ECE Secures Historic $81.1 Million in Research Funding, Driving Future Technologies and Addressing Workforce Challenges
This fiscal year, ECE received $81.1 million in sponsored research funding, representing the highest amount in the School’s history. Additionally, the School set a new expenditure record of $103.3 million for FY 22, with $62.3 million dedicated to sponsored research. The figures reflect a broader trend of growing research investment and activity for the School.
The considerable funding interest from industry, governmental entities, and philanthropy is geared at fueling cutting-edge research taking place at the School that broadly aims to enhance current technologies and pave the way for future innovation.
It also underscores the need to cultivate the future workforce of electrical and computer engineers crucial to addressing a significant shortage of workers in the field. The U.S. semiconductor industry faces a shortfall of roughly 67,000 workers by 2030, according to a study from the Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics.
An important contributor of ECE’s funding success was wining awards to set up two research centers under the Semiconductor Research Corporation-administered Joint University Microelectronics Program (JUMP 2.0). “These new highs signify a remarkable accomplishment for the entire ECE community,” said Arijit Raychowdhury, the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair. “It truly takes a collective effort, involving knowledgeable staff, committed students, and top-tier faculty members, to achieve something of this magnitude. The active support of ECE alumni, woven into a broad network, is also integral to success. Without the collaboration of all these elements, this transformative achievement wouldn’t be possible. It goes beyond marking funding milestones; it has far-reaching societal significance. Thank you to all who were part of this historic year.”
ECE’s record research numbers align with funding trends across Georgia Tech, which broke into the top 20 in higher education research and development spending for the first time in a decade. The ranking, based on an annual survey conducted by the National Science Foundation, reflects a year of innovations in healthcare, computing, and sustainability research. Georgia Tech was the only technological university to place in the top 20 and had the second highest year-to-year growth. A top 20 ranking is particularly significant, as Georgia Tech achieved it without a medical school.
The tangible impact of research funding is evident in Georgia Tech’s noteworthy contribution of over $4.5 billion to the state economy in fiscal year 2022, reflecting a 7.4% growth from the preceding year and the most significant economic contribution among the 26 member institutions of the University System of Georgia.
ECE Launches Curriculum partnership initiative
Ensuring a highly skilled workforce is vital for sustaining the competitiveness of the nation’s technology sector and fostering a steady stream of talented professionals.
Driven by this propose, ECE has introduced the Curriculum Partnership Initiative (CPI), a groundbreaking model of industry-academia engagement. This highly flexible and scalable strategy enhances traditional classroom environments while reinforcing the significance of existing apprenticeship-type research programs, like ECE 4804 highlighted above.
By partnering with industry leaders, the CPI ensures that students are equipped with relevant and up-to-date knowledge and practical experience. It addresses the need for a quick ramp-up to industry by providing students opportunities for hands-on learning, access to industry-standard tools, and exposure to real-world problem-solving scenarios, ultimately enhancing students’ readiness and employability upon graduation.
You can find more ECE research highlights by exploring the ECE recent news section.