Texas State achieves record $64 million in research funding for 2018

Texas State University has announced record-setting Research and Development expenditures of $64.3 million for the 2018 fiscal year. This is a $3.6 million increase over the previous record set in 2017.

R&D expenditures are a combination of internal and external funds used to support research activities. Total R&D at Texas State has increased 64 percent over the past five years. These expenditures reflect the entire research enterprise of the university and are reported annually to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the National Science Foundation.  

"The growth in the total R&D funding is consistent with Texas State’s Carnegie classification as an R2 research university and is directly linked to our applied research mission," said Walt Horton, associate vice president for research and federal relations. “Increased R&D funding has a significant impact that extends beyond the specific research it supports. It creates more opportunity for students to work directly with professors and industry experts, leading to career-building experience. Students who graduate with a history of academic publication, fellowships and awards are well-positioned to meet Texas' future workforce needs.” 

The overall growth trend in research spending is reflected across the various subcategories the university tracks. Significantly, restricted research spending, which consists of funds dedicated to specific research programs, increased to $35.5 million in 2018, a 69 percent gain since 2014. Restricted research funding includes grants, contracts or gifts awarded by external sponsors such as federal and state agencies, foundations, businesses or individuals. 

Of the $40.9 million in funding received from external sources, the federal government accounted for a total of $31.1 million, a 19 percent increase from 2017. The balance of external funding was split between state government contributions, at $5.4 million, and private contributions, at $4.4 million.