Spring Break
Despite economy, research continues
Josh Kurtz
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: News
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"The stimulus package is a great opportunity for the Drexel research community," Anthony Lowman, associate dean for research for the College of Engineering and interim senior associate vice provost for research, said.
Lowman said there were some serious challenges to getting funding in the current recession, but the stimulus package has helped alleviate these concerns.
"The stimulus package is a great opportunity for the Drexel research community," Lowman said.
Drexel's focus on applied research and basic research puts it in a good position to try to attain opportunities related to the stimulus package.
One research project Drexel is currently taking part in is an examination of the safety of bridges and highways, including the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia and the Throgs Neck Bridge in New York, according to Charles Haas, LD Betz professor of environmental engineering and head of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.
Approximately $100,000 per year for approximately 10 years has been going towards the project, although Haas expects the amount of funding to increase greatly, in part because of the stimulus package's focus on infrastructure improvements.
Haas also believes that research projects in his department may not be affected negatively by the recession in part because of the nature of the projects. Urban physical infrastructure generally is not greatly affected by economic cycles.
Other research studies involving Drexel that may be helped by the stimulus package include a project on tissue engineering for the repair of damaged spinal cords. The project, which has been funded since August 2008, is sponsored by the National Institute of Health. Total funding for the program thus far is around $400,000, according to Lowman, who is involved with the project.
"There's opportunities available right now to get additional funding through the stimulus package," Lowman said about the tissue engineering project. The National Institute of Health received $8.2 billion in the stimulus package.
Research at the University has been increasing during recent years. The Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering has seen its research budget increase from less than $500,000 five years ago to over $2 million this year, according to Haas.
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