Planning for the Research Mission of Public Universities in the Twenty-first Century
no. 101 - June 1997

The State of Research Endeavors: View from the Campus-wide Leadership Level

A.L. Chapman, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs,
Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
University of Kansas Medical Center

The following is a brief summary of some of the points that were discussed at the Merrill Conference.

Merging and Combining Existing Departments into Larger Units

This is a direction that seems to make sense in order to create a critical mass of talent for both teaching and research. A trial effort at KU Medical Center will be initiated this fall by providing a combined curriculum from five basic science Ph.D. programs. This faculty-initiated effort has resulted in a modular curriculum that all new students will be required to take during their first year. The emphasis will be on molecular biology and genetics. In order to bring about any merging of programs requires a "buy-in" by the faculty. This program was unique in that a group of faculty met, organized, and with support from the departmental chairs and administration spent a year in working out the nuts and bolts of the program.

Enhance Research Through the Formation of Private Research Foundations

We accept the basic premise that unless we maintain a strong position with federal and national funding agencies, we will not be successful with the private sector. However, it is possible to build on that foundation by bringing in both private foundations and the commercial business sector, resulting in a stronger research funding base.

In an effort to address this issue, some five years ago KU Medical Center organized a non-profit foundation specifically designated to address research in the private sector. It was organized into three divisions: Grants Management, Clinical Trials and Technology Transfer. The purpose was two-fold, first to develop a Research and Development fund for the faculty along with a means to expedite expenditure of grant funds without going through the state. It was agreed that support for this foundation would not be dependent upon state resources. To date, this has been accomplished and over $300,000 is being returned to the faculty each year through request-for-proposals. It is of interest that the return on these funds has been over 10:1, and the funding agencies have, for the most part, been from the federal side. This strengthens our position and makes us more competitive in the private sector.

Out of over $40 million total extramural research funds at the KU Medical Center, more than $11 million in private grants and contracts are currently managed by the Research Institute. The Technology Transfer Division is growing through the issuing of patents, licensing agreements, and setting up of new companies. As a part of this effort, a small research building has been leased from the KU Endowment Association as a business incubator building. It is currently leased by a company founded and run by one of our faculty members.

Based on our brief experience with research foundations, we believe that each institution needs to be increasingly involved with the private sector as a means to broaden our base and supplement our extramural research pool of funds.