December 6, 2012

Partnering for our Future

Partnering for our Future

When I came to the University of Washington in 1996, sponsored research funds totaled $482 million; by FY2012 we tripled our sponsored research funds to $1.471 billion. Since 1974, the University has been among the top five public and private universities nationally to receive federal research and training funds, and is now ranked number one among public universities in the receipt of federal funds for science and engineering.

The performance rankings for the UW are exemplary and establish our reputation as a premier university. One of the most influential international ranking reports in the world published by the Institute of Higher Education at China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has placed the UW 16 among the world’s top universities (a ranking held since 2007) and 14 nationally. The Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEACT) ranked the UW at 4 overall and 1 in public universities worldwide for the quality and impact of research endeavors.

Our federal market share is also increasing, a tribute to our strong faculty who are highly collaborative, and have the breadth and depth to do well in a tight funding climate. Large grant awards over one million have increased from 33% of the total number of awards in FY08 to 47% in FY12.

One of our goals is to continue to strengthen the university’s competitiveness in research, which includes enhancing our ability to obtain and manage large collaborative projects. To support this goal, we have established the Complex Proposals Management Group, and now offer resources for collaborative research such as the newly published Handbook for Leaders of Organized Research Units. We continue to provide resources to decrease the administrative burden on researchers. We launched the Limited Submissions website, Financial Conflict of Interest website, Financial Interest Disclosure System website, and Fostering Research Collaboration website. Our work is a true partnership with campus, faculty, and staff.

We are preparing leaders of change and promoters of ideas, and are developing a culture of collaboration. These are key strategies that will improve our future and way of life, and continue to maintain the UW as a highly competitive, premier research university.

Mary Lidstrom
Vice Provost for Research