Why universities need to report to the government

Register for a free account to start saving and receiving special member only perks. On November 15, , more than educators, researchers, business and government leaders, and others gathered for a day-long series of discussions on revitalizing this historical partnership.

Kellogg Foundation Fund. It offered an opportunity for participants to reflect on the progress made towards achieving key recommendations in the report, Research Universities and The Future of America. Specifically, the goals of the convocation were threefold:. He welcomed the attendees as those who are deeply invested in the future of higher education and research in the U.

Lane then introduced James Duderstadt , president emeritus of the University of Michigan and chair of the planning committee for the convocation. Duderstadt presented a brief background on the origins of the convocation and history of the university-industry-government partnership. While America was still engaged in the Civil War, Congress, through the Morrill Land-Grant Act, forged this partnership with the federal government, state governments, higher education, and industry, for the first time.

According to Duderstadt, federal policies no longer place priority on university research and education, states are no longer capable of or willing to support their public research universities, and American businesses and industries are participating less in the partnership.

There have been numerous attempts to address these issues, starting with the National Academies report Rising Above the Gathering Storm More recently, Congress again turned to the National Academies to produce Research Universities and The Future of America , which recommended actions that Congress, state governments, research universities, and industry could take to maintain excellence in research and doctoral education. We meet once again in a new conversation about how we can strengthen the partnership that was so important to building this nation.

National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt followed, encouraging participants to commit to restoring the vitality of the university-industry-government partnership so that the nation can respond more effectively to the challenges of the 21st century. She posed three questions for participants to address throughout the course of the day—and in follow-up conversations:. McNutt concluded her remarks by inviting participants to share their ideas on any steps the National Academies might take to support this effort in the months ahead.

He focused on ways to sustain the strengths of our university system. Referring to the ten recommendations in Research Universities and The Future of America, he emphasized the importance of stable federal research funding, the elimination of unnecessary regulatory burden on researchers, and the value of diversity being reflected in the university system.

Rush Holt , CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science AAAS began by providing a brief framing of the history of the university-industry-government compact that has underpinned the partnership between these respective sectors. He spoke about the democratizing effects of legislation, such as the Morrill Land-Grant Act and the G.

Bill, and the remarkable foresight of such individuals like Vannevar Bush, who headed the U. Indeed, these circumstances led to the belief that a large federal investment in the research enterprise was justified and was vital to advancing national goals in the areas of health, defense and the economy.

However, the one truly centralized research agency, envisioned by Bush never emerged. Instead, government organizations set themselves apart from one another and industry went its own way, concentrating research at its own centers.

Therefore, this tightly constructed compact was never to be, but there was a compact that concentrated a lot of research at the universities. Holt went on to say that the eventual fracturing of the university-industry-government compact over the past few decades has been fueled by research, development, and production that were technologically complex, and this resulted in a subsequent loss of public understanding of the research enterprise.

An alarming consequence of this disengagement is that many incorrectly believe that if federal funding for research was eliminated, private funding and philanthropy could sustain current scientific efforts. Holt pointed out that.

Holt also spoke about diversity, equity, and opportunity in scientific research. The panelists had a vibrant discussion about the important nexus of government, industry, and research universities and the value of partnerships as seen by various stakeholders. Merzbacher discussed the characteristics of a successful partnership, describing it as an ecosystem.

His next book will look at the changing research economy and specifically how the idea and practice of interdisciplinarity — the combining of two or more academic fields — has shaped public policy and politics since World War II.

Vanderbilt University. Close Menu Vanderbilt University. This decline had nothing to do with the FeesMustFall campaign. Rather, this anomaly was due to the University of the Witwatersrand later reclassifying revenue items in its financial statements. A proportional breakdown of the data also reflects the general shift over time.

How does the revenue split vary across institutions? The chart below illustrates the funding breakdown for each institution in The University of Mpumalanga and Sol Plaatje University depended on government grants the most in These two institutions are relatively new.

Established in , they are still reliant on government for a large portion of their funding. The University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand Wits and Stellenbosch University receive around a third of their revenue from government grants.

For more information, download the Financial statistics of higher education institutions release here. Similar articles are available on the Stats SA website and can be accessed here. For a monthly overview of economic indicators and infographics, catch the latest edition of the Stats Biz newsletter here. Universities depend more on government for funding It has been five years since the FeesMustFall campaign.

Two key points stand out from the chart. By , the share from government grants had increased to R Posted on October 28, Facebook Twitter Linkedin. Publication Schedule Updated! James A. Help Login. Search by keyword. Congress U. Presidency U. All Rights Reserved. Universities and the Government. Report Outline Influence of Government on Universities Student Hostility to Outside Pressures Changes in Federal Role at Universities Special Focus Influence of Government on Universities What might be termed a marriage of convenience between higher education and the federal government has created problems for both that were not foreseen when the alliance was formed a quarter-century ago.