Faculty and staff members at Metropolitan State University of Denver continue to secure funding for projects that support student success, strengthen Colorado’s workforce, advance research and expand community engagement. Explore the grant projects below to learn more about their impactful work.
Emily Ragan, Jon Dyhr and Brian Healy, faculty members in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology, and Communication Studies
- Two Open Educational Resources (OER) grants from the Colorado Department of Higher Education
- $47,500
- $100,000 for adoption in 2026-27
- Award date: Dec. 9
- Funding supports Open Roadrunners Year 8, advancing open education and making higher education more affordable for Colorado students. Funding will also expand the adoption of Open Educational Resources to increase affordability for Colorado students.
Adriann Wycoff and Robb Gallegos, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Family Literacy Program
- $30,000 grant from the Statewide Family Engagement Center of the National Center for Families Learning
- Award date: Dec. 9
- Funding supports a four-component family literacy model and research-based family engagement activities intended to strengthen family engagement and student academic success.
David Varel, adjunct professor in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, History
- $66,000 from the American Council of Learned Societies 2026 Fellowship Award
- Award date: April 8
- Fellowship funding supports Varel’s research and writing on “The Black Chicago School: Academic Activism in the Age of American Apartheid,” exploring Black scholars who challenged scientific racism and helped lay groundwork for the modern civil rights movement.
Kate Trujillo, College of Health and Human Sciences, Social Work
- $191,500 grant from Colorado Health and Human Services funding associated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Award date: April 6
- Funding supports the Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium, which provides scholarships and professional development opportunities for social work professionals committed to serving Colorado children and families.
Dawn Matera Bassett, College of Health and Human Sciences, Social Work
- $9,500 grant from Boulder County
- Award date: April 13
- Second-year funding supports crisis debriefing services and resiliency training through the Thrive Program.
Maluwa Behringer, Classroom to Career Hub
- $200,000 subaward through the National Science Foundation
- Award date: May 1
- Funding through Innosphere supports fire prevention interns and MSU Denver’s workforce development partnership with the NSF Colorado-Wyoming ASCEND Engine.
Kate Trujillo, College of Health and Human Sciences, Social Work
- $125,000 award through the University of Louisville and the Center for Workforce Equity and Leadership — University Partnership Program
- Award date: June 24
- Funding supports programming and scholarships that prepare developing social workers to serve Colorado children and families at MSU Denver and four partner institutions.
Jess Retrum, College of Health and Human Sciences, Social Work
- $138,000 from the State of Colorado Behavioral Health Administration
- State of Colorado Behavioral Health Administration and MSU Denver Collaborative: Addressing Colorado’s Behavioral Health Needs and Workforce Vacancies
- Award date: June 25
- Funding supports an apprenticeship-based model designed to create an employment-based, low- or no-cost Master of Social Work degree option and a customized, affordable pathway to licensure for postgraduates.
Emily Matuszewicz, Gina and Frank Day Health Institute, College of Health and Human Sciences
- $70,822 funding increment from the U.S. Department of Education
- Award date: July 7
- Year-two funding supports I’M HEALTHY: Innovative Model of Higher Education and Learning Communities Teaming up for Healthy Youth. Funding is for students preparing for careers in mental and behavioral health services for children and youth while helping address Colorado’s shortage of school-based mental health professionals.
Kara Halley, Jessica Newsome and Charlie Buckley, School of Education, Education Solutions
- $19,118 award from the city and county of Denver
- Award date: July 10
- The award benefits VOICES in Action: Expanding Equitable Access to Inclusive Higher Education Through Case Management Coordination. Funding will expand access to inclusive higher education for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have faced financial, cultural, systemic and social barriers.
Adriann Wycoff and Robb Gallegos, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Family Literacy Program
- Two grants grant from the Colorado Department of Education:
- $204,544
- $542,727
- Award date: Aug. 12
- Funding supports adult education, childcare for participating parents and instruction focused on life, work and workplace success skills through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. Year-two funding supports adult learners in skills acquisition, high school equivalency, English-language instruction, postsecondary credential attainment and employment preparation.
Pamela Bentley, Student Affairs
- $467,222 from the U.S. Department of Education
- Award date: Not listed
- Year-four funding from a five-year award supports first-generation and low-income students at five area high schools through college preparation and academic success services through TRIO High School Upward Bound.
Kristy L. Duran, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Research
- $343,327 from the National Institutes of Health
- Award date: Not listed
- Funding supports a partnership that will recruit, train and build a community of genomic scientists from a range of majors and backgrounds to expand participation in biomedical research through GREU: Genome Research Experiences to Attract Talented Undergraduates.
Mira Morton Luna, College of Health and Human Sciences, Health Institute
- $154,000 from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing
- Award date: Not listed
- Funding through the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative will help expand access to mental health care by increasing the number of qualified licensed clinicians while developing a workforce that better represents the communities it serves.
Sonia Falcón and Abbie Kell, Student Care Center, Student Affairs
- $89,425 through Hunger Free Colorado from U.S. Department of Agriculture funding passed through the Colorado Department of Human Services
- Award date: Not listed
- Funding supports Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education, outreach and application assistance, with a goal of helping 350 MSU Denver students annually connect with food resources and other basic-needs support.
Learn more about grants at the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs.
