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WSSU’s research portfolio tops $51 million

Grant funding has a significant impact on how WSSU directly supports students and builds the framework for cutting edge innovation.

Winston-Salem State University has had a stellar year of grant funding. Over 12 months, more than $27 million has been awarded, bringing the university’s total portfolio to just over $51 million, in support of new and ongoing research projects.

An accomplishment of this magnitude puts new energy into the university's research portfolio. Over half of the grants awarded are going to new projects and first-time principal investigators.

"We are starting to think bigger about grant procurement. Department leadership encourages faculty and staff to think beyond their comfort zones to target opportunities that will support their work, and it's paying off in a big way," said Dr. Erin Lynch, associate provost of Scholarship, Research, and Innovation.

The numbers tell the story:

  • $51,180,992.28 total grant awards
  • $27,687, 291 awarded for new grants
  • 89 projects supported
  • 22 departments with active awards 

Grant funding has a significant impact on how the university directly supports students and builds the framework for cutting edge innovation. Just over eight million will be for scholarships. These funds will ease students' financial burden and allow them to expand into disciplines they may not have considered.

"Scholarships allow us to recruit for our Occupational Therapy programs more effectively, said Dr. Cynthia Bell, professor and chair of the Occupational Therapy Department. "In a profession that has been traditionally low on diversity, grant dollars provide high-impact opportunities to previously underrepresented populations."

The University’s largest percentage of the funding is going to research and development. WSSU faculty are making major strides that will impact our state and local communities. A sampling of research include:

  • Improving outcomes in older adults who have suffered falls to include an integration of telehealth services to improve health efficiencies
  • Incorporating data sciences into other disciplines
  • Exploring African American students' identity and motivation in STEM programming
  • Implementing interventions to prevent chronic disease through HBCUs
  • College student psychological development and intimate partner violence prevention
  • Rehabilitation of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing

With nearly 90 active projects, WSSU researchers are finding solutions to our everyday problems. They are literally changing lives.  

Visit the university’s Research page to learn more about our grant funded projects.

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