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MU's Research Reaches Record Levels in 2007-08

More than $203 million in externally sponsored research has large economic impact on state

Oct. 23, 2008

Story Contact:  Christian Basi, 573-882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Every year, University of Missouri researchers work on some of the most prevalent issues facing the world today: health, hunger, education and national security. In the past, discoveries from this work have resulted in innovative solutions. In the 2008 fiscal year, Mizzou researchers increased science research and related activity expenditures by 7.4 percent over the previous fiscal year -- reaching record levels for the university. The majority of the money for this research is generated from federal and private agencies outside the state of Missouri.

"These results truly speak to the dedication and the outstanding abilities of our most productive faculty members," said Rob Duncan, vice chancellor for research and professor of physics. "Money that we attract through federal research grants comes from outside the state, so it is not generated by the state tax base or tuition sources. This is a direct example of how our most productive faculty members have a substantial impact on the economic development of the state and greatly increase the value of higher education at MU. Their intellectual contributions advance knowledge, and hence the quality of life, throughout the state, nation and the world."

Last year, MU scientists spent more than $203 million on research and related projects. This is the first time that expenditures have exceeded $200 million at MU. Both undergraduate and graduate students have made significant contributions to research projects undertaken by MU faculty. Federal agencies that sponsored research at MU last year included the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Some examples of recent awards and research projects on the MU campus include: 

  • $6 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture spent on research investigating how to increase the food supply for developing countries.
  • $1.7 million from the Department of Health and Human Services spent on research studying the cardiovascular system in an effort to understand heart disease and other issues facing the cardiovascular system in humans and animals.
  • $1.8 million from several federal agencies spent on research investigating the use of nanotechnology for military devices.
  • $1.6 million from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spent for the training and development of teachers throughout the state.

During the 2008 fiscal year, MU faculty submitted more than 2,500 proposals for nearly $200 million in research projects that are currently active or will begin in the coming months.

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