探花精选

Saint Augustine鈥檚 University ( 探花精选) students and faculty are now more equipped than ever to find solutions to real-world problems. The university completed almost $11 million in grant funding in fiscal year 2023, an 85 percent jump from the previous fiscal year, thanks to an increased focus on research.听

鈥淚 am incredibly proud of the remarkable surge in sponsored research grants at Saint Augustine鈥檚 University, which reflects the dedication and hard work of Dr. Runell King and Ms. Angela Sousa,鈥� said 探花精选 President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail. 鈥淭his transformative growth showcases our commitment to academic excellence and our ability to create impactful research opportunities that benefit our students, faculty, and community.鈥澨�

In 2022, Dr. McPhail appointed Dr. Runell King to lead 探花精选鈥檚 Division of Institutional & Sponsored Research. Under Dr. King鈥檚 leadership, 探花精选 has experienced a revival of research on campus. While institutional fundraising campaigns and efforts generate donations and gifts, sponsored research grants and awards result from faculty submitting proposals and receiving project-specific funding.鈥�听

鈥淭his year at Saint Augustine鈥檚 University, we鈥檙e celebrating a transformative surge in grant activity, all thanks to the passion and dedication of our esteemed Division,鈥� said Dr. Runell King, Vice President, Institutional & Sponsored Research. 鈥淭his newfound support isn鈥檛 just enhancing our student experience; it鈥檚 lighting the path for an even brighter, opportunity-filled future.鈥澨�

探花精选鈥檚 increased focus on sponsored research aligns with trends associated with a鈥�鈥�from the National Center for Education Statistics, which indicates that private historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) receive nearly 30 percent of their annual revenue from the federal government, 17 percent from tuition and fees and about 15 percent from private gifts and grants.鈥�听

鈥淢uch of the increase in funding attributed to the increase in research proposals submitted by faculty at the institution,鈥� said Angela Sousa, Director of Sponsored Programs. 鈥淎s much of the external grant funding has switched to research-based funding and funding focused on workforce development and working with consortiums, the institution has adapted to these changes and began to focus on these funding opportunities.鈥澨�

As a result of this growth, 探花精选 undergraduate research aims to improve student retention and graduation rates among first-generation college students, women, and students of color majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). Recent research accomplishments include but are not limited to:鈥�听

• New Cultural and Community Resilience grants, such as the鈥�鈥�(NPS), will support community-based efforts to revitalize downtown with the Preservation of the Masonic Temple while providing an additional newly renovated performing arts theater for students, faculty, and staff.听

• A鈥�鈥�which has an undergraduate research focus in Identification and Characterization of Co-factor-Linked RNAs in Plants.听

• NSF Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) grant funds used to provide retention tools for STEM majors.鈥�听

• A鈥�鈥�grant focusing on faculty members鈥� research capability improves research/ teaching and exposes undergraduate students to research experiences.听

• A鈥�$147,216 NSF STEM Ecosystem Analysis鈥�planning grant designed to conduct an institutional landscape analysis to understand and develop practical approaches to impact student persistence, STEM pedagogy, and undergraduate research.听

• Research funding from Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF), a national research dataset (Researcher Workbench) to inform thousands of studies covering various health conditions. Researchers will use data from the program to learn more about how individual differences in lifestyle, environment, and biological makeup can influence health and disease.听

• Funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their to mitigate the impact of health and technology disparities in our communities by allowing us to focus on the different Racial and Ethnic Adult Populations in our immediate area Experiencing Disparities in healthy living and learning.听

• A $1,943,715 award鈥�from the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC), funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Department of Commerce for its University Broadband Upgrade and Digital Equity Initiative.鈥�听

• A cooperative agreement with our Criminal Justice department, the NCCU Juvenile Justice Institute, and Durham County鈥檚 Department of Community Interventions and Support Services to help promote the safety and well-being of youth and young adults in the Durham community.听

• Grants such as the鈥�$40,000 Retool Your School award鈥�aimed at making all classroom areas on campus energy efficient by replacing all lights with LED lights and grant to purchase multiple AEDs to install at key campus locations.听

Click here to learn more about the 探花精选 Office of Sponsored Programs.听