Jeff Gray, Ph.D., vice president for research and global initiatives at DMU, recently won kudos on the University’s behalf from some prestigious national science organizations, but he’s quick to point out that recognition was the result of a team effort.
Dr. Gray had been asked by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to summarize the University’s research outcomes and impact. Both organizations strive to measure and track the nation’s educational and research environment over time.
“Because of DMU’s growth and increasing impact in these areas, one of my goals is to continue to develop our strong relationship with both the NSF and NIH so that DMU is viewed as a high-quality and well-respected partner institution and we have well in that regard in recent years,” he says.
Just a few statistics from 2017 reflect DMU’s expanding research enterprise:
- 79 total grants were submitted, 62 of which were external, representing an 8.6 percent increase from 2016
- 32 awards and contracts were granted, 20 of which were external
- Funding in external awards and contracts granted totaled $586,696, a 168 percent increase from external awards in 2014
- 93 students were trained in research with grant funding
Assessing and summarizing statistics and other information demonstrating DMU’s growth and outcomes in education and research “was no small task,” Dr. Gray adds.
“It would not have been possible without the help of Mollie Lyon, grants and contracts manager in sponsored programs, and Josh Kvinlaug, institutional research manager in the Office of the Provost,” he says.
Because of the University’s high-quality efforts, Dr. Gray was recognized by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at NSF and the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce at NIH. More important, he emphasizes, is DMU’s continued work in maintaining and enhancing its research outcomes and reputation.
“DMU holds an important place among universities as well as in society as a graduate-only health sciences university with a growing research environment that includes graduate students in research as well as postdoctoral fellows,” he says.