NSM faculty received more money through the program than any other college at the University of Houston. The total for the university as a whole was $2.5 million, second only to the University of Texas.

UH was one of 25 institutions that received money from the competitive, peer-reviewed grant program that funds scientific and engineering research projects of faculty members at Texas higher education institutions.

"These awards underscore the role the University of Houston researchers play in addressing some of the grand challenges facing our nation and our world," said Donald L. Birx, vice chancellor for research for the UH System and vice president for research at UH. "UH is the energy capital’s university and an increasingly important player in the biomedical sciences."

Masaya Fujita and Gregg Roman, both assistant professors of biology, each received $150,000, the most money possible.

Other NSM faculty who received grants were Olafs Daugulis, assistant professor of chemistry; Allan Jacobson, Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry; Zhigang Deng, assistant professor of computer science; Ioannis Kakadiaris, Eckhard Pfeiffer Professor of Computer Science; Thomas Lapen, assistant professor of geology; Shishir Shah, assistant professor of computer science; and Gemunu Gunaratne, professor of physics.

The 21 UH professors who received Hackerman grants also included faculty from the Cullen College of Engineering, the College of Optometry, and the College of Pharmacy.

Of the more than 1,900 proposals submitted for 2007, only 147 were awarded money. UH submitted 49 proposals and was awarded money for 21. The next closest schools to UH’s funding level for 2007 were Texas A&M University at $1.6 million and UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas with $1.5 million.