Welcome to Research & Innovation at WSSU
Winston-Salem State University is a teaching and research institution, providing students access to exceptional pedagogy and groundbreaking investigative opportunities. WSSU’s research capacity has grown over the past 5 years, largely due to the efforts of our investigators and strategic investments in resources, personnel, and extraordinary investigators dedicated to mentorship and discovery. With those factors in mind, a focused Strategic Plan for Research & Innovation was created to highlight key goals and important priorities for research at WSSU.
As Associate Provost for Research & Innovation, my focus is to develop, promote, and implement the research of our faculty and staff, ensuring that their work appropriately relates to student success and WSSU’s 2030 “Unleash the Genius” Strategic Plan. The Sponsored Programs broadly supports the research and scholarly pursuits of the faculty, staff, and students at WSSU. Our goal is to provide investigators with the necessary support to find grant announcements (Grant Opportunities), establish collaborations, initiate grants (INOI), submit grants (Pre-Award), obtain and manage grants (Post-Award), and assist with grant-related activities such as reporting and compliance (Compliance).

With committed, distinctive service, our overarching mission is to foster transformative research, scholarship, discovery, and innovation in all disciplines at WSSU in order to impact society nationally and globally.
Please explore the many Centers, programs, and opportunities that WSSU offers.
Types of Research
Enhancing the specialized skills of our future healthcare workforce while addressing health problems in general and underserved populations.
Preparing students with essential and critical skills for the 21st century while reaching beyond traditional ways of researching by merging subject, culture, and technologies.
Improving psychological, physical, and emotional outcomes of people through focused research on attitudes, motivations, and justification of actions within society.
Building a more diverse workforce, WSSU's rigorous and beneficial scientific research contributes important knowledge to STEM fields.
Researchers engaged with our centers and institutes have opportunities to solve community based problems and really make a difference. Together, we are addressing the economic and social challenges that impact our region, North Carolina and beyond.
We're preparing students to become the next generation of scientists, social scientists, and health practitioners. There are opportunities for all students, faculty and community to be involved in research at WSSU.
Areas of Research Opportunity
WSSU Research In the News
Three WSSU students to witness historic all-female Blue Origin space launch featuring their research
April 02, 2025
Three Winston-Salem State University students are preparing for a journey that’s out of this world – literally. On April 14, Gabrielle Erwin, Anya Buckner and Sarah Lang will be in Texas to witness the launch of Blue Origin’s historic all-female space mission
WSSU Scholarship Week 2025 to showcase student and faculty research
March 25, 2025
WSSU's Office of Undergraduate Research will host its annual Scholarship Week from March 31 to April 4, 2025, celebrating academic excellence and innovative research under the theme, “Owning OUR ‘A’ Game: A Showcase of Visionaries.”
Winston-Salem State University’s Astrobotany Lab partners with former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe to expand HBCU space science research
March 07, 2025
Plant samples from Winston-Salem State University’s Astrobotany Lab will be on the first Blue Origin all-female mission to space this spring.
More Research Rams in the News
- How Dodd-Frank Locks Out the Least Affluent Homebuyers
- HBCU researchers in NC awarded grant to establish consortium
- WSSU centers use research/data to address issues of spacial justice
- WSSU's astrobotany program teams up with NASA to study the effects of growing plants on lunar and Martian soil
- Spending lots of times in caves, WSSU researcher explores the effects of urban noise on bats
- WSSU associate professor of justice studies responds to George Floyd's death
- Economics researcher at WSSU weighs in on COVID effect on brick-and-mortar shopping distribution and taxes
- WSSU financial expert urges investors to hang-tight and to think in the long-term perspective
- WSSU economics professor featured as a content expert in Varsity Blues Scandal documentary