Reducing some of the competition between state universities in Kansas may be the key to increasing their ability to compete in the national arena.

That seems to be part of the message coming from an effort to merge university research resources to increase the state’s chances of attracting more federal research money.

Although universities overseen by the Kansas Board of Regents are hot rivals in athletics and other venues, they are finding ways to work together on research projects. An example cited in Thursday’s Journal-World was a collaboration between a Kansas University researcher and a Kansas State University researcher on a project to determine how genes cause an animal to interact with its environment.

Such research collaborations have many potential advantages to the state. One of the most concrete is the positive effect they have on the state’s ability to attract research dollars. Kansas has a relatively small number of universities and researchers, and combining their resources makes them more competitive in seeking grants.

Increased research funding benefits universities by helping them retain top faculty members and attract top graduate students to be involved in the research projects. Both of those factors add to a university’s reputation and prestige.

It also benefits the state as a whole because it increases the chances that university research can be translated into business ventures that feed the state economy and provide good jobs for Kansas residents.

A group of university professors has drawn up a preliminary proposal for the Kansas Board of Regents to encourage research cooperation. One step would be to produce a directory of research projects to inform university researchers of other current projects related to their field.

But as one professor involved in the proposal noted, getting beyond the university competition for funding may take more time.

This seems like an area that needs the attention of the Board of Regents. As the governing body for the state’s higher education system, the board may be the only entity with the ability to convince universities that collaboration is more important than competition. Why should Kansas researchers spend time and effort competing against one another for research funding rather than drawing their resources together to compete more effectively against university researchers in other states?

One of the promises of bringing all of higher education under the Board of Regents was to create a system that allowed for more cooperation and less duplication among state universities. Research is a tangible example of where that promise would pay off for the state. As KU’s associate vice provost for research, Jim Roberts, said, “a rising tide raises all ships … If we can get an award that’s 10 times what we could have received individually, then we’ve all gained.”

If Kansas hopes to be a player in the competitive arena of federal research funding, its universities need to quit competing against one another and focus their efforts on beating their rivals in other states.