Even with signs that work resumed for many (but not all) agencies, the Trump transition increased uncertainty about federal funding, especially for programs in higher education. Given these events, it seems timely to review the history of federal support for research and development as a reminder of the mutually beneficial relationship between the policy goals of the federal government and grant-funded research at institutions of higher education (IHEs).
Frank Boyd
Higher education associations are key actors in helping college and university presidents gather and process the information required to make sound decisions. Even as they provide intelligence and analysis on specific agencies and programs, they are also providing broader advice that is coalescing around two themes.
In early January, a large group of college and university presidents will be gathering in San Antonio for the Council…
It is hard to avoid the steady stream of stories about the decline of the humanities. We’ve all seen the…
It’s the start of the fall semester, when students and faculty arrive on campuses across the country, and where faculty…
A confluence of forces—demographic, economic, and financial—have increased the pressure on colleges and universities, such that analysts regularly suggest that higher education has reached an “inflection point.” To right-size budgets and introduce new programs that will attract students, most institutions are striving to identify extramural funding to supplement endowment and tuition revenue. The ability of many schools to survive may depend on the capacity of academic leaders to collaborate with their counterparts in advancement. The importance of this relationship—between academic leaders and advancement—was obvious during my time as a provost and an academic administrator, when I was frequently asked to be the interlocuter between my colleagues in advancement and faculty who could partner with them.