CSU among top research universities; research spending $330.8 Million

FORT COLLINS – Colorado State University grew its annual research
spending nearly 10 percent to $330.8 million in fiscal year 2011, the
fourth year in a row that expenditures topped $300 million and a record
high for CSU.

Over the past six years, research spending at CSU has increased 24
percent, despite significant cuts in federal research funding
nationwide. For the most recent fiscal year, expenditures rose to $330.8
million from $302.9 million in fiscal year 2010. Of that, federal
awards-based expenditures increased 9 percent to $236.6 million from
$211.7 million the previous year.

Research expenditures reflect actual annual spending of funding from a
variety of sources including federal, state and local government as well
as private sector. Research awards are the dollars awarded in one year
to researchers. Often, a research grant awarded in one year (grant
award) will be expended over a number of years (research expenditure).

The average value of 2011 research proposals totaled $415,368; Faculty submitted 2,097 proposals for grants

Among the top federal sponsors are Health and Human Services ($52.9
million), U.S. Department of Agriculture ($48.3 million), miscellaneous
federal agencies ($43.1 million) and the National Science Foundation
($36.7 million).

“These record research dollars represent a tremendous achievement for
CSU and speak to the quality of our faculty and the competitive areas in
which they do their research,´ said CSU President Tony Frank. “Federal
agencies and industry continue to invest in our scientific enterprise,
which benefits our students as well as Colorado’s economic health. Even
during a recession, research is making a difference in people’s lives in
the state and around the globe, creating new industries and new jobs.”

In the most recent report from the National Science Foundation for
fiscal year 2008-09, CSU ranks second in the nation among public
research universities without a medical school. On a per-faculty basis,
the NSF study ranks Colorado State first in federally funded
research-and-development among all public institutions.