Research, Discovery and Creative Activities
Over the next five years, Texas Woman’s will highlight, promote, and strengthen our burgeoning research enterprise across system-wide disciplines, from STEM and healthcare to the arts and humanities and beyond. From basic, applied, and translational research to innovative creative activities, this initiative aims to increase output, external funding, and sustainability for Texas Woman’s programs, students, and faculty. Our focus is trained on solutions for global challenges.
While fostering excellence in research and elevating our standing both locally and globally, our research initiative centers student engagement and activities that reflect our diversity. Our goals include attaining and maintaining the Carnegie classification of High Research Activity for doctorate-granting institutions for the sake of attracting world-class faculty and graduate students. We seek community and philanthropic collaborators to join us in anchoring Texas Woman’s unique values in what we are committed to achieving: a thriving and self-sustaining research initiative.
Highlights of Programs & Accomplishments
At Texas Woman’s, the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP) supports faculty and shepherds efforts to achieve goals of the Research, Discovery and Creative Activities initiative. Highlights of ongoing programs and recent accomplishments include the following items. These activities are but a few of the many areas of focus and growth around research, publication, and expansion in arenas from science to the arts.
Initiatives
Initiatives like the Hanover Grants Academy, Proposal Development & Submissions Incentive Program, Research Enhancement Program, Creative Arts and Humanities Grant, and Small Grants Program serve to raise Texas Woman’s research profile through increasing annual funding, expanding faculty members’ capacity, and raising their visibility as researchers.
Services to Researchers
ORSP’s Services to Researchers include the Center for Research Design and Analysis, along with an institutional subscription to InfoEd’s Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) database which contains more than 40,000 funding opportunities from 10,000+ sponsors, plus external expertise on intellectual property and tech transfer issues.
Research Grants
Externally funded grants and contracts in FY2023 totaled $10,854,286 resulting from 78 awards. This exceeded the prior year’s funding by almost $2.5MM. New research grants awarded in FY 24 include an approximately $700K grant by the NSF to Chemistry, an NIH grant for PT Dallas for nearly $400K, and several NASA grants.
Becoming an R2 Institution
Due to Carnegie’s revamping of its classification methodology and designations pertaining to research/doctorate institutions, Texas Woman’s University will likely become a R2 institution in the near future. Texas Woman’s University remains committed to enlarging its research funding footprint through this continuing initiative, while also reaping crossover benefits from imperatives like leveraging the power of our systemness.
Strategies
- Execute plans to achieve Carnegie High Research Activity designation
- Raise Texas Woman’s Research profile
- Secure strategic partnerships
- Expand underwriting
- Increase faculty & student research footprint
Success Measures
- Continue aligning Texas Woman’s research activities with criteria to meet Carnegie High Research Activity designation
- Submit candidacy for Carnegie High Research Activity in the next appropriate cycle
- Collaborate with Advancement to identify & approach philanthropic partners
- Increase annual external research funding to $8MM
- Grow graduate student support through tuition waivers, stipends, scholarships
- Raise faculty visibility through publication in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, and creative activities for public participation
- Strengthen intellectual property footprint through disclosures, patents, and licensing
The Team
- Holly Hansen-Thomas, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research, Innovation, & Corporate Engagement
Professor of Bilingual and ESL Education - Abigail Tilton, Ph.D.
Professor & Dean, College of Arts & Sciences - Wyona Freysteinson,Ph.D., MN, RN, FAAN
Professor of Nursing - Lee Brown, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Director of Research, College of Business - Christopher Brower, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Sciences - Biology - Rebecca Lucero-Jones, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, HDFS&C - Asha Vas, Ph.D., OT
Associate Professor & Associate Director, Department of OT – Dallas - Julie Libersat, M.F.A.
Associate Professor, School of Arts & Design – Visual Arts