School officials say the money will be used to help support major research activities at NGCSU.
The grant will fund projects across multiple disciplines and bolster North Georgia's fledgling undergraduate research initiatives.
"As we become a regional institution, undergraduate research will be a major component of our educational environment," said Mark Spraker, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. "These funds will be used to support faculty, staff and student research in all academic areas during the 2008-09 academic year."
Each of the first research projects, as well as initiatives that fall under the category of creative activities, are anticipated to receive from $500 to $3,000 during the fall semester, which starts in August.
"NGCSU is not, nor is ever likely to be, a research institution, but undergraduate research provides a different and complimentary educational experience and allows for faculty-student interactions outside the typical classroom setting," Spraker said.
Spraker has worked for 10 months to build the center, known as CURCA, into a clearinghouse for research opportunities on- and off-campus. Acting also as a resource for grant information, CURCA has connected faculty members with the NGCSU Office of Sponsored Programs and led them to new grant funding.
"We're trying to place as many opportunities as possible in front of students and faculty members," Spraker said.
CURCA is seeking to secure another $25,000, this time from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Grant Consortium, to support the university's work in astronomy, X-ray physics and other science fields.
CURCA also has helped students land research opportunities in a program called Research Experiences for Undergraduates, funded through the National Science Foundation. REU has sponsored at least three NGCSU undergraduates this summer to conduct research at such prominent schools as Emory University in Atlanta and Duke University, a top U.S. research school in North Carolina.
On campus, Spraker has worked with academic departments to identify what existing resources might be used for new research opportunities. Two of those include the Stinson Undergraduate Research Fund for biology, created from scholarship money, and the Pigg-Yaeger Research Fund for physics, supported through the NGCSU Foundation.
Spraker knows that to foster the intellectual creativity in all areas of the institution, CURCA will need to take a broad approach in its support activities. The center, which now falls under the university's School of Science and Health Professions, will be a university-wide resource in the coming years.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/6/211143