Sioux City, Iowa – Morningside University has been awarded a grant of $2,765,686 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) GRANTED (Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity) program. This significant funding will provide support for Morningside to implement a new endeavor called RISE: Research Ecosystem Integration and Siouxland Partnership Expansion, which aims to enhance research capabilities at Morningside from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2029.

Dr. Brian McFarland, the current associate vice president for academic affairs and principal investigator of the project, stated, “The GRANTED program is focused on addressing systemic barriers within our nation’s research landscape. This funding will specifically promote the growth of research opportunities among faculty and staff at institutions like Morningside, which often lack the necessary support for such developments.” The new initiative will culminate in the establishment of a three-person Office of Sponsored Programs, dedicated to managing grant activities and fostering collaborative research partnerships.

“The RISE project will ultimately enable Morningside to grow its research capacity while remaining a small, teaching-focused institution,” Dr. McFarland continued. “We envision Morningside becoming a catalyst for regional partnerships that will create significant positive impacts on education, workforce development, and community engagement in the rural Siouxland area.”

Through RISE, Morningside has set ambitious goals that include the development of high-impact regional research collaborations and broadening the institutional capacity to conduct meaningful research that benefits our faculty, students, and community partners. Morningside University is confident that this project will establish a model for similar institutions seeking to enhance their research capabilities.

As a consequence of RISE being funded, Dr. Brian McFarland will become the director of sponsored programs and dean of the Morningside University School of Arts & Sciences effective Jan. 1, 2025. The additional positions that will report to Dr. McFarland in the Office of Sponsored Research will be hired in the coming months.

Additional members of the grant team who worked on the proposal included Dr. Kelly Chaney, dean of the Sharon Walker School of Education, and Dr. Darrel Sandall, dean of the School of Business.