Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Psychology Department External Funding Grows Steadily, Along with Faculty Publications
In a challenging economic environment that has seen programs across the country eliminated and funding from all sources declining, the Psychology Department has shown a positive trend in external funding. In fact, between 2000 and 2004, total funding tripled; it has remained steady over the last four years.
“Over the course of the past eight years, the Department has gone through substantial changes which have solidified and enhanced our research status, our graduate program, and our undergraduate curriculum and teaching overall,” notes department chair Tom DiLorenzo. Stability in external funding has helped fuel that progress.
Major funding sources remain the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF), although several grants derive from private foundations.
It’s no surprise to find a corresponding rise in productivity among department faculty. Over the same time period, the number of faculty publications has approximately doubled. “There is no question that the department has risen to greater heights during the past eight years. Research productivity, grant submissions, awards and total funding are excellent,” says DiLorenzo.
Another sign of healthy financial support is seen in the numbers of students competing successfully for outside funding. Since 2003, six students have garnered National Research Service Awards from NIH; several others have been awarded grants from other sources.
Grad students applying for Federal grants succeed regardless of award outcomes, according to Paul Quinn, Director of Graduate Studies for the Psychology Department. “Students put together a research plan in conjunction with their mentors, submit to NIH and get reviewed. If the review score is high enough, they get funding. But even absent obtaining grant funding, the process itself is important because it helps students define and advance their research goals,” he says.
The Department is also successfully competing for University-based support. Psychology has consistently picked up at least one Graduate Fellow award per year, and last year both of its two nominees won. Dissertation Fellow awards are another success story, with the Department seeing at least one of its two nominees win each year. Graduate Scholar awards have also been significant; currently, the department has four Graduate Scholars receiving support.
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