Perimeter College Hits Record in Sponsored Funding in FY 2023

DECATUR, Ga.--Georgia State's Perimeter College hit a record $6.49 million in grants, research and innovation dollars in fiscal year  2023 ending June 30. The number more than doubles the college's FY 2022's amount of $ 3.8 million and is a significant hike from FY 2020’s $769,000.

The dramatic increase in funds is indicative of a team approach long game strategy implemented for the college, to target multi-year grants in excess of $100,000 that were reoccurring, said Glenn Pfeifer, Perimeter's director of the Office of Grants Development and Administration (OGDA).

While the amount includes textbook transformation grants and some smaller, Georgia Humanities grants, there are also federal U.S. Department of Education multi-million, multi-year grants, such as two Predominantly Black Institutions projects, which are renewed each year upon proven success, often with an increase in dollars, Pfeifer said.

Some of the awards overlap with other university areas. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Prevention Research Center, based on the Clarkston Campus, is directed by Perimeter faculty Dr. Mary Helen O’Connor, but the PRC is administered through Georgia State’s School of Public Health.

Perimeter's success is included in Georgia State University’s research portfolio, which has outperformed previous years with a record-setting $223.76 million in grants earned in FY 2023.

A sample of the top grants awarded or renewed for FY 23 include:

• The U.S. Department of Education Predominately Black Institutions (PBI) formula grant, which is directed toward helping Black students improve academic performance in English, as well as establish the Center for Outreach, Research and Engagement (CORE) to help students in all disciplines learn basic research skills. The Principal Investigator (PI) is Dr. Laura Edmunds, interim associate dean of academic affairs. CORE’s executive director is Dr. Anyee’ Payne. This is a five-year, $5.5 million grant. In FY 23, the award amount was $1.4 million.
• The expansion of sites and renewal of funding for the Panther Pride Childcare grant. The program for free and reduced-cost childcare is funded through a four-year U.S. Department of Education, Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)federal grant of $851,464. The PI is Dr. Ursula Thomas, professor of education and associate chair of Cultural and Behavioral Sciences.
• A $600,000 renewal of the PBI grant for Innovative Mentoring Plus Academic Coaching Transforms to Success (IMPACTS). The PI is Dr. John King, associate professor of mathematics and Perimeter College mathematics chair. The program started in 2021.
• A $600,000 Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce grant has helped fund new state-of-the-art simulators—including ‘geriatric’ and maternity patients—for the college’s Clarkston and Dunwoody nursing skills lab. The grant also funds new testing software for students studying for the updated National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
• A $400,000  U.S. Department of Education Congressionally Directed award that provides community-based English instruction for non-English speakers through non-credit English courses in the Clarkston community. Dr. Mary Helen O’Connor is the PI.
• A $330,000 National Science Foundation subaward, ‘Build and Broaden 3.0 Initiative’ grant. Dr. Amanda Ellwanger is co-PI. The Perimeter anthropology lecturer, working with colleagues at San Diego State University, has designed a course that will allow Perimeter students to learn research skills and study primate behavior in Indonesia. A student trip to the country is planned for 2024.
• A 3-year, $150,000 Community Innovation Project/Access to Care grant from the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority. With the grant funds, Perimeter’s nursing and dental hygiene students will host three health service events per year, including screening for chronic health conditions, as well as fluoride treatments for those seeking dental care. PI is Dr. Mary Helen O’Connor.

Perimeter faculty are encouraged to contact the grants office if they’re interested in developing a grant proposal. Successful proposals often target Perimeter’s student population, including projects that serve underrepresented and at-risk students and funding that increases student retention.  The office also offers two programs that provide professional development for faculty: a program designed to familiarize faculty with the processes involved in sponsored programs and a new opportunity that provides faculty with course reassign time to develop a grant proposal.