Research and innovation is growing at Fresno State. For the second consecutive year, the University received a record amount in research grants and contracts to fund projects across campus from cancer research to art programs, and student and faculty success.

Fresno State received 347 grants or contracts for a total of $46.7 million during the 2019-20 academic year. That’s a 3.6% increase in funding over the previous year. The University is among the top three California State University campuses for grants received this past year.

“Even in these unprecedented times, research continues to thrive at Fresno State, as evidenced by yet another record year for grant awards,” said Dr. James Marshall, dean of the Division of Research and Graduate Studies at Fresno State. “This is a tribute to the many dedicated and resilient faculty and staff members participating in grant-supported scholarship.”

The grants varied in amounts and were awarded by nationally-known science and agricultural institutions, state agencies and local organizations looking to collaborate on projects that can benefit the related industries and the Central Valley region. Here is a look at some notable grants and contracts from the past year:

  • $1.1 million from the National Institutes of Health to the College of Science and Mathematics for the Bridges to the Doctorate Program between Fresno State and the University of California, Davis. The program aims to increase the number of underrepresented minority graduate students entering and earning doctoral degrees in biomedical sciences.
  • $414,854 from the National Institutes of Health to the College of Science and Mathematics to study antibody immunotherapy.
  • $1 million from the United States Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture to the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology to create a pathway to unite high school, community colleges and universities in the development of soft skills and career readiness training in agriculture while advancing educational equity.
  • $35,000 from The McClatchy Foundation to the Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust to launch a program to increase the number of journalists of color in San Joaquin Valley newsrooms.
  • $26,163 from the City of Fresno to the Department of Sociology in the College of Social Sciences to facilitate the Commission on Police Reform Survey.

In another example, the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State received dozens of awards to work on its mission to engage and train the community about health equity. Two grants from the Fresno DRIVE Initiative stand out from last year, said Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, co-assistant director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute.

The initiative, sponsored by the Central Valley Community Foundation, is a 10-year investment plan to develop an inclusive, vibrant and sustainable economy for residents in the greater Fresno region. Grants of $70,000 and $20,000 from DRIVE allowed the health policy institute to conduct focus groups in the community asking residents about what they want and need for the economy to work for them. Then, the institute co-led a shared analysis process to help DRIVE members understand the connection between race, racism and economic prosperity.

“The institute has become a place for investment because funders can see the shared love we have for this Valley, and if you invite us to the table we’re all in,” said Pacheco-Werner. “We’re all in on the problem solving and we want to make the community better, and so we’re going to be bold, as our University motto is, and we’re going to be evidence-based. At the same time, we’re going to bring that compassion and passion for the people that live here.”