Boise State University gets record $24.2 million in fiscal ’05 for research, projects

Boise State University http://www.boisestate.edu/ received a record $24.2 million for research and sponsored projects for the fiscal year ending on June 30, the highest one-year total in the university’s history.

The total is a 23 percent increase over the $19.6 million in grants for fiscal year 2004, university officials reported.

By contrast, the University of Idaho took in $80 million in research grants and contracts in the 2004 fiscal year, with another $25 million in state funding specifically earmarked for agricultural research, according to the school’s Web site.

But BSU officials said their school’s growing ability to attract research grants is good news for local businesses and the state’s economy.

"Our research helps keep the brightest students, trains workers for high-tech industries, fosters growth and serves as a catalyst for economic development," said Jack Pelton, BSU’s interim vice president of research administration.

"Universities are measured in part by their ability to obtain research grants and programs," Boise State President Bob Kustra said. "The influx of research dollars further enhances our growing stature as a metropolitan research university."

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