Research funding leaps 16 percent; hits record $224M

Total research expenditures at KU eclipsed the $200 million mark for the first time in school history during fiscal year 2001, according to the KU Center for Research.

KU's total research expenditures during fiscal 2001 topped $224 million, an increase of about 16 percent from the $193 million in fiscal year 2000.

Science and engineering research accounted for $156 million in expenditures, while training and non-science research accounted for about $68 million.

Part of the dramatic rise in total expenditures is attributed to the increase in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Officials said that the NIH awarded KU more than $53.5 million in fiscal year 2001 - an increase of about 23 percent from the $43.6 million the NIH awarded KU in fiscal year 2000.

The $224 million total translates into about 9,000 jobs in Kansas, according to a formula the U.S. Department of Commerce developed. The Commerce Department estimates that every $1 million in university research creates about 40 jobs in the state.

"Now more than ever, we see the importance of federally funded research at our public universities," said KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway. "The fact that KU continues to attract more funding speaks volumes about the quality of our researchers and their projects.

"This high caliber of work not only brings us closer to our goal of being among the top 25 public research universities, it also underlines our role in contributing to the state economy, and it reinforces our dedication to improving the quality of life in Kansas and beyond."

For more on this story, please go to:
http://www.oread.ku.edu/Oread02/Jan18/research.html
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