The College of Architecture at Georgia Tech reported $9.9 million in new research contracts and grants for the 2011 fiscal year, yielding a 50 percent year-over-year increase, and continuing steady growth over the last five years. See a sortable list of recent awards.

Among the most significant awards were from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which awarded nearly $2 million from the Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) to develop better simulation models for predicting building efficiency; and a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for music technology professor Parag Chordia to advance his research in predictive models of music.

“Design researchers are increasingly sought after to complement expertise in science and engineering,” said College of Architecture Associate Dean for Research Steven French, a leading researcher in geographic information systems. “Faculty and researchers in the College of Architecture are proactively meeting this need, forging strong interdisciplinary ties with colleagues across campus and exceeding expectations of funding sources.”

Other areas that led in new grants were urban modeling and design, assistive technologies and healthcare environments.

“The numbers show that the College is pushing the boundaries of knowledge,” said Dean Alan Balfour. “We must remember that universities are the nation’s singular most powerful research engines, and that the concern is not with dollars but with the creation of new knowledge.”

The College is a cultural center of creativity and progressive thinking, and frequently hosts world-class performances, exhibitions, lectures and symposiums. A leading producer of research nationally among schools of architecture and the arts, the College houses five interdisciplinary research centers:

• the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access;
• the Center for Geographic Information Systems;
• the Center for Music Technology;
• the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development; and
• the Digital Building Laboratory