Jefferson College has received a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant, which will provide funds for faculty to conduct scientific research, said Chris DeGeare, the college’s vice president of academic affairs.
The Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) grant will be dispersed to the college over three years, a little more than $133,000 each year, he said.
College officials could start using the grant funds on Oct. 1, DeGeare said.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever had a (substantial) grant from the National Science Foundation,” he said. “As a community college, it’s really rare to receive a National Science Foundation grant.”
“It’s going to allow us to build a sponsored research (program),” DeGeare said.
The grant will provide funding to hire a research coordinator to assist Jefferson College faculty with their research in science, technology, engineering, biology, astronomy, chemistry and other fields.
“When our faculty conducts research, the students participate. So, you have Jefferson College students participating in federally funded research. That’s a step ahead when they transfer to a four-year university because they will have already participated in scientific research.”
The new research coordinator will work out of the college’s existing institutional effectiveness and equity office, said Josephine Kershaw, dean of institutional effectiveness and equity.
Some of the grant money also will go toward “a software package for managing grant research,” DeGeare said.
Kershaw said she hopes the EPIIC grant will lead to future grant money for the college.
“This is a great opportunity for Jefferson College to join the innovative ecosystem in the greater St. Louis area,” she said. “We’re excited to create a grant infrastructure to continue to pursue other future funding that will enhance the learning opportunities for our students, particularly in the biotech and STEM fields. It will increase the college’s opportunities to seek and further funding for sponsored programs.”
Kershaw said Jefferson College and Ohlone College, a community college in Fremont, Calif., partnered to gain the EPIIC grant.
“We applied as a cohort with Ohlone College,” she said. “We were the lead for this. They will have grant activities targeting their community, and we will have activities for the Jefferson College community.”
Kershaw said Jefferson College will work with industrial partners on programs designed to help meet work force needs.
“The industrial partners will be through Building Industry Leadership Teams – BILD,” she said.
“An example (of a faculty research project) is research for the emerging St. Louis biotech innovation ecosystem.”
She said since research at Jefferson College is in its infant stages, matters like how much time will be allotted for faculty to work on research are yet to be determined.
“Once the program infrastructure is built, then we can think of what kind of time they could be released from teaching to explore research opportunities.”
DeGeare said Jefferson College previously received an NSF Project Vision grant that provide a “few thousand dollars” in funding.
“Project Vision will allow for faculty to explore research and grants,” Kershaw said. “The EPIIC and Project Vision grants both work toward these ends.”
DeGeare praised staff members Kershaw, Kenny Wilson, Bob Brazzle and Lora Warner for their work to secure the grant funding.
“They all contributed to the successful grant application,” he said.
Jefferson College President Dena McCaffrey told the school’s Board of Trustees about the grant at its Oct. 12 meeting.