ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University received more than $100 million in awards and gifts from external sources during fiscal 2001, the largest amount received from government agencies, businesses, foundations and individual donors during one year in the university's history.
Of that amount, $53.9 million came from public and private sources for research, educational and public service activities, up from $49.1 million last year. The largest increases came in funding for research, which rose by 20.4 percent to $24.5 million, and in private gifts, which rose by 34 percent to $47.2 million.
This year's increase in research funding included a rise in support from the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, which includes the Federal Aviation Administration. The university also received $1.3 million from the Ohio Department of Development, including grants from the governor's Technology Action Fund.
Research initiatives receiving funding last year ranged from a NASA-sponsored project to design the control and guidance systems for the next-generation space launch vehicle to a National Institutes of Health study of migraine headaches.
"I am very proud of our faculty researchers and of our deans and development staff for their continuing, excellent performance," said Ohio University President Robert Glidden, who announced the numbers today during his annual State of the University address. "To my knowledge, these numbers represent new highs for Ohio University, both in research and in private donations."
Support for other sponsored activities, such as education and technology initiatives, also climbed during fiscal 2001, rising from $28.8 million last year to $29.4 million this year.
More than 580 awards were received this year for a variety of initiatives, which reflects a diversity in the interests of faculty, staff and students and the sponsors who support their work, said John A. Bantle, vice president for research.
"Research and sponsored programs continue to grow as more research-oriented faculty join Ohio University," Bantle said. "They are contributing to our increase and success in research."
In addition to external support for research and other sponsored activities, the university also received $47.2 million in gift commitments during fiscal 2001 for a variety of projects, up from $35.2 million last year. This total puts the university at $128.1 million, on its way to a goal of $200 million for the Bicentennial Campaign, according to Leonard Raley, vice president of University Advancement.
"The contributions from our volunteers and donors were truly amazing," Raley said. "Many alumni stepped up with leadership gifts that provided remarkable momentum in the public phase of the campaign and helped secure the impressive totals we've attained."
