Fitchburg State gets $240K for student research

Courtesy Fitchburg State University's JHammond Hall is home to the school's campus center and library.

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By Sam Bonacci

In one of the largest private grants it has ever received, Fitchburg State University has received $240,000 to fund student-faculty collaboration on research focused on issues of personal fitness and the health of the Nashua River over the next three years.

The university was awarded a three-year, $240,000 grant from the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee for the collaborative research efforts. It is the third-largest private grant the university has ever received, according to a release from Fitchburg State.

The first project will bring together faculty and students from the Business Administration, Earth and Geographic Science, Communications Media and Exercise and Sports Science departments to explore the relationship between health and physical activity. Students from those departments will look at issues of access and physical activity habits, and how those intersect with the healthcare economics for local businesses, according to the university.

The second project, bringing together the Biology and Chemistry and Earth and Geographic Science departments, will look at the health and community impact of the Nashua River. Historical data and current perceptions will be compiled and compared to conditions, along with a look at water quality.

The Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, established in 1973, supports a variety of educational organizations. Its funding is generally focused on organizations or programs that provide support for underserved or under-represented populations to prepare for, access, and succeed in higher education, including two-year and four-year institutions.