While constant budget cuts occur at The University of Memphisthere is one bright area in terms of money -- The U of M receivedover $36 million in grants for research last year.
"Research money is crucial because it helps to advance fields,"said Andy Meyers, vice-provost of research at The U of M.
The money received helps for research in many fields fromtechnology to education.
The U of M psychology department, ranked number six in thenation in 2000 for the amount of grant money received, brought in$9.38 million to help fund various research programs. One topicthat is currently being researched by the department is a study ofsmoking among young people in Memphis.
Bringing money to the school is vital in recruiting people toThe University.
"Research money helps develop a reputation for our school andhelps in bringing students and faculty to the university," Meyerssaid.
"The research money is very important to help launch large-scalecollaborative efforts," said Barbara Ellen Smith, director ofresearch at the Center for Research on Women.
One such collaborative effort the center is finishing up is aresearch study on immigration that is a joint effort with the FordFoundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Charles Stewart MottFoundation. The center received a $525,000 grant for the study.
With hundreds of different research programs going on at The Uof M, money from grants funding these studies will continue to becrucial.
Competition can be stiff when competing for many of the federalgrants. The U of M receives in the neighborhood of 20 percent ofthe federal grants it applies for. The University of Mississippibrought in $78 million in grants for external funding in the lastfiscal year. That money funded $61.1 million in researchsupport.
One hope of bringing more money to the university is with thenearly completed FedEx Institute of Technology. The state-of-artcenter is expected to be a hub for research for The U of M.
Federal grants are advertised by different agencies oftenthrough various web sites. Each department is responsible forgetting their own grants but there are some resources at TheUniversity to help look for the grants.
"Most of the external funds received go to run the specificproject. Some funds may cover institutional costs associated withthe project, such as paying for lights in the labs," Meyerssaid.
