann Thompson, associate dean for the college and professor of curriculum and instruction.

"The substantial increase in contract and grant funding in the College of Education for 2004 is further evidence of the increased research productivity by the faculty," Thompson said. "Looking at contract and grant trends in the past five years, I see a continuing and substantial increase."

The Research Institute for Studies in Education tracks grants and contracts for the College of Education.

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Quick look

Iowa State's College of Education set a record for external funding with a combined award of almost $7 million in grants and contracts in fiscal 2004, almost 30 percent more than the previous year's total of $5.4 million. Federal government agencies contributed $4.9 million of the total. State, county and city governments were the largest source of non-federal funding at $1 million. Another $550,000 came from other universities/colleges for joint projects.