West Virginia University’s Board of Governors approved on Friday $7.5 million in new Research Trust Fund contributions for submission to the state for matching funds, bringing the total approved by the Board to just over $16 million. It is the largest amount approved by the Board since the program’s creation in 2008.
The new funding, certified by the WVU Foundation, comes from 12 sources, said WVU Provost Michele Wheatly, who presented the gifts and pledges for approval.
Names of the donors of the three largest gifts and details on these contributions will be announced publicly at a later date.
Other gifts/pledges include:
- Frederick P. and Joan C. Stamp Cancer Research Endowment – $104,701
- Michael Baker Corp. Endowment in Civil and Environmental Engineering – $25,000
- James P. Boland M.D. Department of Surgery Endowed Research Fund – $18,801
- James A. & Ruby Romano Department of Civil and Environment Engineering Endowment – $17,187
- Raymond Brooks Vanscoy Cancer Research Endowment – $8,505
- Grace C. Clements Speech Pathology and Audiology Research Endowment – $5,000
- James A. Kent Endowment for Biomedical Engineering – $4,500
- Bowlby Wood Science Graduate Research Fellowship – $492
- Badzek Family Endowment for Nursing Research – $100
Curt M. Peterson, vice president for research and economic at WVU and president of the WVU Research Corp. said, “Every time a donor agrees to support a WVU research endeavor, it represents a vote of confidence in our research enterprise; an appreciation of the talent resident in our University; and a hope for results that can make lives better here at home in West Virginia and America.”
With this request, private and state dollars combined will bring WVU’s total to more than $32 million in investments in key research areas.
“We are extremely grateful to these donors who truly understand the importance of research and why it is a major emphasis at WVU,” said Wayne King, WVU Foundation president and CEO. “This private support combined with the state match will certainly help the University as it works to excel in research and innovation.”
In 2008, the state created the Research Trust Fund with an initial appropriation of $50 million ($35 million for WVU, $15 million for Marshall) to leverage public and private investments that will help transform West Virginia’s economy.
WVU is able to tap into the fund to double private gifts that support expansions to research faculty and infrastructure in key areas link to economic development, health care and job growth.
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CONTACT: William Nevin; WVU Foundation
304-284-4056; WNevin@wvuf.org
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