Faculty Perspectives on Federal Research Funding University of Illinois Board of Trustees Meeting gravitational waves credit: NCSA @ UIUC University Senates Conference Report March 16, 2016 Prof. Harley Johnson (UIUC) Prof. Mary Jo LaDu (UIC)
Federal Funding: Enables UI faculty to generate ideas and make discoveries Research $$ (~$546M in FY14) Raises UI prestige Increases value of UI degree Attracts best and brightest to Illinois Role of individual faculty: Write research proposals (individual and collaborative) Win funding through competitive processes Manage research funds to run research programs Generate ideas, make discoveries, develop innovative technology UI faculty use federal funds to run research programs like small businesses!
Federal Funding: Enables UI faculty to generate ideas and make discoveries Total Federal Expenditures by Agency: $343M Total FY14 Federal Funding (expenditures) by Agency: USDA 5% NASA 2% DOT 2% Other 8% UIUC: $343M DOEd 5% DOD 4% DOE 2% DOT 1% Veterans Affairs 1% Other 2% DOD 13% DOE 13% HHS 20% NSF 37% NSF 10% UIC: $203M HHS 75% UIUC is ranked #1 in NSF funding among all US research institutions Nearly 1000 separate awards for $127M total from NSF in 2014 UIC has 26 NIH/HHS centers and 829 separate awards for $153M total in 2014 UIS has federal funding from National Institute of Justice, US DOJ
NSF & NIH Funding Process UI researcher submits proposal NSF & NIH funding is awarded through a competitive, peer reviewed process declined (80-90%) NSF/NIH program officer arranges review Peer Review NSF/NIH program decision awarded (10-20%) NSF/NIH awards office $$ Research Grant UI ~60% Indirect Cost
NSF Funding for Sciences and Engineering NSF invests over $7B annually in research in physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, engineering Major funding mechanisms : Single-investigator grants: ~$150K/yr for 3 yrs Major centers: $3-5M/yr, many investigators (e.g. Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems: New $18.5M center at UIUC) Pre- and postdoctoral fellowships Other major research projects, e.g. LIGO credit: Center for Advanced Materials for Water Purification, UIUC
Investment: >$30B/yr NIH Funding for Biomedical Sciences Major funding mechanisms : Pre- and post-doctoral fellowships, early career researchers and researchers returning to work force R21: Proof of concept grant, characterized as high risk/high gain: $150K/yr for 2 yrs R01: single-investigator awards:$250k+/yr for 5 yrs Center and training grants: $10-50M/yr for 5 yrs (e.g. UIC Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, and Neuroscience of Mental Health) credit: LaDu lab, UIC
# of Applications Submitted NIH Funding for Biomedical Sciences Federal funding is increasingly competitive! a decline in funding rates makes it more difficult for faculty to maintain their research activities 2000 to 2015, overall NIH funding rates declined from 32% to 17% 35.0% 6000 30.0% 5000 Success Rate 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 4000 3000 2000 1000 0.0% 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Year from 2001 to 2014, NSF funding rates also declined, from 27% to 20% 0
Federal Funding Leads to: Ideas Discovery Technology 2014 Doctoral degrees: ~1,750 (UIUC+UIC+UIS) 2014 Journal articles: ~10,700 (UIUC+UIC+UIS) Agricultural and Biological Science Computer Science Social Sciences Physics and Astronomy Engineering Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Medicine 984 1084 1224 1372 1476 1606 3196 2014 Technology royalties: > $30M (UIUC+UIC+UIS) UIUC UIC FY11 12 FY11 8 START-UP FY12 5 FY12 7 COMPANIES FY11FY13 FY12 FY14 6 6 FY13 FY14 5 5 FY13 FY11 6.36 FY14 FY12 6.41 ROYALTIES (in millions) FY15 FY13 4.91 FY14 5.26 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 12.71 17.05 20.05 8 7 25.44
Federal Funding: Enables UI faculty to generate ideas and make discoveries Faculty run research programs, like small businesses NSF and NIH funding are major sources of federal funding for research at UI Output: - ideas and discoveries, and, - students and scholarship - development of innovative technology Given state budget pressure, UI must continue helping researchers to win federal funds and capitalize on discoveries.
Thank you for your continued advocacy for the University of Illinois and thank you for helping us to generate ideas and make discoveries.