Research Awards Continue to Grow at OSU in Spite of Shrinking Resources

During her annual State of Research address, Dr. Caroline Whitacre, Ohio State’s vice president for research, credited the university’s synergistic environment with generating unprecedented growth in research activity in 2010.  Even during times of uncertain funding and resources, Whitacre reported that new grant and contract awards reached $630 million in 2010 – a 25 percent increase over the previous year.  OSU’s research expenditures last year were approximately $829 million.  OSU remains second in the nation in industry-sponsored research. 

“Across the nation, Ohio State is actively engaged in more than 760 industry sponsored partnerships across 40 states in such critical areas as conversion of biomass to alternative energy, drug development and the creation of nanomaterials for novel implantable medical devices,” said Whitacre. “These university-industry collaborations significantly contribute to job creation, increased revenues and productivity for industry and enhanced workforce development.”  

Also during her address Dr. Whitacre recognized three OSU researchers as Innovators of the Year.  The 2011recipient of the Innovator of the Year award was Dr. Yasuko Rikihisa, professor in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Yebo Li, assistant professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and a specialist with Ohio State extension was awarded the 2011 Early Career Innovator of the Year.  The 2011 Student Innovator of the Year was Christopher Jaworski, a doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering.

For more, see the story in OSU’s faculty newsmagazine OnCampus.

To read more about the Innovators of the Year see the story in TechWeek.