KU News Release

KU research enjoys another strong year

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas research spending hit $197.8 million during Fiscal Year 2008, enhancing health care, advancing technology innovations and playing a key role in the state’s economy.

KU’s research, development and training expenditures from external sources increased by 2.3 percent over the previous year.

“During the past three years, our researchers brought nearly $591 million into the state,” said Chancellor Robert Hemenway. “The funds hired talented people, purchased technical equipment and paid for Kansas goods and services. The impact of that investment is huge and widespread.”

In addition to funds from external sources, said Hemenway, KU contributed nearly $100 million in institutional support, bringing total expenditures to a record $297.4 million.

“It’s easy just to see the numbers, but I also see people,” said Steve Warren, vice provost for research and graduate studies. “I see cancer patients obtaining better treatment, children receiving a better education and consumers with better sources of renewable energy. KU research contributes enormously to all this.”

At any given time, said Warren, between 1,500 and 1,800 KU employees are working on externally funded research projects at the Lawrence campus alone. This includes faculty, staff and graduate students.

“The combined salaries of these researchers from federally funded grants totaled nearly $42 million last year,” said Warren. “That’s a very significant payroll.”

Federal funding for science and engineering research — the category used most often for peer comparisons — rose by 5.8 percent last year, to a record $122.4 million. This included a 12.8 percent increase in this category at the KU Medical Center alone. National rankings in this category will be reported in the fall.

KU also performed well in the transfer of new knowledge to the marketplace, through startup companies and the licensing of KU inventions. In 2008, KU researchers disclosed 55 new discoveries. KU also received eight new patents and filed 60 more, entered into 12 new licensing agreements and facilitated the start up of two new companies in Kansas. The Center for Technology Commercialization was created last year to facilitate, increase and manage the flow of research innovation at both campuses.

“Federal funding of basic research has been flat or declining over the past five years,” said Paul Terranova, vice chancellor for research at the KU Medical Center. “So the success of KU researchers in starting and sustaining projects is remarkable. Relatively few of our peers have been able to do that during this period.

“We’re also improving and increasing the research infrastructure at both campuses, positioning KU to take advantage of a federal stimulus package and any new growth in state and federal research funding.”

-30-

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.