Research spending hits high

In the area of research, the University is keeping with two traditions - record setting and number one rankings.

The University's research expenditures for the 1997-98 fiscal year skyrocketed 7.2 percent to a record breaking $4.5 million - reflecting an increase in expenditure of nearly half a billion dollars that Vice President for Research Neidhardt told the University Board of Regents last week was "probably sufficient to assure retention of the number one position in the nation."

The figure represents a total of 1,619 grants received for research. Katterman said 3,063 proposals were submitted.

Research Communications Coordinator Lee Katterman said the number of grants received was not relative to the number of proposals, because in some cases grants were awarded before the fiscal year ended. In other instances, some grants were given to fund projects that had been proposed several years ago.

"This money means the ideas of the faculty are worthy of getting support," Katterman said. "It is one of the indicators we have to reflect our faculty and our institution."

Katterman added that the increase in research expenditures was greater than the 3.9 percent increase in 1996-97.

"The dollar amount is not so special, but the way we get these grants is," Katterman said.

Scholars from other institutions must review the proposals submitted by the units of the University and agree that the suggested projects should be funded in order for the University to receive the money.

"The number of proposals that actually receive funding is one in 10," Katterman said. "We're competing very well in a world of ideas."

Of the University's total research expenditures, 65 percent came from federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human services, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy.

Support from University funds accounted for 13 percent of the expenditures, and money from non-federal sources accounted for the remaining 22 percent.

Two dollars out of every $100 the federal government spends on basic research comes to Ann Arbor, Neidhardt explained.

Neidhardt was all smiles at the regents meeting last Thursday as he explained how the money was used, demonstrating that quality research can bestow honor on the University.

"Why am I so happy?" he asked. His reason for his grin, he said, was the record-breaking research expenditures.

"We are No. 1 because our faculty has an enormous capacity for sharing and for helping each other out," Neidhardt said.

One in every eight funded proposals involves the collaboration of faculty members from various disciplines, Neidhardt said, and one-third of the money awarded to the University is for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work.

As an example of an unusual multidisciplinary project, Neidhardt cited Seven Enigmas - a work of seven dances that expressed how humans are affected by the enigmatic.

The art combined the talents of a choreographer, set designer, film maker, space physics scientist, neurobiologist and synthesizer musician - all of whom are faulty or students at the University.

"This work across disciplines is very exciting," Neidhardt said. "We are still organized by disciplines; it brings multiple disciplines together."

The division of research expenditures by field of study showed that the area of life sciences claimed 45.5 percent of funds - completely dominating all other areas. Engineering came in second with only 19.2 percent.

"Over the past decade, there hasn't been a significant change in the division of areas," Neidhardt said.

Regents received Neidhardt's annual report with applause honoring the work of Seven Enigmas and the lab on a chip research by Prof. David Burke that was also reported by Neidhardt.

But the thanks was also for Neidhardt himself.

"We really appreciate your service," Regent Laurence Deitch (D-Bloomfield Hills) said. Deitch said the work done by Neidhardt and the University in the areas of research was exemplary.

11-24-98