SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Their core work

San Diego State University Foundation serves as the administrative and grant management arm of SDSU, facilitating the university's participation in international research collaborations. In H2020, SDSU researchers contributed expertise across a remarkably diverse set of fields — from wireless communications and optimal control theory to bilingualism research, tourism economics, and tropical disease epidemiology. Their role is almost exclusively as a third-party or partner institution, providing US-based academic expertise to European-led consortia through mobility and exchange programmes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SDSU's early H2020 involvement (2015–2017) centred on social science and development topics — urban planning for smart specialisation (MAPS-LED), tropical disease research (NSETHIO), and migration studies (MAPS). From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted noticeably toward technology and applied science: wireless communications, trajectory optimization, and digital tourism alongside continued social science work in bilingualism. This broadening suggests growing engagement of SDSU's engineering and computer science departments in European research networks.

SDSU is increasingly contributing engineering and AI expertise to European consortia, making them a stronger partner for technology-oriented projects that benefit from a US academic perspective.

How they like to work

SDSU never coordinates — all 7 projects are as partner or third party, with 6 of 7 being third-party roles. This is consistent with a non-EU institution joining European projects through researcher mobility schemes (MSCA) rather than leading them. With 27 unique partners across 14 countries, they connect to a wide network but in a distributed, non-repeating pattern typical of individual researcher-driven participation rather than institutional strategy.

SDSU has collaborated with 27 distinct partners across 14 countries, reflecting a broad but shallow European network built through individual researcher exchanges rather than deep institutional ties.

What sets them apart

As a major US public research university, SDSU offers European consortia something most partners cannot: a transatlantic bridge for researcher mobility and access to American research infrastructure and networks. Their unusually diverse project portfolio — spanning engineering, social science, health, and tourism — means they can contribute to many types of consortia. For coordinators seeking a credible US partner for MSCA or ERC-linked mobility, SDSU is a proven and experienced choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NSETHIO
  SDSU's only directly funded H2020 project (EUR 72,500), addressing the mysterious Nodding Syndrome disease — an unusual and socially impactful research topic.
• RECOMBINE
  Their most recent and longest-running project (2020–2025), positioning SDSU in the strategic beyond-5G wireless research area with AI applications.
• STRATOS
  Highly specialized aerospace-relevant work on real-time trajectory optimization — a niche technical capability not common among H2020 participants.