Kansas University ranked higher than ever among public universities in federal research funding in the most recent edition of an annual survey, KU announced Tuesday.
KU's federally funded research rose to a record $162.7 million in the 2011 fiscal year, or roughly the 2010-11 academic year. That's the most recent data reported by the survey, which is conducted by the National Science Foundation and lags behind by one fiscal year.
That ranked 75th overall in the country and 39th among public institutions, making it the first time KU has ranked in the top 40.
That figure includes research on KU's Lawrence campus and at the KU Medical Center. It ranks second among Big 12 universities, behind the University of Texas at Austin and affiliated medical institutions.
Steve Warren, KU's vice chancellor for research and graduate studies, said in a release that KU researchers could be proud of the ranking but also expressed fears that the federal budget sequester and possible state funding cuts could damage KU's research capabilities in the future.
Comments
yourworstnightmare 12 months ago
This is due in large part to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (Obama's stimulus) as well as the scientific welfare money Kansas receives from federal agencies as one of the bottom 25 states in federal research funding.
It will be interesting to see where this ranking goes in the coming years.
TalkSense 1 year ago
elliottaw doesn't understand how grants work. An award covers both the direct cost of the research project and the indirect cost to the university of providing the infrastructure and services that make research possible. The percentage is negotiated with the federal government for a set period of years. This percentage has nothing to do with state funding of universities, i.e., KU can't simply increase the percentage it receives to compensate for a loss of funding somewhere else. It's also important to note that KU uses the indirect cost reimbursement to invest in additional research capacity on campus.
tomatogrower 1 year ago
What! Brownback hasn't turned down this federal money? There are always strings attached, like accountability.
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