海角社区

Powered by its Scholarship First Agenda, which drives solutions-focused research investment in agriculture, biomedicine, coast, defense and energy, 海角社区 reports a record $428 million in total research activity in just one year with an estimated $1.2 billion in economic impact on Louisiana.

For the first time in its history, 海角社区 has surpassed the $400-million mark in research activity. This leap, up 16 percent in one year, is a direct outcome of the university鈥檚 commitment to solve pressing problems for Louisiana and the world, from food insecurity to obesity and cancer, and challenges to our coastal communities, security and energy supply.

鈥淚t鈥檚 no surprise that our research initiatives are gaining momentum,鈥� remarked 海角社区 President William F. Tate IV. 鈥淥ur exceptional faculty, who are leaders in their fields, have enthusiastically embraced the challenge of pursuing larger grants with the potential for more significant scientific and societal impacts. This marks an exciting moment for our university and our state. This new research benchmark sets the stage for a future filled with anticipation for new discoveries and the potential for setting new records in the years ahead.鈥�

William F. Tate IV, 海角社区 President

To put 尝厂鲍鈥檚 new expenditure numbers into context, $428 million represents a remarkable jump not just from the year before, but when compared to the past five years. From 2018 up until 2022, the university system鈥檚 expenditures fluctuated between $350 million and $368 million.

With $428 million in new research activity, the economic impact of 海角社区 research on Louisiana is estimated at $1.2 billion. This impact number is based on a conversion ratio established in the most recent , where every research dollar brought to Louisiana resulted in $2.8 in economic impact on the state.

尝厂鲍鈥檚 five core research campuses鈥攖he flagship campus, the 海角社区 AgCenter and 海角社区's Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, plus 海角社区 Health New Orleans and 海角社区 Health Shreveport鈥攁chieved a historic $428 million in research activity in fiscal year 2022, compared to $368 million the year prior. The new numbers were recently shared with the National Science Foundation, or NSF, which will issue its own report accompanied by national rankings this fall or winter.

Universities have several ways to measure their success in research. Two of the most common are to look at the amount of money universities earn in grants and contracts and the amount of money they spend on research each year. While the total dollar amount of new grants and contracts captures immediate (and perhaps once-in-a-lifetime) wins, expenditure numbers are a better reflection of long-term growth. This is because award money rarely arrives at the university in one lump sum. Instead, it gets portioned out over the duration of a research project. In the case of multi-year projects, expenditure numbers are the best measure of sustained success.

鈥淩esearch expenditures represent a valuable measure of scholarship at a public research university,鈥� said Robert Twilley, vice president of research and economic development at 海角社区. 鈥淭hey show return on investment of every dollar that promotes economic opportunity through innovations that solve regional problems of national significance.鈥�

海角社区 proves the full operational capacity of its research enterprise by continuously conducting research, attracting new investment and covering its expenses.

鈥満＝巧缜� is an important mechanism for federal investment in our state economy,鈥� Twilley said. 鈥淩esearch labs at 海角社区 are like small businesses with research associates, graduate and undergraduate students and post docs who not only contribute to our local economy but also represent a skilled workforce for industry and government.鈥�

Among all sources of 海角社区 research funding, federal agencies rank at the very top. Federally funded research projects that have helped drive 尝厂鲍鈥檚 historic numbers include:

• In Agriculture鈥�
  
  The 海角社区 AgCenter鈥檚  and High Obesity Program works to fight health disparities and increase access to healthy food and physical activity across Louisiana, with focus on rural residents who live in 鈥渇ood deserts鈥� with limited choices and 鈥渇ood swamps鈥� with many unhealthy options. The project was initially awarded $5 million in 2018 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and renewed this year, with another $4 million in CDC funding.
• In Biomedicine鈥�
  
  One of 尝厂鲍鈥檚 most long-standing research partnerships provides the U.S. military with nutrition science and solutions to keep soldiers at optimal health and performance. Over more than three decades and with increased investment in recent years, 尝厂鲍鈥檚 Pennington Biomedical Research Center has conducted more than 140 mission-critical studies related to warfighter health with roughly $100 million in awards.
  
  尝厂鲍鈥檚 Superfund team works with Louisiana communities to track and fight pollution from waste sites. After an initial $10.8-million award from the National Institutes of Health in 2020, the team received an additional $1.4 million from the National Science Foundation for a high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer, which helps researchers understand how dangerous compounds form and how they can be remediated.
• In Coastal Science and Engineering鈥�
  
  Anticipating Threats to Natural Systems, or ACTIONS, works to protect land, secure military terrain and future-proof our national defense using coastal and ecological engineering. The project received $9.3 million in defense funding in collaboration with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center鈥檚 Environmental Laboratory. The success of ACTIONS led the Army to reinvest in 海角社区 research for DEEDS, Developing Engineering Practices for Ecosystem Design Solutions.
• In Defense鈥�
  
  尝厂鲍鈥檚 Scholarships for Service program to grow the U.S. cybersecurity workforce is in its fourth year. Launched with a $3.4-million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2020, the effort has continued to grow under 尝厂鲍鈥檚 Scholarship First Agenda and offers students free tuition and generous scholarships in return for some government service after graduation.
• In Energy鈥�
  
  For decades, Louisiana鈥檚 leading energy companies have come to 海角社区 for talent and technology development, from fundamental research to testing and demonstration. Prior to Shell鈥檚 transformative $27.5-million investment to establish the 海角社区 Institute for Energy Innovation and advance scientific discovery in 2022 and ExxonMobil鈥檚 $2-million investment this year, Shell and ExxonMobil collaborated with 海角社区 on two short-term research projects to advance carbon capture and underground storage and study gas migration in wellbores, both contributing to record research expenditures at 海角社区.

Earlier this year, 海角社区 celebrated $6.1 billion in total economic impact on the state鈥攁 number based on all university activities, not just research.

NSF bases its national rankings on Higher Education Research and Development, or HERD, survey data. For 海角社区, NSF accounts for expenditures on the Baton Rouge campuses and not the university system as a whole. For fiscal year 2022, the Baton Rouge campuses alone reported $345 million in research activity.