Grants to WMU top $2.1 million in February and March

KALAMAZOO--Grants to Western Michigan University soared past the $2.1 million mark in February and March, WMU trustees learned at their April 19 meeting.

Awards in March amounted to 72 percent of the total, coming in at more than $1.5 million. Grants in February came in at slightly more than $600,000, or 28 percent of the total. The two-month activity pushed the year-to-date grant total awarded to WMU to more than $17.3 million.

Public service awards led the way, coming in at more than $1 million, with the largest a $607,807 grant from Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services to Dr. Carol Sundberg, director of the Center for Disability Services, to provide daily living, communication, behavior control and social skill services to adults with developmental disabilities.

Research grants accounted for a little more than $900,000 and were led by a continuing award of $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to Dr. Nora Berrah, professor of physics. The grant is to further the understanding of fundamental interactions between photon and complex systems using Advanced Light Source and Linac Coherent Light Source at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University in Menlo Park, Calif.