The University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine received $114 million in external research funding for fiscal year 2014-15. One such grant included $100 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development for the PREDICT program at the One Health Institute in the School of Veterinary Medicine. The focus of the grant is to identify and control emerging diseases among people, wildlife and livestock worldwide. Overall, the university reported an all-time record of $786 million, an 11.5 percent increase from the year-ago period. The overall figure also represents a 13.4 percent year-over-year increase from the federal government. “This great achievement is a testament to our researchers who have expertise in a broad range of disciplines, enabling them to tackle the major challenges of our time,” said Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. “With this support, I know they will continue to make new discoveries and find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.” The funding brings the university closer to the chancellor’s goal to increase annual research awards to $1 billion by 2020. The 2020 Initiative includes focused support for continued growth through resources that enhance research, despite stagnant federal research funding, according to P.B. Katehi. “While funding for research across the UC system was flat, UC Davis posted more than $80 million gain — the largest amount for any campus,” said Harris Lewin, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis. “The sustained investment in research infrastructure and programs over the past four years is beginning to show significant returns in terms of research funding and impact.” For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, awards from the federal government rose to $427 million from $376 million the previous year, according to the university. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the National Institutes of Health, accounted for the largest source of funding with $206 million, up from $195 million last year. The next highest was the U.S. Department of State at $69.8 million, up significantly from $22.9 million a year ago, the university noted. The National Science Foundation was third with $53.1 million. Support from foundations increased to $66.1 million from $14.3 million last year. Industry-sponsored research was also up from the previous year, reaching $59.4 million, also a record for the campus, according to the university.
