Loyola Marymount University’s fiscal year 2023 proved to be a record-breaking year for
externally sponsored projects, reported Angela Rochat, executive director of research, in the
annual report of the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects.
LMU was awarded $14.5 million in externally sponsored projects in FY 2023, which included
$1.6 million of indirect costs. Those totals represent a 66 percent increase in external awards
over a three-year period from $8.7 million in FY21 to $14.5 million in FY23, with a 20 percent
increase in awards from last fiscal year to this fiscal year. The total awards represent research
activity that involves collaborations internally across academic disciplines, departments, and
externally with other institutions of higher education, industry, and nonprofits with a focus on
student academic success and faculty research.
“The growth in awarded funds signifies LMU’s strategic path as a research active (R2)
institution,” Rochat said. “Increases in research expenditures as a result of the awarded dollars
that are specifically for basic and applied research projects raises LMU’s rankings by the
National Science Foundation in their annual Higher Education Research and Development
(HERD) survey.”
Among the highlights in the report were: 154 proposals were submitted, a 31 percent increase
from 118 in FY22; $69.9 million were requested in external funds, a 75 percent increase from
$39.8M in FY22; $13.3 million indirect costs were requested, a 107 percent increase from $6.4
million in FY22; and $1.6 million indirect costs awarded, a 46 percent increase from $1.1 million
in FY22.
Funds requested represent the total dollar amount of all external funds submitted during the
fiscal year by faculty and staff, while the awarded dollars are the funds received during the fiscal
year to support the various sponsored project activities. Indirect costs represent the expense of
doing business that are not readily identified with a particular grant, contract, project function
or activity but are necessary for the general operation of the organization and the conduct of
activities it performs, such as buildings, light, legal, audit, accounting, human resources, and
labs. Indirect costs are based on a percentage and included in sponsored project budgets that
when awarded are redistributed to the faculty lead, school (dean), and provost to continue to
support research.
“LMU will continue to prioritize and invest in our faculty, centers, institutes, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff who are doing the imperative work to win external funds to advance our research,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas Poon. “And as our research efforts increase, so do the economic and social impacts on our campus, in our community, and in the world.”
Rochat writes, “The advancement of scholarly work would not be possible without strong
supportive working relationships across campus. The leveraging of talent and expertise also
receives tremendous support from faculty and staff who serve LMU, such as Faculty Senate,
Post Award Accounting Administration, Corporate and Foundation Relations, University
Advancement, Institutional Research, Human Resources, Institutional Review Board and IACUC
Committees, Information Technology Services, University Research Committee, and Marketing
and Communications.”
The charts below illustrate the growth over the past three fiscal years in funds requested and
awarded.
