Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Funding Notice

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at Albany State University (ASU) has assisted in securing more than $1.4 million to pursue research and external funding endeavors. No funding amount is too small or too large to pursue. 

Please join the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in extending golden ram congratulations to:

Rani George, Principal Investigator

Professor of Criminal Justice, Department of Criminal Justice

  • Received continued funding in the amount of $101,945, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) for the project ‘We Are One Albany State University’.

  • The overall goal of this project is to create a university wide campus climate that fosters positive mental health through increased mental health awareness among ASU students, including activities to reduce stigma associated with mental illness.

Florence Lyons, Principal Investigator

Professor of Speech & Director of the Velma Fudge Grant Honors Program

Pamela Brown, Anta’Sha Jones, Rhonda Porter, Louise Wrensford

Departments of Natural Sciences & Department of Social Sciences

  • Received new funding in the amount of $199,997, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) CATALYST Program for the project ‘Technically Speaking: Building Scientific Communication Self-Efficacy’.

  • The goal of the project is to offer empirically based research, which may lead to an improvement of undergraduate STEM students’ academic competency in oral communication, as well as their scientific communication efficacy.


Peter Ngwafu, Principal Investigator
Professor/Director MPA Program

Sherryl Johnson

Professor, Health Care Management

Sandra Handwerk

Assistant Professor of Public Administration

  • Received continued funding in the amount of $769,099 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs for the project ‘Stronger Together: Community Partnerships for Youth Health Innovations’.

  • The overall goal of the project is to develop innovation hubs across Southwest GA and utilize trauma-informed, patient-centered approaches, for training, technical assistance collaboration and electronic networking to serve expectant and parenting teens and improve health for teens.


Olabisi Ojo, Principal Investigator

Associate Professor of Biology, Department of Natural Sciences

Vijay Kunwar

Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics

  • Received new funding in the amount of $199,869, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) CATALYST Program for the project ‘Infusion of Data Expertise into Undergraduate Biology Curriculum’.

  • The project will enable Albany State University (ASU) to infuse in the Biology Program, the ability of students to communicate, perform, predict and judge in the dimensions of data flow, data curation and data analytics, by adapting a unique curriculum framework for promoting Data Expertise in the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum (DEUBiC).


Arun Saha, Principal Investigator

Professor of Physics & Engineering, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics

  • Received new funding in the amount of $10,000, from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium (Georgia Institute of Technology) for the project ‘Suppression of Particular Electromagnetic Signal’.

  • The aim of the proposed project is to develop a technique to suppress a particular electromagnetic signal in a material by inserting pre-designed metal strips into the material.


Shayla Williams, Principal Investigator

Associate Professor of Biology, Department of Natural Sciences

Anthony Cooper

Assistant Professor of Biology, Department of Natural Sciences

Anta’Sha Jones

Assistant Professor of Biology, Department of Natural Sciences

  • Received continued funding in the amount of $165,060 from the Department of Education, MSEIP Program for the project ‘Improving Albany State University’s Research Capabilities and the Student Research Experience’.

  • The overall goal of this project is to enhance ASU’s research capabilities by building the research environment to conduct toxicological research and to provide students with extensive research experience from planning to conducting experiments, analyzing, interpreting, and publishing the results.