Saint Louis University is using several increasingly common strategies to increase the research dollars it receives from federal grants, private contracts, and philanthropic donations. The measures include seed funding for small, promising projects that can grow over time, and more support and training for faculty members seeking grants.
Here are some other key strategies that colleges are using to improve their research profiles, attract more money, and move up the rankings.
While you may gain prestige, grant money, and talented researchers, be prepared for high costs and steep competition – and make sure your goals align with your values.
Making research a top priority: A university has to pick which areas to focus on, says Daniel A. Reed, senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Utah. It can choose either to compete in well-established areas of research or to look for emerging fields that may have less competition, he says. Like Saint Louis, many institutions are soliciting research ideas from faculty members. In March, for example, Mississippi State University, now classified among the second tier of research universities (R-2), announced 10 projects as the first winners of its new Strategic Research Initiative. The program’s stated aim is “to increase capacity for research success in obtaining external competitive funding, expand peer-reviewed publications, and increase doctoral degrees awarded.”
Hiring in clusters: Once a university has decided on its research priorities, it often seeks to flood the zone, so to speak, by hiring a significant number of faculty members who can make a deep impact in a particular field. Dartmouth College described its practice this way: “Clusters will provide the critical mass and spectrum of expertise necessary to shape and advance the understanding of complex problems, emerging issues, and future societal challenges.”
Dartmouth, classified R-2, is also among a growing number of institutions that are encouraging research in topics that cross traditional academic disciplines. As a result, many colleges are hiring faculty members with appointments in more than one department. In 2011, for example, North Carolina State University, already R-1, began an effort that has resulted in hiring some 60 faculty researchers across 10 colleges to study 20 interdisciplinary topics.
Measuring and rewarding success: Once a college hires faculty researchers, it must take steps to keep them. Research grants and scholarly publications are traditionally part of the tenure-and-promotion process, but experts say those considerations need to be updated, particularly as they apply to interdisciplinary research. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities advises institutions that researchers “need to know up front how they will collaborate with their peers, how they will be evaluated for promotion and tenure, and what resources are available to them for support.”
Eric Kelderman writes about money and accountability in higher education, including such areas as state policy, accreditation, and legal affairs. You can find him on Twitter @etkeld, or email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com.
Correction (7/30/2018; 10:16 a.m.): Daniel A. Reed is senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Utah, not Utah State University, as this article originally stated.
