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				Overview of Sponsored Research
				Research and Development Curriculum and Professional Development Enhancement of Technology and Infrastructure
				Research and Development
					The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has placed great emphasis on research and development programs. During the past several decades UL Lafayette has made a strong commitment toward acquiring the resources and tools to conduct basic and applied research in a wide variety of disciplines. At the same time, UL Lafayette has also been working to improve curricula, promote best practices, advance knowledge and professional development in fields of specialization, and encourage scholarly interaction and accessibility among faculty and students. As a result, funding of sponsored research increased from $17 million to $40 million over the decade from 1995 to 2005 (see External Funding By Fiscal Year), a trend that continued in fiscal year 2005-2006, when UL Lafayette secured $40.1 million in new funding for research and sponsored programs. The resources obtained by UL Lafayette in pursuit of research, scholarly activity and advanced professional training have also made an important impact on the quality of the university educational experience. Moreover, these resources have produced a significant improvement in the technological infrastructure of the University while developing research centers with national and international reputations at the cutting-edge of their disciplines. In the process, UL Lafayette has maintained an excellent relationship with the surrounding community, producing many positive benefits for its citizens. Moreover, continued growth in research and development has resulted in a classification of UL Lafayette by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research University - High Research Activity, one of only two in Louisiana (see Carnegie Foundation Classification of Louisiana Public Universities). Several outstanding examples exist of UL Lafayette's emerging national reputation in research and development. The Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) has opened as a new $27 million, 70,000 square foot complex that is one of the most comprehensive and tightly integrated data visualization and supercomputing installations in the world. The Center for Advanced Computer Studies, widely considered to be the best computer studies program in Louisiana and one of the best in the nation, recently opened a new multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility. The U.S.G.S. National Wetlands Research Center has achieved national leadership in research and development related to protecting, restoring and managing wetlands. The New Iberia Research Center, the largest center of its kind, tests medicinal products on non-human primates to develop new, beneficial medicines. It is also involved in groundbreaking research in human cognition. The Center for Business and Information Technologies (CBIT) conducts basic and applied research aimed at establishing scientific foundations and frameworks for business and information technologies, develops and commercializes products, and provides strategic and technical support to Louisiana businesses and government. The National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies (NIMSAT) Institute, lauded for its assistance to the State of Louisiana during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike of 2008, is a national scale homeland security and emergency management institute seeking to enhance national resiliency to a full range of potential disasters through research and tool development. This national scale partnership comprises over thirty public, private, and non-profit organizations from across sixteen states in the U.S. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPoL) helps businesses and manufacturers statewide increase their productivity and access new technologies. Utilizing leading edge technologies and consultants around the state, MEPoL provides assistance in the areas of manufacturing, plastics and polymers, and procurement. MEPoL was established through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. MEPoL is an affiliate of NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a national network of manufacturing services available in all 50 states. The Cognitive Evolution Group is conducting cutting-edge research exploring a fundamental question about human nature: Is there anything truly unique about the human mind? The Cognitive Evolution Group has established two laboratories exploring and testing the abilities of human children and of chimpanzees, our nearest living primate relatives, and is working to establish the National Chimpanzee Observatory, a natural setting to observe and study the behavior of chimpanzees and other apes. The University has expanded its basic and applied research capabilities in many areas. The Center for Telecommunications Studies provides the necessary infrastructure to organize, coordinate, and continue to develop all aspects of telecommunications education and research including a nationally known undergraduate program. The Microscopy Center includes a world-class laboratory providing advanced microscopy instrumentation supporting eleven academic research projects involving more than fifty investigators in the Departments of Biology, Physics, Geology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering for research conducted by UL Lafayette faculty, undergraduate students and graduate students. The Louisiana Accelerator Center provides world-class facilities in high energy physics for interdisciplinary research by UL Lafayette faculty and students in the physical sciences. These are but a few examples of the many ways research and development are supported by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In turn, support of such research activity carries over into the classroom in the form of improved curricula and productive interactions between students and faculty. For more detailed information about the various research centers at UL Lafayette see Research Centers & Labs.
				Curriculum and Professional Development
					University investigators have continued to receive outside funding to support basic and applied curriculum and instructional improvement. Through various programs, faculty members have opportunities for training and professional development at conferences and workshops where technical assistance and exploration of best practices are available. Scholarly interaction between students and faculty is encouraged and supported through recruitment of gifted students and guest lecturers in such programs as the Creative Scholars Program, the NSF Young Investigator Awards, the National Writing Project, and numerous scholarship and fellowship programs. The Marine Survival Training Center seeks to provide the best marine safety and fire training available in the world by using state-of-the-art facilities and experienced, motivated instructors, while expanding leadership in research, fire safety and marine safety education. Research internships, such as those with the USGS National Wetlands Research Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Hospitality Management program at the new Hilton Garden Inn have provided students with hands-on experience with research and training in a professional work environment. Intensive involvement of students in research projects is strongly encouraged and supported. The University has obtained funding to sponsor programs that promote inclusiveness and diversity among minority and special populations and those from impoverished backgrounds. Instructional development is promoted across all University disciplines, especially in integrating technology with curricula. U.S. Department of Education sponsored programs such as Talent Search recruit high school students into the university setting. Special Services programs such as Upward Bound help bring those with special needs into the academic mainstream. Programs such as PRISMS (Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students) and SLICK-12 (Science Leadership Institute for Curriculum K-12) have made mathematics and science more accessible to students. UL Lafayette involvement in initiatives such as the Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program (LaSIP) and the Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (LaCEPT) have improved the performance of students and teachers dramatically. LaSIP and LaCEPT provide intensive professional development of prospective and existing teachers in the fields of mathematics and science while incorporating emerging technology. LaSIP and LaCEPT have stimulated standards-based revision of courses and curricula, and provide opportunities for faculty mentoring designed to improve teaching performance.
				Enhancement of Technology and Infrastructure
					The University has made major investments in its research infrastructure. For example, a multimillion dollar expansion of the University's Edith Garland Dupré Library as produced a state-of-the-art resource tool. Other capital improvements include the construction of the University Research Park, with much of the funding coming from federal and state expenditures and private sponsorship. The UL Lafayette Research Park currently houses research efforts encompassing environmental and biological research, health and hospitality management, remote sensing satellites, energy, and computer integrated manufacturing. Tenants include the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE), the Center for Business and Information Technologies (CBIT), the National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technology (NIMSAT) Institute, the Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology (CEET), the Center for Louisiana Inland Water Studies (CLIWS), the Energy Institute (EC), and the Regional Application Center (RAC). The Research Park also includes the USGS National Wetlands Research Center, a federal facility that provides national leadership in biological research and development related to protecting, restoring, and managing natural resources, and the NOAA Estuarine Habitat Coastal Fisheries Research Center, a National Marine Fisheries Service federal facility whose mission is to provide a database needed for management and restoration of fisheries and coastal habitat in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Many other research projects funded by external sources have included improvements for capital construction and enhancement of technology and infrastructure. In addition to the major investments the University has made in improving its technology capabilities and infrastructure, it is continuing to seek outside funding in order to make other improvements.

Document last revised Monday, August 24, 2009 2:25 PM

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Office of the Vice President for Research, PO Box 43610, Lafayette LA 70504
Phone: 337-482-5811 · Martin Hall, Room 338 · E-Mail: ORSP@louisiana.edu