End Note

I'm excited to lead UNT's research efforts during what is a time of great momentum. UNT is making strides as a research institution while making the quality of the educational experience even better. Our investments in faculty and infrastructure are leading to important gains in competitive funding and attracting distinguished researchers to UNT.

UNT had about $44 million in federally reported research expenditures during fiscal year 2012, a 40 percent increase from fiscal year 2010. Our base competitive research awards are increasing steadily each year, even as federal earmarks and stimulus funding have all but disappeared. This shows that more of our faculty members are seeking and qualifying for competitive funding, furthering the impact of their research, scholarship and creative activity and contributing to the quality of our students' education.

Part of what is driving this growth is the work our faculty researchers are doing in our collaborative research clusters. These clusters are maturing, and many of our faculty researchers are working on new developments and technologies. The clusters are helping UNT stand out to prospective faculty and students in areas such as plant sciences, renewable energy technologies, bioproducts and computational research. UNT also is attracting world-class talent to our already strong community of researchers. We have two National Academy of Engineering members, and a National Academy of Sciences member is joining us this year.

We're also continuing to broaden our infrastructure with facilities such as the Zero Energy Laboratory and the Research Greenhouse Complex at Discovery Park. Our Nanofabrication Analysis and Research Facility -- which includes a 3,000-square-foot clean room -- will come online this year. The facility, partially funded by the National Science Foundation, will be an advanced university laboratory for materials synthesis and analysis and micro/nano device fabrication.

Together, these advances give UNT momentum as we build our national reputation as a research institution. And, importantly, they are enhancing our academic environment, giving our students a stronger, more rigorous learning experience.

Geoff Gamble
Vice President for Research and Economic Development

Departments

President's Note

At the forefront of new ideas

Initiatives

Excellence in plant science, decade-long partnership

News Briefs

Autism research, Fulbright winners, new NSF funding

Faculty Books

Police in Rome, endangered languages, zooarchaeology

Student Researchers

Computer algorithms, postpartum depression, sustainable tourism, novel solar cells

Faculty Researchers

Titanium alloys, machine learning, new media, immune suppression, systems maturity assessment

End Note

Collaborative research and new facilities