UIndy receives $21.5M in grants and awards in 2020-21
The University of Indianapolis marked a record year in 2020-21 for external grants, reaching nearly $21.5 million through 25 awards. While the University has seen steady growth in awards during the past seven years, 2020-21 brought a 139-percent increase compared to the previous fiscal year. That number does not include any pandemic-related institutional or student grants received by the University from the federal government, which makes the growth all the more remarkable.
“This increase in funding is such a boon not only for the future of UIndy, but for the entire state,” said Jeanie Neal, director of the Office of Grants & Sponsored Programs UIndy. “With these funds, we’ll invest in campuswide capital improvements, expanding opportunities for faculty and students, and helping students and teachers across the state have easier access to educational resources.”
Notable awards include a total of $12.3 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities—a three-phase initiative to help institutions across the state invest in strategic planning for their future. UIndy received $2.5 million through the second phase of the initiative, followed by $9.8 million in the third phase. The latter award will support a collaborative effort coordinated by UIndy to improve student retention through the use of data analytics.
In order to meet the evolving needs of UIndy’s student population, investing in campus facilities is a priority. A $100,000 grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation will support a significant facility upgrade and expansion that meets the Department of Art & Design’s growing needs to accommodate more students and to continue to meet the accrediting standards set by the National Association for Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Through the expansion, the Department’s space will increase by 73 percent from 15,000 square feet to 26,000.
Other large awards will go toward supporting statewide communities. This includes a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Community Living. These funds will go toward a 36-month partnership between the UIndy’s Center for Aging & Community and the Indiana University School of Medicine to enhance, strengthen and expand supports for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers in 34 Indiana counties.
Additionally, UIndy’s Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) received $4.8 million in two grants from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. One grant worth $3.3 million will fund devices and broadband in nine service centers and 23 school districts in rural areas across the State of Indiana. The second grant allots $1.5 million for professional development to improve educators’ capacity to provide engaging and effective online instruction. CELL will partner with the Central Indiana Education Service Center during the next two years to disburse the funds and arrange for training.
The top five awards for FY 2020-21 are:
- $9,806,456 from Eli Lilly Endowment, Inc. (Charting the Future, Phase 3) Collaboration to Improve Student Retention through Data Analysis
- $3,375,000 from the Indiana Department of Education (Governors Emergency Education Response [GEER] Component 1) Fund devices and broadband in nine service centers and 23 school districts in rural areas across the State of Indiana
- $2,950,000 from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (INvested Program Fund) Non-STEM Dual Credit Credentialing
- $2,500,000 from Eli Lilly Endowment, Inc. (Charting the Future, Phase 2) UIndy CtF Project, Implementation
- $1,500,000 from the Indiana Department of Education (Governors Emergency Education Response [GEER] Component 2) Improve educators’ capacity to provide engaging and effective online instruction