WMU garners more than $1.6 million in grants in months of April, May

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University passed the $1.6 million mark in externally funded awards in April and May, pushing the year-to-date total above $21 million since the start of the 2015-16 fiscal year, WMU trustees learned at their June 29 meeting.

Research grants

Research grants led the way, falling just short of $1 million, followed by grants for instruction at $334,316. Grants for public service came in at $297,102.

Notable research awards included a $195,121 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Dr. Anthony DeFulio, assistant professor of psychology. The continuation grant will be used to develop an intensive intervention that incorporates the most effective techniques for promoting ART—antiretroviral thereapy—adherence in drug users.

Other notable research awards included a new grant of $143,882 from the Michigan Department of Transportation to Drs. Jun-Seok Oh and Valerian Kwigizile, professor and assistant professor, respectively, of civil and construction engineering, to evaluate the benefit of the Michigan Department of Transportation's continuous counting station locations to the overall monitoring program in terms of cost savings and access to additional data.

Instruction, public service grants

Grants for instruction were topped by a $133,294 continuing award from the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency to Dr. Richard W. Malott, professor of psychology, to provide funding for four doctoral associate positions in the Early Childhood Classroom at KRESA.

The largest public service grant was a $214,200 award from the U.S. Small Business Administration to Tamara Davis, regional director of the Small Business Development Center. The new grant will be used to provide no-cost business consulting, secondary research and low-cost training to small businesses in seven counties in southwest Michigan.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.