Research Programs
Research Universities
Research activities serve to expand the existing body of knowledge, provide learning opportunities for graduate students, and find solutions for problems. The research mission in the University System is concentrated primarily in the four universities. In addition, Fort Valley State University has an agricultural research mission assigned to it as a result of its designation as an 1890 Land Grant Institution and operates an Agricultural Research Station at Fort Valley. Research programs carried out in the universities had a total extramural support in FY2000 of $559 million and are described below. Georgia Southern University and Valdosta State University have research missions focused on applied topics.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech is a major center for advanced technology in Georgia and the Southeast. The Institute conducts research of national significance, provides services and facilities to faculty, students, industry, and government agencies, and supports the economic and technological growth of the state. Research operations are carried out through a group of schools, centers, and laboratories, each performing research in a particular field of interest. Most of the research is supported by contracts with government organizations and private industry. A significant portion of the total research activity is within the broad fields of electronics, environmental science and technology, manufacturing, biotechnology, materials, microelectronics, transportation, and telecommunications. Signal processing, tribology, acoustics, fusion, combustion, rotary wing aircraft, and work on energy conservation and applications are also important areas, as are domestic and international economic development, computer technology and applications, mechanics, and the fields of biological, physical, chemical, material, earth, atmospheric, and social sciences. To assist with the State's economic development, Georgia Tech maintains field offices in Albany, Augusta, Brunswick, Carrollton, Columbus, Douglas, Dublin, Gainesville, Macon, Madison, Rome, Savannah and Warner Robins. Research is also being conducted at various sponsor locations throughout the nation and the world. Extramural support for FY2000 was $232 million.
Georgia State University
Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Georgia State University (GSU) is a leading research university with a wide range of extramural research programs in each of its six colleges. In addition to a broad agenda of programs that have national prominence, a number of the research programs play a significant role in supporting the growth of both the economy and technology of Georgia. Some of the research projects include the development of biotechnology and drug design, brain sciences and health, digital arts, computer design, both biological and policy research of the environment, high angular resolution astronomy, media education, brain-computer interface, and neural communication and computation. Policy research includes water planning and policy, applied research for addressing national and local policy issues, Georgia health policy, evaluation of state and local fiscal and economic policy, and international studies in which GSU faculty work in over 30 foreign countries. Various research programs in the areas of learning and development, teacher education, educational policy, adult learning and community outreach provide a strong link between GSU and the K-12 system in Georgia. Research in the field of business-to-business marketing, development of models related to national, regional and local economies, and international business training and skills development benefit from the long-term relationships that GSU has developed with national and international business communities. Innovative cross-college teacher preparation programs, including the Biobus, serve as national models for education reform. Applied research to reduce health risks includes the study of victim empowerment issues, current substance abuse treatment strategies, the Georgia Fatherhood Program, and the influence of nursing care on patient outcomes in U.S. Army hospitals. Georgia State University extramural support for FY2000 was $39 million.
Medical College of Georgia
Extramurally funded research programs are disease oriented and are carried out in both basic and clinical disciplines in the five schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, and Graduate Studies. Institutes which focus on specific research disciplines are the Georgia Institute for Prevention of Human Disease and Accidents, the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, and the Vascular Biology Center. A special initiative involves the research and development of telecommunications in health care delivery known as Telemedicine. There is an Alzheimer's program to develop and test new drugs and agents for improving memory. A specialized Heart Development Group carries out research on the origin and molecular biology of congenital heart defects. Significant priorities in research are: cancer, neurological disease, (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, stem cell research), cardiovascular diseases (stroke, Sickle cell disease, hypertension, heart development), and infection/inflammation research. Much of this research is translation (i.e., bench to bedside). There is considerable focus on research relating to children's diseases and health services research that includes minority and women's health. Applied and basic research places emphasis on the development of new intellectual properties, biotechnology and technology transfer. The latter is focused on the economic growth of the State and involves consortia with other universities including the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA). Sponsored awards for FY2000 was $133 million.
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is both a land-grant and sea-grant college. All thirteen schools/colleges have extensive research programs. The following areas are representative of some of the recognized research strengths. Research in biology and chemistry is conducted in many colleges, departments, and multidisciplinary units, including the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, the Center for Metalloenzyme Studies, the Center for Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology, the Center for Biological Resource Recovery, and the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry. Biotechnology research focuses on plant development and production, crop protection, forest science and applications, animal improvement and health, human health, and fermentation applications. Research in the College of Pharmacy focuses on the development of new drugs and toxicology. Agricultural research is conducted at the three major Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations in Athens, Griffin, and Tifton, and five smaller stations in the state. Research emphasis is on environmentally sound and input-efficient production practices. The Veterinary Medicine Experiment Station and the Poultry Disease Research Center in Athens conduct research on disease problems of agricultural and companion animals. The Veterinary Diagnostic Assistance Laboratories have facilities in Athens and Tifton. Environmental and ecological research is a major emphasis across several colleges, with the recognized activities in the Institute of Ecology and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Marine research is concentrated at the Marine Institute of Sapelo Island, the Marine Extension Center at Brunswick, and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. Research strengths in other areas are highlighted in the Institute for Behavioral Research, the Center for East-West Trade Policy, the Humanities Center, the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science, and the Center for Simulational Physics. Ongoing research in math, reading, and science education, as well as learning disorders, is conducted by faculty in the College of Education. Extramural support to the University of Georgia for FY2000 was $155 million.
Source: Research Advisory Committee; Office of Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategic Research and Analysis