Outlook

Funding for research is supported by a great majority of U.S. citizens. For example, nearly 85% of Illinoisans polled in 1999 indicated their support for federal funding of research, even if no immediate benefits result. This level of support rivals that for programs such as Social Security. It’s well known that in the long run, funds for research pay off in many ways for society.

During the last fiscal year, the federal government followed through on these sentiments by passing one of the most favorable budgets for research in some time. With double-digit increases for most agencies, federal research funding opportunities are perhaps the best in recent years. These increases included an additional $2.5 billion (14 percent jump) for the National Institutes of Health and an additional $529 million (13.6 percent jump) for the National Science Foundation.

These increases are timely for SIUC, as external proposal submissions and external award dollars for the campus are sharply on the rise. Our faculty are being recognized with prestigious grants, including two NSF CAREER awards this year alone. We have instituted new programs on campus that increase internal funding to promote research and faculty professional development. And in contrast with national trends, our graduate enrollment--essential to a strong research program—has increased.

Although the outlook for federal research funding next fiscal year is uncertain, bipartisan congressional support for continued enhancement of the research base appears to be substantial. Hopefully, the trend from last year will continue. If so, it will help facilitate the kinds of activities, benefiting the general public, that are featured in this issue of Perspectives, including medical research, advances in materials science, research for rural economic development, and documentaries that bring the world to Americans.

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