Staff Report
Published Sept. 7, 2012

The University of South Carolina’s research funding and sponsored awards for fiscal year 2012 totaled $238.3 million, a record and a 5% increase over the preceding year, said Prakash Nagarkatti, USC’s vice president for research.

Prakash Nagarkatti

“Almost 70% of the research carried out by the universities across the U.S. is funded by nationally competitive grants awarded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and the like,” Nagarkatti said.

“With the federal support for research remaining relatively flat or declining in recent years, it is remarkable that USC faculty have been able to successfully secure such high levels of research funding,” he said.

Federal awards from the U.S. Department of Energy increased 22% and awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were up 7%. Business and industry awards spiked more than 70%, to $17.6 million from $10.3 million.

FY 2012 NOTABLE RESEARCH AWARDS

$4.5 million

to study treatment of aphasia in stroke victims. Awarded by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to the department of communication sciences and disorders in the Arnold School of Public Health.

$3.8 million

to advance scientific understanding of climate and hydrological processes in the Carolinas. Awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the department of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

$3.7 million

to examine the effects of 12 weeks of sleep restriction of just one hour per night on a host of outcomes, including mood, sleepiness and inflammation, in adults 60 to 80 years old. Awarded by NIH to the department of exercise science in the Arnold School of Public Health.

$3.2 million

to study the concurrent treatment of substance abuse and child maltreatment. Awarded by NIH to the department of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

$2.1 million

to study a new, small molecule that inhibits colitis, possibly with fewer side effects than other drugs. Awarded by NIH to the department of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy.

$2 million

to study the mechanism by which phytonutrients in vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage suppress multiple sclerosis. Awarded by NIH to the department of pathology, microbiology and immunology in the School of Medicine.