The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP) is a “help center” for faculty, staff, and students interested in pursuing external funding.  The OSRP staff provides individualized service to help University personnel: (a) identify potential funding sources; (b) organize project development teams; (c) gather data for proposals; (d) edit proposals; and (e) develop project budgets.  OSRP coordinates the submission of proposals; provides guidance on compliance issues; assists in the start-up of funded projects; offers guidance on the protection and transfer of University-owned intellectual property; and leads training seminars for faculty, staff and students.

What is the University accomplishing with external funding?

• Research projects such as the one that is to determine dynamic and structural information from damaged DNA and associated repair enzymes and apply this information to understanding the fundamental aspects of DNA repair.
• Education projects such as Project DIVERSE:  Developing an Infrastructure for Visual Impairment Education for Regions, States, and Ethnic Groups.  This project will meet the critical need for pre-service and professional development training for personnel to work with children and youth with visual impairments.
• Service projects that provide on-going, school-based, professional development for Missouri 6th through 8th grade mathematics teachers.

Externally-funded projects such as these promote multidisciplinary collaborations within the University, joint ventures with business and industry, partnerships with K-12 schools, collaborations with other community organizations, and alliances with other higher education institutions.

Outside funding, in the form of grants and contracts, provides millions of dollars to support University-based projects each year.  It is critical that the University continue to find new funding sources to sustain existing research, education, and service programs and develop new ones.  Outside funding enhances teaching, learning, and research opportunities for faculty and staff, enables students to gain valuable experience, and supports local and statewide programs.  These projects strengthen collaborative efforts between the University, community and statewide organizations.

Funding from outside sources has risen from $15.4 million in FY 2004 to over $22.5 million in FY 2008 (Table 1). This steady increase in external funding over the last six years is a measure of the success achieved by faculty and staff (See table below).

In FY 2008, the University submitted 251 proposals for support of new or on-going projects. The University received 141 awards in the form of grants or contracts totaling $22,489,893. This total represents a 3% increase over funding awarded in FY 2007. Of the total awards, 23% were for education projects, 33% for research and other scholarly projects, 42% were for community service projects, and 2% was primarily used to obtain equipment. Of the total awards, 28% were from state agencies, 61% were from federal agencies, less than 1% was from county or city agencies , 3% from non-profit organizations; 8% from businesses, and 1% were from international organizations.

Table 1:

Sponsored Projects Activity: Comparison of Awards (in dollars by Fiscal Year)

Source: Office of Sponsored Research and Programs | 06/30/08

Award Use	FY 2002	FY 2003	FY 2004	FY 2005	FY 2006	FY 2007	FY 2008
Research	2,741,189	3,802,351	8,554,811	10,077,468	12,801,622	11,758,291	13,210,960
Education	4,369,820	3,684,978	3,058,874	3,512,162	3,298,803	3,158,303	4,557,500
Service	2,122,525	2,948,154	2,885,344	2,882,826	1,874,279	6,811,071	3,722,707
Equipment	789,697	617,957	976,094	143,452	159,205	51,490	0
Facilities & Infrastructure	0	0	0	0	0	0	998,727
TOTAL	$10,023,231	$11,053,440	$15,475,123	$16,615,908	$18,133,909	$21,779,155	$22,489,893