June 27, 2007

CSUF's research money might dip again

Gary Robbins

DOWN CYCLE?

Cal State Fullerton's research funding could dip for a second straight year unless it gets a lot of last-minute grants.

The university obtained $10.2 million through May 30. That figure will have to grow by about $2 million by the end of the fiscal year Saturday if the campus is to surpass last year's take (see chart below). And that isn't likely to happen. Such big funding agencies as the National Institutes of Health aren't getting the large budget increases they received in recent years, so it's not passing on as much money. And competition for grants has risen sharply.

The good news: CSUF continues to do highly respected research in such areas as air pollution, the nature of volcanoes, the history of the Olmec people, and in math education.

Fullerton's funding
• 2006-07: $10.2 million*
• 2005-06: $12.1 million
• 2004-05: $13.0 million
• 2003-04: $11.0 million
• 2002-03: $7.0 million
• 2001-02: $9.3 million
Source: Cal State Fullerton
*Through May 30, 2007. Fiscal year ends June 30.

THINK YOU'RE SMART, EH?
In August 2000, something odd fell from the sky in Great Yarmouth, England. The first person to tell me what it was wins a book. E-mail answers to grobbins@ocregister.com.

And the winner is .... William James, who knew the answer is fish.