UC Santa Cruz researchers attracted $111 million in external grants and contracts to the campus in the 2006-07 fiscal year. This marks the second year in a row that research funding at UCSC has exceeded $100 million.
UCSC's continued success in attracting research funding has brought in more than half a billion dollars over the past five years, said Bruce Margon, vice chancellor for research.
"These research programs, aside from fulfilling the university's mandate to increase knowledge, give our students the wonderful opportunity to learn within a real-world environment from global leaders, who can bring the enthusiasm of discovery directly into the classroom," Margon said. "Education only from a book can become pretty routine; education from the discoverer of a unique phenomenon can be extraordinary."
The single largest award, $18 million, was received for projects carried out by the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) located at the NASA Ames Research Center. This award made NASA the largest funding source ($22.8 million), followed by the National Science Foundation ($18 million) and the National Institutes of Health ($10 million).
"UCSC's grants and contracts awards maintained a high level, in spite of federal cutbacks, indicating the strength and resiliency of our research community," said William Clark, director of the Office of Sponsored Projects.
