Tag: National Science Foundation

LSU Amongst Top Research Universities per National Science Foundation

Louisiana State University (LSU) has once again demonstrated its prominence in academic research, with the National Science Foundation (NSF) confirming the university’s record-breaking research expenditures of $488 million for the 2023 fiscal year. This marks a significant 14% growth compared to the previous year, underscoring LSU’s steady ascent among top research institutions. While this achievement was initially announced by LSU via this news release, the NSF’s confirmation highlights the university’s impressive performance alongside peers such as the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee.

The 14% increase represents a historic milestone for LSU, attributed to a surge in research activities across its campuses. Leading contributors to this growth include LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, as well as LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport. These efforts reflect LSU’s commitment to enhancing its research capabilities across various disciplines and fostering impactful collaborations.

LSU’s progress is not only reflected in its financial achievements but also in its national rankings. Among U.S. research institutions, LSU’s collective campuses—including the flagship Baton Rouge campus, LSU AgCenter,Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and the LSU Health campuses—rose from 71st to 69th place in national rankings. This improvement is particularly notable considering the average growth rate of research universities across the nation was 11% in 2023.

This rise places LSU in a competitive position among its peers, highlighting its ability to maintain momentum in a challenging and fast-evolving research landscape. The increase in rankings demonstrates LSU’s effectiveness in fostering partnerships and securing funding to support groundbreaking projects.

LSU has distinguished itself as a leader in federally funded research, excelling in areas such as life sciences, geosciences, mathematics, statistics, and computer and information sciences. These strengths align seamlessly with the goals of the university’s Scholarship First Agenda, an initiative aimed at addressing pressing challenges in agriculture, biomedicine, coastal restoration, defense, and energy.

The university’s ability to secure federal grants has not only enhanced its research capacity but also reinforced its commitment to creating innovative solutions for Louisiana and beyond. Each year, LSU research contributes an estimated $1.3 billion to the state’s economy, demonstrating the tangible impact of its academic pursuits.

Robert Twilley, LSU’s Vice President of Research and Economic Development, emphasized the significance of the university’s accomplishments. Twilley explained that the National Science Foundation findings validate LSU’s commitment to growth and innovation, particularly in addressing the needs of Louisiana and supporting the Scholarship First Agenda. He also noted that the rise in federal grants signals increased confidence in LSU’s ability to tackle complex challenges at both the state and national levels.

LSU’s success is further illuminated by data from the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. Conducted annually, this survey is a critical resource for understanding research expenditures across U.S. colleges and universities. Institutions that spend at least $150,000 in separately accounted research and development (R&D) annually participate in this comprehensive census.

The HERD Survey breaks down expenditures by research field and funding source, providing an in-depth analysis of trends in higher education. In 2023, total R&D spending by academic institutions reached an impressive $108.8 billion, marking the largest annual increase since 2003. Notably, higher education R&D expenditures have grown at a compound annual rate of 5% over the past decade, reflecting the increasing importance of academic research in driving innovation. Salaries, wages, and benefits for R&D personnel accounted for the largest share of direct costs, totaling $47.1 billion. This investment underscores the critical role of skilled professionals in advancing research goals and achieving institutional success.

LSU’s historic growth in research expenditures is a testament to its dedication to academic excellence and innovation. By leveraging federal funding and fostering strategic partnerships, the university is poised to continue making significant contributions to both the local and global community. As research priorities evolve, LSU remains committed to addressing emerging challenges and driving economic growth in Louisiana.

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Prestigious CAREER Award Presented to 3 UL Faculty Members

The National Science Foundation has recently presented three University of Louisiana at Lafayette faculty members with the prestigious CAREER Award, according to a press release from the University.

Considered to be one of the NSF’s most prestigious honors bestowed, the CAREER award is presented by the Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program, and it is presented to early-career faculty members who “have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department,” according to the NSF’s description.

Dr. Nicholas Kooyers, Dr. James Nelson, and Dr. Mohsen Amini Salehi are the recipients of the distinguished award, and they are all faculty members of UL Lafayette’s Ray P. Authement College of Sciences. Dr. Azmy S. Ackleh is the dean of the college, and he remarked on the prestige of the award by saying, “this is one of the most prestigious funding awards early-career faculty can get. It shows the caliber of faculty we have in the College of Sciences. They are leaders in their respective disciplines and their ideas make them competitive at the national level.”

The National Science Foundation first presented the CAREER award in 1995 as a way to support the outstanding efforts of junior faculty members who epitomize the role of a teacher-scholar in their education and research. The award is presented annually alongside a federal grant for research and education activities, both of which are dispersed over five years. The NSF is an independent federal agency that provides funding for nearly 25 percent of federally-supported research that is conducted by American colleges and Universities.

Dr. Kooyers and Dr. Nelson are each assistant professors in the University’s Department of Biology and Dr. Salehi is an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Informatics.  Each CAREER award is accompanied by an NSF grant that is given to award recipients to further their research. Dr. Nicholas Kooyers will receive $997,269 to examine whether or not the effects of climate change can be countered through a process known as assisted migration. Dr. James Nelson will receive $688,849 to research climate change’s effects on coastal marsh ecosystems, specifically those in Louisiana. Dr. Mohsen Amini Salehi will receive a $513,000 grant to research the development of a domain-specific cloud platform for enhanced multimedia streaming.

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, associate provost and vice president for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development at UL Lafayette remarked, “with the addition of Drs. Kooyers, Nelson, and Salehi to this roster of exceptional academic talent, our faculty members have now received the CAREER Award eight times since 2004. That’s undeniable evidence of the continued strength of our research mission and the dedicated faculty whose work animates it.”

While the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s College of Sciences has had five CAREER Award recipients before 2021, this year makes it the first time multiple NSF honors were bestowed to faculty members in a single year. UL Lafayette’s past recipients were Dr. Sheng Chen, a 2018 honoree; Dr. Danella Zhao, 2011; Dr. Miao Jin, 2009; Dr. Dmitri Perkins, 2005; and Dr. Hongyi Wu, 2004.

Receiving the honor that is a CAREER award from the NSF is a highly-respected achievement by educational leaders in their respective schools, and it has a history of building a firm foundation for a career marked by leadership and the integration of both education and research. Recipients of the award are selected for the honor early in their career, making them the ideal academic role models of their respective educational institutions, and with three UL Lafayette faculty members receiving the honor this year, the future is looking bright.

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Louisiana Universities Awarded Grants for 3D Printing

Looking towards the future are five universities in Louisiana that have been awarded a collective $20 million federal grant to build a sustainable research and education program in Louisiana in addition to designing complex alloys and polymers for 3D printing, as detailed in an Associated Press release this summer.

The award establishes the Louisiana Material Design Alliance (LAMDA), a board of scientists and engineers at five Louisiana universities and will have a big focus on 3D printing – Louisiana Tech, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Southern University A&M, Tulane University and LSU. The Louisiana Board of Regents is administering this grant.

The project is aiming to introduce new technologies and materials to boost a range of manufacturing industries, with federal support from the National Science Foundation, or NSF, as 3D printing technology holds the potential to reinvent the manufacturing industry, but currently available materials do not meet the needs for structural safety and integrity.

To solve this, Louisiana University scientists, engineers, and other collaborators will be discovering and testing the composition, processing, microstructure, performance, and structural integrity of materials that can be used in advanced 3D printing.

“This game-changing work is at the frontiers of science, engineering and education. We are committed to connecting our research discoveries to industry, so they can have real-world impacts,” said Michael Khonsari, the Dow Chemical Endowed Chair in Rotating Machinery in the LSU Department of Mechanical Engineering, who is the project director for the newly established LAMDA and 3D printing initiative.

The overall project aims to forge new collaborations among LAMDA institutions and establish new partnerships with federal agencies and industries to build a sustainable research and education program in Louisiana as well as development of a skilled and diverse STEM workforce which includes 3D printing. It includes summer training programs for community college faculty to provide them with educational tools to incorporate in their own classrooms, a conference series and other outreach activities.

“This is a great win for Louisiana and the economy that will provide a much-needed boost to the manufacturing industry in our state and across the U.S. We are thankful for the National Science Foundation’s support of the research expertise at LSU and throughout Louisiana,” said LSU Interim President Tom Galligan.

“The manufacturing industry plays a critical role in both state and national economies, and 3D printing will help take it to the next level,” said Sen. John Kennedy, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said. “This funding will help educate university students and better equip Louisiana’s workforce.”

“We are delighted that NSF has recognized the immense value of the collaborative work of researchers across Louisiana institutions, public and private, around cutting-edge manufacturing,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. “The project’s dual emphasis on research and education ensures the broadest possible reach of the work.”

The grant will pay 14 new faculty members to work in the 3D printing program at the five universities, LSU said in a news release.

In addition to their research, the faculty will develop new courses and student-led research projects to increase Louisiana’s STEM workforce.

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