How much funding/sponsorship does your University provide?

[craigorydean]

Hello everyone,

My name is Craig. just getting this thread little closer to back on topic (although what was said is helpful) I wanted to give a little insight to how budget has worked in my time on University of Texas-San Antonio FSAE team. I'm going to go though my 4 or 5 yeas on the team a briefly as I can.

2011- Probably spent close to $7000 real world on the car ( yes the whole car and it ran)
~ Car was steel space frame with wheels, engine, dampers, and steering rack were from previous car.
~ Used a lot of ATV parts and purposed them
~ We used spool and student made ecu
~ No focus on sponsorship nor working with the University to help raise funds
~ 8-9 People on the team
~ Just worked with what we had
~ 92 of 98 at MIS

2012 was probably right around $7000 real world spent
~ Switched to 10 in wheels
~ Focused on being small, Light, Cheap car
~ Went to microsqirt ecu
~ Steel space frame with Reused steering rack, brakes, and Engine.
~ Re-Purposed atv parts
~ Still no focus on Sponsorship or University involvement
~ 55 of 65 at Lincoln

2013 probably 14000 real world spent on car (First year Universiy Had american football Team)
~ Started to interact with University as the Engineering Dept. wanted to show off to get more research money
~ Began doing community out reach with Uni.
~ Began sponsors Focus as we though funds were keeping the team back
~ New engine was bought by sponsor
~ Goal the car was to finish all event at Comp.
~ Steel space frame with 10's, 450cc single, Microquirt ecu, recycled torsen, racecar parts
~Car was overbuilt in every manner so car ended up being 440 lbs
~Last build for the remaining the members from 2011
~52 of 61 at Lincoln

2014 roughly spent $13000 real world (No car went to comp and I was not on the team that year)
~ Huge Leadership turn over
~ Huge influx of funding from school due to previous years involvement with Uni
~ All that was purchased was a frame from VR3 (cartieasan), taylor Race MKII diff, GP200 brake calipers
~ Focus on sponsorship was there but no drive to get them
~ Large group of first year members
~ Fairly inexperienced leadership
~ 2 team members went to be apart of the next years team

2015 roughly $15000 Real world spent ( I was one of the team leaders)( Most money was caried over from previous year and a 10k donation the Uni got from a random)
~ Baja team was started due to a transfer student not liking formula at the Uni
~ Focused building a car with limited experience and small work force.
~ Personal focus to get all the cool free stuff that larger teams get and why they have 1000 decals on there car (It works for nascar why not us)
~ I was the sole person that sent out sponsorship emails didn't care about the Uni
~ President of the orginzation (Baja team lead) delt with Uni
~ Focused on Parts that would last the next 5 years( Tilton77 brake masters, Kaz tech Steering rack and dampers, carried over taylor racing diff, same engine from 2013, and experince from how to do things as proper as possible
~ almost a 2 year build if the reorganization of the team didn't take Steve Fox coming in to save us from ourselfs.
~ 17 of 65 at Lincoln

--Have not had any faculty advisory for SAE had been on campus since 2004
--We get a space to used and we have acquired tools to be used in it
--You can build any car with any amount of money but it doesn't mean your team will be successful in reaching s goals or potential.

From my experience I can tell you there are lots of people willing to help SAE student and sponsorship is the the second most important thing to team unity and focus.

[MHybrid Josh]

Im not sure exactly how much money the college of engineerging gives us but if i recall correctly its in the $10k-$20k range. The greatest thing we get, though, is access to almost every engineering software we could possibly need as well as 24hr access to a shop specifically dedicated to student project teams (FSAE, Formula Hybrid, Baja, Solar Car, Supermileage, etc.). We have a large computer lab next to our shop where part of the team can be designing while another part of the team is physically wrenching on the car. The college also gives us the option to block off one of the parking lots on the weekend to use for testing and the FSAE team has recently been allowed to test on the new autonomous vehicle test track. So its not really about how much money you get from your school, whats more important is the support they give in terms or resources.



Josh

2013 MRacing Aerodynamics/Composites team member (MR14)
2014 Michigan Hybrid Racing Front Wing Development Lead (MHR15)
2015 Michigan Hybrid Racing Aerodynamic Development Lead MHR16)

[FunkyChicken]

I'll have to agree with my colleague, Craig. I'd venture to say that sponsorship is even MORE important than outright cash. It frees up what money you do have to be spent on things that are actually engineered and fabricated, rather than parts to be bought off the shelf.

Jacob
UTSA FSAE
Team Lead