WSSU Advances Faculty-Driven Research Through $750,000 NC Collaboratory Grant
Winston-Salem State University’s Office of Research and Innovation has received a three-year, $750,000 grant from NC Collaboratory to support faculty-driven research by helping faculty launch new projects, test innovative ideas and acquire essential research equipment.
The grant enables WSSU to strengthen research across disciplines while laying the groundwork for future external funding. It is designed to help faculty with their research programs, from new faculty (startup funding) to established faculty (equipment funding) to any faculty looking to jumpstart a new area of research (catalyst/pilot funding).
As part of the initiative, $182,000 has been allocated to 17 research projects involving 25 faculty members, reflecting a broad range of disciplines and collaborative approaches outlined below.
“This award from NC Collaboratory represents an important investment in Winston-Salem State University’s research enterprise,” said Dr. Shawn E. Holt, chief research officer at WSSU. “Supporting faculty research strengthens WSSU’s ability to attract the best and the brightest faculty, who use research for both discovery and as a teaching tool, especially for students interested in hands-on, experiential learning.”
Research supported through the grant often leads to peer-reviewed publications, patents and in some cases, commercial ventures, elevating WSSU’s visibility and impact at the state and national levels, Holt said.
Internal research funding also allows faculty to gather strong preliminary data, increasing their competitiveness for external grants opportunities.
While the funding is primarily directed toward research supplies, equipment and subscription services, students engaged with the participating faculty members will benefit from additional funds to support their research projects, which enhances their academic preparation and career readiness.
Funding breakdown of $182,000
Equipment Funding ($32,303 total) supports research infrastructure and includes awards to:
- Emerson and Ingram (physical therapy and occupational therapy) – $7,430
- Zhang and Stowe (computer science and health/physical education) – $15,108
- Malik, Nation and Robinson (computer science and political science/social justice) – $9,765
Startup Funding ($100,000 total) provides early-stage research support to new faculty:
- Suh (biological sciences) – $20,000
- Rugemalila (biological sciences) – $20,000
- Iloghalu (biological sciences) – $9,000
- Ara (chemistry) – $10,000
- Johnston (physical therapy) – $21,000
- Rapp (mathematics) – $6,000
- Malik (computer science) – $14,000
Catalyst/Pilot Funding ($49,500 total) supports exploratory and interdisciplinary projects:
- Dr. Wang (BRIC) – $8,000
- Drs. Emerson, Jakiela and Wendt (physical therapy) – $6,000
- Dr. Kiren (chemistry) – $7,000
- Drs. Williams-Brown and Sowell (health & performance studies and social sciences) – $8,000
- Dr. Ewunkem (biology) – $8,000
- Drs. Kanampiu and Baek (computer science) – $7,500
- Dr. Powell-Young, political science – $5,000
Several of these projects address issues with direct community and regional relevance, including health equity, rehabilitation sciences, workforce development and technology applications, aligning faculty research with the needs of the Piedmont Triad and the state of North Carolina.
“Our hope is that these types of seed funding mechanisms will encourage faculty to continue their scholarly work and include students as integral members of their research teams,” Holt said. “The primary goal is to invest in faculty to elevate the role of research as a high impact practice at WSSU, which will ultimately lead to additional grant funding and publications that increase the status and stature of the university.”
