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Those of us who study and work on campus know the vital role that research plays in the life of our university and our society as a whole. But it's important that government policy makers and average citizens understand the benefits of university research as well.
For the past century, the Association of American Universities (AAU) has brought together leaders of top public and private research universities to work toward common goals and to improve public understanding of our work. I am chairman of the board of the AAU this year and am looking forward to participating in the centennial observance, to be held April 16-18 in Washington, D.C.
The Monday (April 17) program will be Webcast live, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (See Web site at end of column). It will feature several panel discussions and a speech by New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Faculty discovery‹research, scholarship and creative activity‹is a vital part of the core mission of IU. There are obvious connections between research and advances in technology, and the medical and physical sciences. Importantly, advancement of the disciplines of history, art, music, theater, dance, literature and philosophy also enhance understanding and our quality of life.
The centennial comes at an excellent time for the AAU to highlight the
importance and successes of university research. In this year's election
campaigns, we hope that candidates will make strong commitments to expanded
federal research funding. It's vital to our economic future.
We are now reaping the rewards of our nation's investment in university research
in past decades‹in biotechnology, telecommunications and supercomputers. The
pace of technological change is accelerating; the time span from research lab to
marketplace is shrinking. If we want to maintain our economic edge, we cannot
afford complacency.
Despite impressive gains in some federal agencies, support of fundamental research actually declined as a percentage of gross domestic product during the 1990s. Meanwhile, other nations have sharply increased their commitments to research funding.
Today, in the United States, basic research being done in university laboratories and libraries lays the groundwork for continuing advances in everything from computers and software to literature and philosophy to medicine and health. Another dividend of that investment is the education that undergraduate and graduate students receive, education that spawns the next generation of scientists and humanists.
That all adds up to a success story that the AAU and its member institutions
are eager to tell, and to continue.
http://www.tulane.edu/~aau
