5-year state, federal trends both reverse in 2011
Overall research funding at USC has steadily increased in the past five years, but reports show a noticeable shift in sources. While in the past five years, federal funding has generally been on the rise, it decreased this year. At the same time, state funding, which has been decreasing in the past five years, has gone up.
The university earned a total of $226 million for research in the 2011 fiscal year — about 77 percent of the $293.9 million requested.
Of that $226 million, federal funding made up $142 million. While funding sources have shifted and federal funding at USC has slightly decreased in the past year, the federal government continues to provide the highest percentage of funding, said Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, the vice president for research at USC.
The state gave $24.4 million in 2011. Since 2007, budget cuts have caused a 30 percent drop in state contributions; however, in the past year, state funding saw a $7.1 million increase.
Among USC's top federal sponsors, the most steady increase in funding has come from the National Institute of Health, with a total contribution of $39 million to the university in the 2011 fiscal year and $21 million so far for 2012. At the same time, funding from the Department of Education dropped from $13.5 million in 2010 to $11 million in 2011, the lowest amount from a federal agency.
Private research donations have reached a record high at $60.6 million, a $13 million increase from 2010.
Faculty at the university are responsible for securing their own funding sources for their respective research projects. Since 2007, the number of faculty receiving funding has increased from 529 to 607 faculty members who received funding in the 2011 fiscal year.
Dr. Seth John, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, said that while research is the main focus of his job, securing funding is vital to make that research possible.
"A big part of my job is writing grant proposals to bring in the money that pays for everything," John said.
According to John, the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences receives most of its funding from the National Science Foundation, a federally funded program. Along with NSF, the department receives funding from other sources, including NASA and other public and private foundations.
A report from the Office of IT and Data Management shows that the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences brought in $3.8 million in the 2011 fiscal year, which accounted for about 7 percent of total funding received by the College of Arts and Sciences.
According to report, the College of Arts and Sciences brought $50 million in the 2011. This funding accounts for 22 percent of the total research funding received by the university, with the chemistry and biochemistry department in the school bringing in the top amount of $11 million closely followed by the biology department, which brought in $7 million.
Another report from the Office of IT and Data Management shows that 30 percent of the funding for 2012 has gone to the College of Arts and Sciences, with the biology department racking up the top amount, $6.8 million.