Sustaining the Research Enterprise
Finally, an important component of the University’s longer-term future is the preservation of its research mission, which has contributed so greatly to California’s economic success.
- UC has nearly doubled its engineering and computer science enrollment and its teaching credential programs to help meet state workforce needs. In fact, UC awards more Ph.D.s than any other university in the country.
- UC also develops more patents than any other university and its researchers develop an average of three new inventions per day - fueling business innovation and California's economic competitiveness.
- UC will have a hand in creating 2.3 million jobs in California in this decade.
- UC is the nation's top institution in federal research expenditures, injecting millions of federal dollars into the state's economy.
- 1 in 4 California biotech R&D firms founded by UC scientists and engineers, while 1 in 6 IT/communications firms has a UC connection.
- UC researchers develop innovative new drugs and techniques to treat and prevent disease, which improve the quality of life for Californians and help contain health-care costs.
In a knowledge-based economy, competitiveness depends on discovery, innovation, and a highly educated workforce. But today there are indicators of concern about UC’s ability to sustain its research enterprise in the coming years. First, federal spending on research and development is falling, and industry is increasing their percentage.
At the same time, international competition is increasing. The number of
articles published in professional journals is used as an indicator of
science and engineering performance. The United States is losing its share
of the world publication total as Western Europe and Asia increase their
output.
UC has some competitive advantages in the drive to sustain California’s research excellence. These include world-renowned faculty, highly ranked graduate programs, the support of industry, 8 million square feet of research space, 33 million library volumes, and a proven track record of successful multi-campus, interdisciplinary research – most recently taking such forms as the California Institutes for Science and Innovation.
But the costs of running this research enterprise are increasing – including the costs for faculty start-up, research compliance, research support, and physical infrastructure. For the coming years, UC must work to assure that its research infrastructure remains strong – taking continuing advantage of the University’s size and infrastructure, developing international strategies, and continually improving partnerships with industry and government.
What other issues should we consider?