LSU Shatters Record in Garnering Grants and Contracts

Faculty brought in more than $166 million, an economic boon for the state

BATON ROUGE – LSU faculty whose expertise spans multiple disciplines across campus were awarded more grants and contracts this past year than ever before. LSU garnered a record $166.1 million in research grants and contracts this past fiscal year, which ended on June 30. 

“Our world-renowned faculty members attract investment from state and federal funding agencies that value their exceptional expertise,” said LSU President William F. Tate IV. “From the coast of Louisiana to Mars, LSU researchers engage in solving society’s most pressing problems. They do so in an impactful fashion. And their research funding contributes to the state’s economic growth in terms of Louisiana’s reputation as an innovation ecosystem as well as its wages and employment opportunities.” 

Last fiscal year, LSU received $145 million in cumulative research funding, which includes state and federal research grants and contracts for services that rely on LSU expertise and instrumentation, such as scientific analyses and specialized trainings led by LSU faculty. LSU’s second highest record of $156 million was met in 2009. On average, LSU brings in about $150 million in research dollars per year to the state. 

For every $1 from research in Louisiana produces about $2.91 within the state due to sales revenue for vendors who provide services and materials as well as spending by LSU employees, according to a report conducted by United for Medical Research for the National Institutes of Health. According to this calculus, this past year’s $166.1 million in grants and contracts will generate a roughly $483 million economic impact for Louisiana.

“In the last fiscal year, we have achieved substantial success in helping LSU increase awards across the spectrum of academic and research units. These wins have been driven by our talented and competitive faculty, staff and students who have doggedly pursued ambitious projects. We, in the Office of Research and Economic Development, have tried to match our support to the needs of researchers, and this great success is the result,” said LSU Vice President of Research & Economic Development Samuel J. Bentley.

Some of LSU’s projects that were funded this past year include the following. 

• LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Academy for Counter-Terrorism Education was awarded $22 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to lead emergency preparedness trainings, including new classes related to COVID-19, for first responders at the state, local, tribal and territorial level at no direct cost to the participants.
• LSU scientists and engineers were awarded $20 million from the National Science Foundation to find and test the best 3-D printing materials using machine learning.
• LSU School of Veterinary Medicine was awarded $11 million from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Center for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research in Baton Rouge.
• LSU coastal scientists and engineers were awarded $9.3 million by the U.S. Army to help make military operations better prepared and more resilient to climate-induced hazards.
• LSU social workers were awarded $2.5 million from the Louisiana Department of Education to expand mental health services in Louisiana schools.
• Eight LSU faculty members across multiple departments were awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Development awards, doubling LSU’s success rate for these awards.
• LSU and public and private sector partners have received funding and support from the highly competitive National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center program to develop solutions that will help make southern coastal communities and shoreline environments more resilient, sustainable, productive and healthy.
• To remain technologically competitive, the U.S. Army awarded LSU $10 million for a transmission electron microscope and the National Science Foundation granted LSU $2 million for a high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer that will benefit 12 regional institutions as well as more than $300,000 to acquire a near-field optical microscope, which is one of three of its kind in the world.

In addition to grants and contracts, LSU offers support for business and economic development. For example, faculty inventors at LSU campuses across the state garnered 38 U.S. utility patents for their innovative work spanning the sciences and engineering disciplines in 2020. Many of these patents become licensed technology by companies bringing additional revenue to Louisiana. LSU is among the top 100 universities in the world granted U.S. utility patents due to this on-going success.