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A Year in Review and Looking Ahead: Updates from the AVP for Research (Posted 5/22/26)

As we close out AY 2025–26, I want to take a moment to reflect on a year of meaningful progress and share an optimistic outlook for the academic year ahead.

This past academic year brought important advancements within Research and Sponsored Programs, including strategic hires in both pre-award and post-award offices. These additions position us well to enhance service, improve processes, and strengthen compliance as our research enterprise continues to grow.

Nationally, the research landscape has stabilized considerably compared to this time last year. While federal funding experienced uncertainty due to proposed changes and disruptions, recent appropriations language—along with successful legal challenges—has helped maintain continuity. Early signals suggest similar protections may continue into FY27, giving us reason for cautious optimism about the funding environment.

Federal agencies are releasing award notifications, though the pace remains slower than in prior years. As a result, institutions nationwide are anticipating some moderation in reported R&D expenditures. Following several years of steady growth, Fresno State is likely to experience similar effects in this evolving funding environment. While we remain well-positioned to compete, it is prudent to anticipate some impact on expenditures in the coming year.

On campus, we continue to prioritize engagement and continuous improvement. In collaboration with our post- award team, we initiated college-level check-ins to better understand faculty experiences and identify opportunities to streamline processes. These conversations will continue into the fall, with the goal of connecting with all colleges.

Our internal investment in research remains strong. This year’s RSCA program supported faculty scholarship with approximately $650,000 in awards, funding 72 projects from over 140 applications—an impressive success rate of nearly 50%. These programs are critical to advancing research across disciplines and positioning faculty for external funding success.

I also want to recognize the contributions of the University Research Committee, whose efforts will lead to its elevation as a standing committee of the Academic Senate—an important step in strengthening the voice of research on campus. Additionally, I extend my thanks to the ad hoc University Research Awards review committee for their thoughtful work in evaluating RSCA proposals and improving the process.

Looking ahead to AY 2026–27, we are excited to expand training and professional development opportunities for faculty, including resources for integrating research into the classroom and guidance across the full award lifecycle. We are also exploring emerging AI tools in research administration, with the goal of thoughtfully adopting solutions that improve efficiency and support our campus needs.

Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation to our PIs, awardees, and research support teams—including ORSP, University Initiatives, and Post-Award—for their continued dedication and contributions. Your work is the foundation of Fresno State’s growing research impact. We look forward to building on this momentum in the coming year.