Division of Research
University’s Focus on Research Yields Financial Benefits
(The following op-ed column was published in the Aug. 25, 2009, issue of the Idaho Statesman)
By Mark Rudin
Vice President for Research
Since 2000, a remarkable transformation has occurred at Boise State University. It involves every member of our university community and is embodied in a dynamic new mindset adopted by the campus. This transformation has resulted from the university’s recent commitment to research as a means of supporting undergraduate education, serving the needs of the community and state, and building our institution’s academic reputation.
In addition to addressing these important priorities, this new focus on research is now producing very tangible financial benefits. We recently learned that our external funding reached an all-time high of $37 million in fiscal year 2009 – a 32 percent increase from last year. It is an impressive number that solidifies Boise State’s position as the fastest-growing research institution in Idaho.
Perhaps more significant, however, is the fact that this type of funding – which comes from federal government agencies and other external entities – has more than doubled since 2000 at Boise State. This trend indicates that the nation’s scientific community, including prestigious agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institutes of Health, has taken notice of Boise State research and has invested in it. It demonstrates that Boise State’s advancement as a metropolitan research university of distinction is validated at a national level.
On campus, this news has been greeted with enthusiasm as well as a keen recognition of the hard work of faculty, staff, and students in producing this increase in funding. All involved in research are dedicated to the pursuit and should be congratulated for their contribution to this development. But the impact of the increase in funding reaches far beyond the edge of campus. Much of each dollar Boise State research and creative activity generates makes its way into the local and state economy.
Boise State research helps the economy most by educating a highly-skilled workforce and providing a source of innovation and new knowledge that benefits industry and the local community. Direct infusions to the economy include research staff payrolls, the purchase of equipment and supplies, and the hiring of graduate students, among others.
A great amount of effort and resources have gone into providing our faculty the proper tools – appropriate lab space, specialized equipment, institutional support, etc. – to pursue their scholarly interests. These resources are also used to recruit and hire a cadre of respected faculty researchers eager to make new discoveries and to educate their students through the process.
Boise State continues to focus on the recruitment of high-achieving students and the development of advanced degrees. Our labs are classrooms where undergraduates work beside faculty members to address many of the major health, environmental, technological and social issues of the day. More and more, students are eager to stand shoulder to shoulder with researchers to advance understanding of wide-ranging subjects, from health policy to wind energy, from criminal justice to computer memory.
Research brings a wide array of benefits to our students, our community, and our state. Great faculty and programs draw great students; together, they can team to conduct important research and attract external funding. This, in turn, enables us to continue building on our successes. It’s an upward spiral – for Boise State, for the community, and for the students – that gains momentum with every turn.
Mark Rudin is Vice President for Research at Boise State University.