IN VISION:
Letter from the Publisher T.
Lloyd Chesnut discusses UM's research accomplishments
Priming the Pump UM research and development help fuel Montana's economy
Related: UM Research and the Economy
When Gardening Really Is Rocket Science NASA satellite uses UM-designed software to monitor Earth and its oceans
Related: UM Satellite Study Shows Increased Plant Growth
Helping Hospitals Multistate partnership works to improve quality of health care in rural communities
Leading Information New undergraduate degree program merges clinical health care and information technology
Excellence on the Air Montana Public Radio and PBS bring award-winning programs to Big Sky Country
Core of Discovery UM focuses on Lewis and Clark
Animal Advocate Veterinarian monitors quality of animal research at UM
Breathing Easier Professor's program puts UM at the forefront of research on asbestos-related diseases
Keep Tobacco Sacred Tobacco-abuse prevention project brings culturally relevant message to state's American Indian reservation schools
Hot Topic Mansfield Pacific Retreat draws international VIPs to discuss climate change
Cool Idea College of Technology paves way for hydrogen energy revolution
DEPARTMENTS:
Profile UM junior Amanda Ng explores
B. burgdorferi
News to Use Exercise expert encourages public health awareness
A Closer Look Briefs
Back Talk UM researcher earns highest U.S. honor for young scientists
Research at University of Montana campuses contributes to the state’s economy in many ways. Here are a few examples:
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UM-Missoula’s Research and Development Office, combined with Montana Tech in Butte, brought in $49.5 million in fiscal year 2001. Personnel costs average about 65 percent of research activity, which correlates to a payroll of more than $32 million.
- Research dollars support a significant number of UM faculty and staff positions. Without this funding, these employees would be unavailable or their positions would require tax funding for their teaching, research and service functions.
- Many Montana businesses benefit from products produced by UM research. Among many examples is Larex, a Minnesota company that pumps about $4 million annually into the state’s economy to purchase “waste” larch tree stumps from Montana forests. The stumps are used to create a chemical used in foods and pharmaceuticals. Other successes include Headwaters Composites and Visualization Software, companies spawned by UM’s federally sponsored research in wind energy. Directory Images World Wide in Missoula, a company spun off from University research and development, uses software that works like an operating system.
- UM’s Small Business Institute has provided outreach to hundreds of the state’s small- and mid-sized businesses through student consulting services since 1977. Teams of seniors work with each client, company or entrepreneur to develop business or marketing plans or conduct studies.
- UM’s Montana Business Connections provides access to two practical and useful databases: the Resource Directory, which provides current information on more than 1,000 economic development resources, and the Business Calendar, which lists upcoming Montana conferences, trade shows and other business-related events.
- The Montana Tech library is the only U.S. patent and trademark depository in Montana. Its librarians answer questions weekly from inventors and business researchers from across the state about how to obtain patents and trademarks. Many Montanans start businesses using these inventions. The librarians also do community outreach to teach new business owners about market research, business surveys and business plans.
- Tech’s Rocky Mountain Agile Virtual Enterprises (RAVE) project helps companies become more competitive by boosting their network technologies. The institution’s Mine Waste Technology Program also generates between $500,000 and $750,000 in projects each year.
- The Montana World Trade Center, located in UM’s Gallagher Building, encourages the expansion of world trade and works to make our region competitive in the global market. The center’s Montana Environmental Consortium Project has worked for the past year to create business links with Panama. As a result of this public-private collaboration, UM won an InterAmerican Development Bank grant to provide legal consultation to the Panamanian government on the development of its natural resources and extraction policy and practice. The grant is worth about $500,000. The planned second phase of this initiative calls for $28.5 million in private-sector environmental services contracting, for which Montana businesses should be in a good position to compete.
- The Montana Manufacturers Information System now is under development in UM’s business school. MMIS will census all manufacturers in the state and collect data on products, processes, capabilities, certifications, specialized equipment and other information. The system will help Montana manufacturers locate potential customers by linking them to worldwide markets. V