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Welcome to the Office of
Sponsored Research Administration
The mission of OSRA is to
build the research capacity and infrastructure of SSU, support
faculty and students to conduct original research and community
service programs, and increase the enrollment, retention, and
graduation of SSU students and their successful entry into
professional, academic, and research careers, through assisting
the faculty and staff to acquire and manage grants and
contracts.
Presently, the
University has approximately $11.7 million in annual grants funding, which supports
curriculum enhancement, faculty and student research, student scholarships,
presentations at conference, and other scholarly activity.
February 29, 2012: SSU Marine Science
Program Receives National Grant from the NOAA Living Marine
Resource Cooperative Science Center
 Savannah
State University (SSU)—The University of Maryland (UMES) has
awarded a new five year (2011-2016) $1.1 million subcontract to
Savannah State University as a part of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cooperative “Living Marine
Resource Cooperative Science Center.”
The Living Marine
Resource Cooperative Science Center is a multiparty effort
between NOAA and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
(UMES), its lead institution, in collaboration with the
University of Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology,
the University of Miami, Delaware State University, Hampton
University, Oregon State University, and Savannah State
University. Its mission is to “train a diverse body of students
for careers in NOAA and other resource management agencies and
conduct cutting edge research in fisheries sciences in the areas
of fisheries socioeconomic, quantitative fisheries, essential
fish habitat and aquaculture.” At SSU, the LMRCSC
program is led by Dr. Dionne Hoskins, Director of NOAA Sponsored
Programs. Among the programs it sponsors, the community is
probably most familiar with the research internships and
fellowships, and the annual marine science camp that is offered
free of charge. This new 5-year award builds on the
accomplishments of two prior five-year LMRCSC awards since 2001
that have totaled over $3 million dollars. Implemented in Fall
2001, the Marine Science program became the first and the only
STEM program at SSU with a master’s program. Currently, the
funding generated from Marine Science Programs represents over
20% of SSU’s total annual grant revenue.The
cooperative program will help sustain the significant impact of
SSU’s Marine Science program by enhancing its master’s degree
program and supporting undergraduate and graduate marine science
research. The LMRCSC also provides resources to the
Georgia-South Carolina Ocean Sciences Bowl, GIS Day in Savannah,
and the Savannah Black Heritage Festival. Most importantly, by
providing student fellowships and scholarships each year the
LMRCSC works to produce top-notch Ph.D. candidates, researchers,
and employees for NOAA’s workforce.
For more information about the LMRCSC or other Marine Sciences
Program, please call 912-358-4101
or visit
www.ssufisheries.com.
US Department of
Education – Educational Talent Search
 In
July 2011, Savannah State University was awarded a new five year
grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Educational
Talent Search Program. SSU has had the Talent Search program
since 1989. The goal of the SSU program is to increase the
number of low-income, first generation students entering
post-secondary institutions, by working in partnership with the
Savannah Chatham County Public School System to provide academic
support to middle and high school students. The new award will
continue the program through August 2016 with total five year
funding of $2.1 million. The new program aims to serve 1,000
6th-12th graders of the
Savannah Chatham County Public School System each year to ensure
they complete high school and prepare them to enter and complete
college. The program is led by Ms. Zenobie Purnell, Director,
ETS. For more information about the program, please contact Ms.
Purnell at 912-358-3478,
purnellz@savannahstate.edu.
 
National Endowment for the Humanities:
Studying the African American Experience in Savannah and Southeast
Georgia: Developing Resources for
Interdisciplinary Explorations at an HBCU
 In
January 2011, Dr. Ronald Bailey, Visiting Distinguished Professor, Social and
Behavioral Sciences, was awarded a $99,929 grant by the National Endowment for
the Humanities. This 18 month project (January 2011 through June 2012) has 3
goals:
(1) enhance knowledge of the African American experience among faculty
through exposure to the research and writing of key scholars; (2) collaborate to
create innovations in interdisciplinary humanities teaching and learning; and
(3) establish an on-going forum for exploring the African American experience in
Southeast Georgia. Project activities will include developing an
interdisciplinary learning community of faculty, hosting several nationally
recognized scholars for public lectures and colloquia, and creating new teaching
and learning resources that can be integrated in the Savannah State curriculum
and shared in an ongoing forum with colleagues on other campuses and community
settings. The primary focus will be on the historical periods of slavery and
emancipation, a focus suggested in part by the upcoming period of commemoration
of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary between 2011 and 2015, with future projects
exploring other time periods and central issues. Topics for the public workshops
and lectures to be held from August 2011 to April 2012 will include the
slavery’s constitution in the American Revolution era (Dr. David Waldestricher,
Temple University, September 2011); the African identity and slavery in Low
Country Georgia (Dr. Michael Gomez, New York University, August 2011); and the
Civil War era in Savannah (Dr. Jacqueline Jones, University of Texas, Austin,
March 2012). Other topics to be
explored include the archaeology of slave plantations (Dr. Theresa Singleton,
Syracuse University, November 2011); the cotton gin, technology and society (Dr.
Angela Lawekete, Auburn University, October 2011); the struggle for Emancipation
(Dr. Leslie Rowland, University of Maryland, January 2012); and U.S. economic
history moving forward from slavery and the Civil War (Dr. Gavin Wright,
Stanford University, April 2012). All lectures are free and open to the public.
Fifteen faculty members who teach courses with substantial African American
experience content at SSU will comprise the Faculty Learning Community:
Africana Studies: Cornelius St. Mark,
DeReef Jamison, and Ronald Bailey; History:
Mohamed Mukhtar, Felicia Bell;
Sociology: Davida Harris, Lauren
McClain; Mass Communications: Carmen
Manning-Miller; and Liberal Arts:
Omega Moore, Joyce White, Chante Martin, Peggy Blood, and Teresa-Michelle
Walker.
 
Dr. Michael Gomez meeting with faculty and
students on August 25-27, 2011”
This project is
funded by NEH’s Division of Education Programs and has been designated a We
the People project (www.neh.gov). For additional information, call
912-358-3202.
HUD/Georgia Department of Community Health Lead Hazard Control Grant.
 Dr.
Nicole Oretsky, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies, has received a sub-award
from the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) to support DCH’s $2.1
million HUD Lead Hazard Control Grant.
DCH (Mr. Forrest Staley, Program Manager) was awarded the grant in
February 2011. Savannah was chosen as the target jurisdiction for the project as
having the highest rate in the state for (1) childhood lead poisoning and (2)
target housing built before 1978 when the use of residential lead-based paint
was banned in the United States. The objectives of the DCH grant are to build
local capacity to remediate lead hazards, to target lead hazard control efforts
in housing in which children are at greatest risk of lead poisoning, and to
promote cost-effective lead hazard control methods. In addition to SSU, other
collaborators include the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Harambee
House, Chatham County Health Department, and Savannah Housing Department.
SSU’s primary roles in the GA DCH project will be to conduct outreach and
education to local communities, educators, and professionals; conduct EPD
training for lead inspectors, lead risk assessors, and lead workers; and conduct
EPA-accredited Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) training for
contractors.
Dr.
Oretsky has been providing RRP training to the public since May 15, 2010. Per
the EPA RRP rule, renovators who wish to work in pre-1978 homes and
child-occupied facilities must complete an EPA-accredited renovator course
through an EPA accredited training provider.
To date, 126 contractors have received training under the SSU program.
Dr. Oretsky is also currently conducting two other lead hazard research programs
-- a $10,000 NIH RIMI funded mini-grant to identify lead hazards in the Benjamin
van Clark neighborhood of Savannah, and a lead hazard study in Pembroke, GA.
Six SSU student interns (undergraduate and graduate) are engaged in
her lead hazard research and training initiatives. For further information on
Dr. Oretsky’s training program, see the SSU website at
http://web.savannahstate.edu/class/hhtp-about.shtml.
NIH NIDA Award
to SSU - $230,000
 Dr.
Karla-Sue C. Marriott, Assistant Professor of Chemistry/Forensic Science,
Department of Natural Sciences (COST) was recently awarded an EARLY CAREER AWARD
IN CHEMISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION (ECHEM- R03) $230,000 grant for 2 years
from the NIH, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The proposed studies will
be under the direction of Dr. Marriott (Principal Investigator) and are relevant
to the development of dopamine D3 receptor selective medicinal agents for use in
the treatment of addiction. The results from this project will contribute
significantly to advancements in the area of addiction research and
rehabilitation treatment. Overall this research is expected to assist in
promoting the mental health of recovering addicts as well as reduce the
possibility of relapse. Collaborators on this grant are Dr. Tina Thompson
(Mercer University School of Medicine-Savannah Campus), Dr. Bryan Roth
(University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) and Dr. John W. Huffman (Clemson
University). We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Marriott on receiving
this prestigious award.
NIH NCMHD RIMI Award
to SSU - $4.0 million
September 1, 2009
 The
NIH National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) has
awarded a Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) Program award
to SSU for its “Strengthening Research Collaborations in Health Disparities”
program (September 2009 – May 2014, $3,978,129).
This program will build the research infrastructure and capacity of SSU
with a focus on addressing health disparities that affect citizens in the
Savannah region by supporting the research efforts of junior biomedical faculty
and helping them to develop as independent investigators (3 initial research
areas of focus will be: obesity (E.
Purnell), drug addiction (K. Marriott), and cancer therapy (C. Jones)),
developing curriculum enhancements to increase the production of well-qualified
biomedical graduates who are trained in research practices, and developing a
common core laboratory which will support sustained collaborative research.
The program is a collaboration between SSU and Mercer School of Medicine
– Savannah Campus, which will provide a Visiting Research Scholar and other
mentoring and support services to strengthen the biomedical research capacity of
SSU. The program will include
development of a GIS-based health disparities database and development of a
sustained community outreach program including close collaborations with
Savannah area health providers, community agencies, neighborhood groups, the
City of Savannah, Chatham County and other community leaders in order to build
the regional research network in health disparities and to ensure that community
health priorities continue to be addressed in the research.
http://linux.savannahstate.edu/rimi/index.htm
NSF-HBCU-UP Award to SSU - $2.0
million
August 29, 2009
 The
National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $2.0 million grant for 5 years
to Savannah State University for the Minority Access for Graduate Education and
Careers (MAGEC) in STEM Program Plus: Strengthening/Sustaining the Culture of
Excellence for STEM education at Savannah State University.
The program will be under the
direction of Dr. Mary C. Wyatt (PI), VP for Academic Affairs, SSU with
co-PIs Dr. Chellu S. Chetty, Associate VP
for Research and Sponsored Programs, Dr. Jonathan Lambright, Chair, Department
of Engineering Technology, and Dr. Johnny Johnson, Assistant Professor of
Biology . This program will
further strengthen the culture of STEM excellence that that was
established during the phase I by further expanding and deepening our outreach,
teaching, and mentoring activities through the following three objectives: 1) Curricular Development, Revision and
Enhancement Reform, 2) Expanding
Pathways for Undergraduate Recruitment,
Enrichment, Retention and Research
Experience, and 3) Strengthening the Faculty Development Activities.
This program will advance the mission of the SSU through its provision of
high quality degree programs in STEM disciplines that increase the participation
of African Americans in higher education. The program will provide: a) 30
scholarships (~$3,000/year) each year for the qualified STEM majors, b) research
experience at the national and international (China, Malaysia and India)
research institutions, c) internship opportunities at the local/regional
industries and schools and d) support for faculty training in new and fast
developing research areas, teaching and learning activities and to attend
workshops/conferences.
Department of Engineering Technology and
Mathematics Receives NSF PRISM Award - $1.5 million
 On August 19, 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1.5 million
grant to Savannah State University for the Proactive Recruitment in Introductory
Science and Mathematics (PRISM) Program:
Building Undergraduate Innovations in Lower Divisions in STEM.
The program is under the direction of
Dr. Mulatu Lemma (PI),
Coordinator/Professor, Mathematics, SSU, with co-PIs Dr. Jonathan Lambright,
Chair, Department of Engineering Technology and Mathematics, and Dr. Paramasivam
Sivapatham, Assistant Professor, Environmental Science.
The overall goal of the program is to improve the experience of freshmen
and sophomores in math and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
math) majors, to better prepare them as STEM majors and to increase the number
who successfully graduate and progress to professional and academic careers.
There is a compelling need for the program to increase the interest and
retention of freshmen and sophomores in STEM majors.
The program is an innovative,
interdisciplinary partnership between the
math, engineering, and environmental science programs at SSU, as well as
faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) – Savannah Campus.
The program will positively impact student success through a broad
spectrum of
new and innovative hands-on and
interactive teaching, discovery learning, and coaching practices
including: 1) 30 scholarships will
be awarded each year to qualified freshmen and sophomores ($3,500/year) who are
STEM majors, 2) interdisciplinary curriculum enhancements will be made for 3 key
STEM core/introductory classes (college algebra, pre-calculus, and integrated
science) to include hands-on, real life applications to show the importance of
math; 3) a new discovery learning lab will be established; 4) mentoring,
tutoring and seminars will be provided to guide and motivate the students; and
5) summer discovery learning will be conducted in
partnership with GA Tech and local industry to further promote active
learning through field-based, hands-on
applications.
Marine Science
Program Receives NSF Funding
 Congratulations to Dr. Carol Pride, Associate Professor, and Dr. Matthew
Gilligan, Professor, for their recent NSF awards. Dr. Pride was awarded
$2.2 million for the Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program
(April 2009 - March 2014), Building Ocean Literacy in a Coastal Community
through Science Education and Estuarine Monitoring, which is a
collaboration between SSU, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO), and
the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. The program will provide
8 marine science graduate fellowships ($30,000/year/fellow). Each fellow
will work with area K-12 teachers to integrate marine science in the K-12
curriculum. The K-12 teachers will be engaged in summer research along with the
SSU and SkIO faculty and graduate fellows. Dr. Gilligan has received
$291,434 for a 3-year Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program,
Bridge to Research in Marine Sciences, to be held each summer on the SSU campus
(2009-2011), in partnership with SkIO, the Georgia Institute of Technology -
Savannah Campus, and the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. This
program will support 8-10 students each summer to conduct marine science
research, with a focus on recruiting underclassmen who it is hoped will persist
in marine science or other STEM studies after an early exposure to research.
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