UM Research Update by Scott Whittenburg, Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship
http://www.umt.edu/research/ORSP/award
Research funding (three categories of interest):
1. Number of proposals – The number submitted has gone down since 2009, but a saw a slight bounce-back in 2014. UM hired a company called Hanover Research, which suggested funding professors in their first semester to submit proposals. UM may implement this.
2. Awards received – In FY2015, the award volume (through March) was $68.1 million. This category is a leading indicator to see the direction we are headed. UM currently sees an average $3 million in awards each month.
3. Total expenditure – These dollars also have been declining since 2009.
Current numbers:
Whittenburg said UM is running somewhere between 8-10 percent ahead of last year's expenditures, which is important because performance funding accounts for a percentage of UM’s funding. At the same time, like other sectors, Research and Creative Scholarship has undergone budget reductions, which directly lower UM's research expenditures.
Build-Outs:
Completed: Social Science Research Lab, Third Floor of CFCS building.
Under way: Still working on ISB basement, set to be completed this summer, which will store computer servers currently housed at the Davidson Honors College. A biological “museum” for storage, and room for instrument storage also will be housed in the basement. Also, the third floor is mostly allocated for NASA Astrobiology Institute. The space currently is occupied by drama for costume storage. Plans could possibly include space for genomics, once dedicated revenue source is identified. Fourth floor: NASA-funded work on Greenland. Office space, conference room. Complete this summer.
Two changes in the research office:
Will be hiring an administrative assistant.
Broader impacts group: Holly Truitt will work on more outreach programs, not only STEM-based. Also will look for broader impacts external funding.
The Research Strategic Plan has been updated and implemented, and is available at https://www.umt.edu/research/resources/council/ResearchStrategicPlanFinal2011.pdf.
MREDI or the MUS Research Initiative:
This is an anticipated $15 million in state funds for the MT University System to serve as seed money to leverage university-based research into strategic advancements for Montana's economy. Commissioner of Higher Education will ultimately choose 6-8 proposals.
2015 Legislative Session Recap: Bill Johnston, UM lobbyist and director of alumni relations:
64th Session of the Montana legislature adjourned a week ago.
Final days were centered on the infrastructure bill, which did not pass. Support for HB2, which has some research funding. Anticipating no raise in tuition for resident students. HB13, the pay plan, died but the information was amended into HB2 with the start date changed to Jan. 15 and a slight change in insurance.
UM had $10 million designated for the Clapp Building in the MUS long-range building plan. Now the system will start the process again for long-range building projects, identifying priorities.
All-in-all, University system fared well. We did get what regents asked for, and legislators do have to balance all they have available.
President Engstrom:
Thanked Bill Johnston for the past four months in Helena.
Introduced Bob Mokwa, a Presidential Leadership Fellow and professor of civil engineering at Montana State University, visiting from Bozeman.
An update: Research balloon launch at Sen. Tester’s farm recently was successful, and it was a cloudless, beautiful day. A total solar eclipse is coming up in 2017 and a collaboration with MSU aims to get real-time live images of the eclipse.
Ruth Swaney and Karla Bird spoke about the Native American Student Advisory Council, a mix of graduate and undergraduate students representing many different sections of campus. Eleven council members represent eight tribes. So far this year, the council has held six meetings and four potlucks. Hoping to generate a report at the end of the semester.
UM is the host institution for the Montana Special Olympics, May 19-22, bringing several thousand athletes and their families to campus the week following commencement.