July 21, 2009
(JACKSON, Miss.) - Jackson State University garnered $66 million in research and other sponsored program awards for fiscal year 2008-09, topping the previous years' total of $58 million by 14 percent, university officials said.
The $66 million represents external funding for 189 projects from federal and state agencies, said Felix Okojie, vice president of the Office of Research Development and Federal Relations at Jackson State.
"We've been able to show ourselves worthy of some of the country's most competitive funding opportunities in the midst of a difficult economic climate," said Okojie, who also serves as interim vice president for academic affairs and student life.
Jackson State President Ronald Mason, Jr. said the research funding enables the university to better serve the community.
"Our administration, faculty and staff have done an exceptional job," Mason said. "These awards not only provide excellent educational experiences for our students, but the research benefits the public and advances knowledge in a variety of fields including science, health and education."
Some highlighted awards for various university programs include:
" A $3.8 million award for the Jackson State University Busing project. Funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the project is designed to integrate transportation between the main campus and its three satellite campuses. It will also allow the university to build a facility to centralize the transportation system.
" A $2.7 million award for the Vertical Integration for Missile Defense Surveillance Project funded by the U.S. Army Missile Defense Command. This project is designed to conduct basic and applied research in the area of data fusion and related activities.
" Nearly $1.5 million for the Center of Excellence for Natural Disaster, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management. Funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the center looks to identify ways to save lives and prevent damage from natural disasters.
" A $1.2 million award for Scientific Leadership in Bioinformatics for Microbial Threats from the U.S Department of Homeland Security. This project engages students in meaningful research, places them in national laboratories and encourages them to study bioinformatics.
