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PSU Behrend Research Funding Totals $24.8M over 10 Years
ERIE, Pa. -- Penn State Behrend faculty members have garnered $24.8 million in research grants and contracts over the past 10 years, adding to the regional economy and providing hands-on research experiences for the students they teach. "We've seen a steady growth in the research funds brought to Penn State Behrend by faculty in business, engineering, humanities and social sciences, and science," said Robert Light, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research, graduate studies, and outreach. "In the 1980s we went from $150,000 to $725,000, and we had our first million-dollar year in 1990-91. Since 1994-95 we've brought in $24,795,592, an average of $2.48 million each year for research."Faculty research funds come to Penn State Behrend from a variety of sources such as the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development, the American Chemical Society, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance, and Pennsylvania Partners on the Arts. Some companies develop contracts with the college to get expert help in their research and development function, Light said.Faculty research often results in intellectual, creative, and problem solving interactions between the college and external constituencies, he noted. These interactions include technology transfer, policy review, creative works in the arts, and other events involving information discovery and disseminating the results of the discovery between the college and outside audiences.Light points out that faculty engaging in research usually include students in their work, offering opportunities for students to gain hands-on research experience. The bond developed between faculty members and student as they complete a research project sometimes turns out to be lifelong. Student research assistants often became co-authors on faculty research papers, and research experience is also a positive when students apply to graduate schools."Penn State Behrend's emphasis on research has also resulted in the Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Annual Creative Research and Accomplishments Conference," said Light. "For the past 13 years, we've seen a growing interest in the conference and increased competition among researchers. Research experience is good for our students and good for northwestern Pennsylvania.""