Faculty at the California State University are engaged in cutting-edge research and projects that will not only lead the state to a better future, but provide CSU students with hands-on learning that will prepare them to be the next generation of leaders. Much of this research is dependent on grants from both public agencies and private organizations that fund the important work. Read about the projects made possible thanks to the 10 largest grants awarded to the CSU in 2024.
1. Tribal Energy Resilience and Sovereignty Project
University: Cal Poly Humboldt
Award: $23 million
Carisse Geronimo, an engineer at Cal Poly Humboldt's Schatz Energy Research Center, measures the amount of solar radiation at the Hoopa Valley Tribe's fire department. (Photo courtesy Cal Poly Humboldt)
As part of $88 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) program, Cal Poly Humboldt's
Schatz Energy Research Center received
$23 million for its technical development role in the Tribal Energy Resilience and Sovereignty Project. The project will provide reliable energy to and address the frequent and prolonged power outages among the Hoopa, Yurok, Karuk and Blue Lake Rancheria Tribes in Humboldt County by setting up microgrids, control systems and a demonstration site. Not only will the efforts reduce power outages by 90%, but they will give the Tribes sovereignty and ownership over the energy systems, produce more clean energy, offer career development opportunities for Tribal members and boost educational outreach to local youth.
“We are honored to work with this Tribal partnership, and are excited to radically expand the capacity of microgrids to provide energy reliability in high-risk locations," Schatz Center Director Arne Jacobson said. “These tribes are already leading the field in dam removal, healthy fire on the land, middle and last-mile telecommunications access and renewable energy systems deployment—and will now support development of what we hope will be a game-changing climate resilience solution."
2. GEAR UP Community Achievement Project
University: San José State
Award: $10,673,600
With funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Gaining Early Awareness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), San José State is working with community partners and local school districts to increase the number of low-income students entering higher education. The SJSU
GEAR UP Community Achievement Project will provide academic support services, college and career preparation services, financial aid guidance and mental health support to East San José students from seventh grade to their first year of postsecondary education.
“Receiving this seven-year GEAR UP grant signifies a long-term commitment to bridging the opportunity gap and promoting educational equity for low-income students living and attending schools within our university's local community in East San José,"
Professor of Counselor Education Dolores Mena said. “Receiving this grant also signifies a commitment to leveling the playing field and ensuring that all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, receive resources and support to increase their chances of enrolling, persisting and succeeding in higher education and beyond."
3. STEM and Computing Education Support
University: Sonoma State
Award: $7,904,722
A Learning by Making student uses a digital Multimeter to measure voltage on his BasicBoard electronic tool. (Photo courtesy Sonoma State)
Beginning in 2013, Sonoma State's
EdEon STEM Learning Center used U.S. Department of Education funding to develop a
ninth-grade STEM curriculum, called
Learning by Making (LbyM), for rural and underserved schools that gives students hands-on learning with technology and science practices. The program has successfully improved students' grades in math and science. The newest grant launched the
STEM and Computing Education Support (STEMACES) program, which will adapt elements of Learning by Making to develop an eighth-grade curriculum that includes coding, electronics and methods for using sensors for rural schools in California and Texas. The model will also include teacher professional development and ongoing support for students and teachers.
“Scientists are reliant on technology, and we realized that students needed to know technology to pursue science themselves,"
said Lynn Cominsky, director and founder of EdEon STEM Learning. “One of the most satisfying results over time has been seeing how many of our LbyM students are pursuing studies in engineering, physics and astronomy, biology and computer science."
4. Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency: The Community Collaborative
University: Cal State LA
Award: $7,469,325
A future educator in Cal State LA's Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency program instructs young students in the classroom. (Photo courtesy Jaqueline Garcia/LAUSD)
For the third time, Cal State LA's College of Education received a grant through the ED Teacher Quality Partnership Program to support its
Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency (LAUTR) program. The program prepares new teachers to serve in high-need urban schools. With the new grant, it will work with community-based organizations and local school districts through the new Community Collaborative (LAUTR-CC) to develop community-centered teachers in the areas of special education, secondary STEM education and bilingual education. Over a full academic year, students in LAUTR-CC will complete a classroom apprenticeship and aligned coursework and receive guidance from a mentor teacher. At the end, they will earn their credential and join the districts as a first-year teacher.
“This grant provides Cal State LA the opportunity to ground the education of the teachers in the communities in which they will teach,"
said A. Dee Williams, College of Education interim associate dean and professor of curriculum and instruction.
5. North Valley Food Hub for Climate-Smart Agriculture
University: Chico State
Award: $5,024,793
Ted Gailey, left, and Benjamin Lewis, technical assistance providers for Chico State's North Valley Food Hub for Climate-Smart Agriculture, work together on a participant's farm. (Photo courtesy Chico State)
Chico State's Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems and the College of Agriculture
received a grant from the USDA Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities program to create the
North Valley Food Hub for Climate-Smart Agriculture. The project aims to incentivize the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among regional farmers through two facets. First, the Hub provides funding, resources and assistance to small and underserved growers to help implement conservation practices. Second, the Hub offers post-harvest marketing, sales and distribution support as well as an online wholesale marketplace where growers can promote their products and connect with buyers. The Chico State team will also monitor and evaluate the success of the climate-smart practices adopted by the farms.
“The North Valley Food Hub helps Sacramento Valley producers adapt to changing climate by supporting exploration of climate-smart cropping systems and decreasing costs of accessing values-based marketing channels,” said Jacob Brimlow, Chico State professor of agricultural business. “Targeted activities aim to increase long-term resiliency across a diverse range of producers and products.”
6. Humanities Internship Program
University: Fresno State
Award: $5 million
Along with four other public colleges and universities, Fresno State received a grant from the Mellon Foundation to create
paid internship programs for humanities majors, allowing these students to put their classroom learning into practice. The program involved developing new internship courses, embedding career preparation into the curriculum. The funding will support the program for its first 20 years, though plans are in place to continue the program in perpetuity.
“With this transformative grant, our students will apply and hone their humane perspectives and analytical, multilingual skills developed at Fresno State via paid internships beyond the classroom,"
said Honora Chapman, dean of Fresno State's College of Arts and Humanities. “Through earning income while also receiving academic credit towards graduation in their internships, our humanities students will become leaders by making an immediate impact on our Valley and creating a brighter future for themselves and their families."
7. Nurturing Relationships to Harvest Success: Leveraging Social Capital for Training the Next Generation of Diverse Agricultural Leaders
University: Cal State Monterey Bay
Award: $5 million
CSUMB Professor Jose Pablo “J.P." Dundore-Arias, second from right, conducts research with his students. (Photo courtesy Brent Dundore-Arias/CSUMB)
A grant from the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture's From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals program is helping Cal State Monterey Bay improve career pathways for underrepresented students in the
agricultural plant and soil science program. The grant will allow the university to refine classroom curriculum and expand hands-on learning opportunities as well as hire two new staff members to coordinate internships, workshops, scholarships and outreach. Over the five-year period, the grant will also fund scholarships for 62 students, support 12 students per year in agriculture-related field and lab research projects and provide stipends for 70 students completing full-time summer internships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other industry partners.
“The idea was to create opportunities to train and to develop the agricultural workforce to lead the USDA into the future,"
said Jose Pablo “J.P." Dundore-Arias, CSUMB assistant professor of plant pathology.
8. Tribal Nursery and Tree Planting Project
University: CSUN
Award: $5 million
Volunteers from CSUN, the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Tataviam Land Conservancy build planting tables, set gravel and lay out mulch to prepare a Tribal nursery to receive its first batch of trees. (Photo courtesy CSUN)
CSUN, the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Tataviam Land Conservancy are leveraging funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Urban and Community Forestry Program to combat the effects of climate change in Los Angeles County's disadvantaged communities. The
Tribal Nursery and Tree Planting Project will rely on traditional ecological knowledge to establish Tribal tree nurseries and plant native, culturally significant trees in these communities, addressing the lack of tree canopy and resulting urban heat island effects there. In addition, the project will create job training programs and curricula in urban forestry while promoting careers in the industry.
“The whole idea behind the project is to provide equitable access to trees, tree canopies and shade" for disadvantaged communities,
said Crist Khachikian, CSUN professor of civil engineering and construction management. “It's to be stewards of the land in ways that public agencies usually cannot."
9. Developing Capacity to Quantify Climate-Smart Practices in Cool Season Specialty Crops
University: Cal State Monterey Bay
Award: $4,999,976
With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this
Cal State Monterey Bay project will increase the climate resilience of California crops like strawberries, kale and broccoli. Employing a bilingual team, the project will involve underserved growers along California's Central Coast, where researchers will implement and monitor climate-smart agricultural practices. It aims to reduce the amount of nitrogen used, minimize greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of the soil while maintaining the crops' yield and quality.
“We're testing three conservation practices. We have cover crops, compost and reduced nitrogen applications,"
said Arun Jani, CSUMB assistant professor of crop management. “The goal is, is this going to improve crop production with less carbon?"
10. Investing Now to Expand Faculty Research Through Capacity Building Program
University: Cal State Fullerton
Award: $4,997,384
Cal State Fullerton secured a Research and Development Infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Education to bolster the university's research infrastructure. The funds, along with a Postsecondary Student Success grant, will allow the university to build upon its technology resources, expand research opportunities for faculty and students and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. This included the launch of the
Engaging Graduate Students in Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities program, which supported graduate students engaging in faculty-led scholarly or creative projects through financial support, workshops, a conference and professional development.
“This highly competitive grant funding will help us enhance our current research development infrastructure and provide support to eventually increase our research productivity and extramural research funding,"
said Binod Tiwari, CSUF associate vice president for research and sponsored projects and professor of civil and environmental engineering. Tiwari recently received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, which honors individuals who have made a significant impact by mentoring underrepresented groups in STEM.
Learn more about research at the CSU.