Colorado State University Earns Record $267.4 Million in Research Funding

Colorado State University annual research expenditures totaled a record $267.4 million in fiscal year 2006, nearly 10 percent more than the previous year and a 35 percent ($69.2 million) increase in research expenditures over the past four years.

Colorado State receives one of the highest levels of federal research funding of any university without a medical school in the country.

"Once again, Colorado State has made record gains in external research awards," said Larry Edward Penley, president of Colorado State University. "Government agencies and private sector sponsors have the confidence in Colorado State to conduct vital national research. It is a strong testament to the quality research being conducted by our outstanding faculty, staff and students."

Federal expenditures comprised the majority (72 percent) of the sponsored expenditures and totaled $192.6 million. State, foundation, commercial and other non-federal expenditures made up more than $37 million of the total, with institutional support funds adding another $37 million (14 percent of the total).

"The increase in expenditures can be attributed in part to major funding from the National Institutes of Health for a $40 million Regional Center for Excellence and a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory," said Hank Gardner, interim vice president for research. "Our faculty continues to make significant, multidisciplinary contributions in many areas, including health and infectious diseases and environmental sustainability and clean energy."

For the sixth consecutive year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was the largest source of external expenditures at Colorado State – largely because of the university’s focus on infectious disease and biomedical research initiatives. The university also experienced significant funding increases from the U.S. Department of Defense for environmental and life sciences research.

Annual research expenditures from state and local sources and industrials also grew substantially.

The university now records federal flow-through dollars – or federal funding that the university receives as a subrecipient from a nonfederal sponsor – within the federal category (these expenditures had previously been reported within the non-federal category) due to an accounting change. This change will not affect the total expenditure figures previously reported.

For a complete breakdown of funding, see the attached chart.

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