Societal impact of UO research notable.

Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Richard Linton For The Register-Guard

For many years, the University of Oregon has been considered among the nation's premiere public liberal arts universities, with highly regarded instructional and research programs. In more recent times, the UO has become increasingly successful in attracting competitively awarded grants as a reflection of the quality and scope of its scholarly work, ranging from the sciences to the humanities, as well as research and outreach programs involving the professional schools.

Indeed, the UO's annual research funding has more than tripled since the mid-1980s. In the recently completed fiscal year, research contracts and grants grew to approximately $78 million, setting a new record for the university. Such research funding now significantly outpaces the support that the university receives as direct appropriations from the state of Oregon for all purposes, estimated to be about $60 million for the current fiscal year.

While the sheer size of the research funding and the pace of its growth are eye-catching - we've grown by some $20 million during the past two years alone - even more impressive is its impact. Within every college and school of the university, faculty researchers are contributing significantly to the global body of knowledge, meeting key needs of local communities, the state and the nation. The active engagement of UO faculty in scholarly pursuits greatly enhances the education that our students receive in preparation for their future roles in the knowledge economy.

From the hundreds of new research awards this past year, the following list highlights but a few of the many examples that illustrate the societal impact of UO research.

The Child and Family Center received grants totaling $1.8 million from the National Institutes of Health to address problem behaviors and substance abuse in teens.

A biology faculty member received a $600,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to investigate the relationship of a common bacterium to diseases such as cancer.

A $560,000 grant from the National Science Foundation grant will enable UO graduate students to participate in elementary school science teaching and to assist teachers in the effective use of science experiment kits.

A recent award to the Community Service Center provides $180,000 from the Federal and Oregon Emergency Management Agencies to develop disaster mitigation plans for six Oregon communities.

A notable new measure of the impact of UO research was reported in a Swiss government-supported study of some 1,000 colleges and universities around the world. When metrics were considered such as the quality, quantity and breadth of research findings, as well as the degree to which research publications were cited in other publications, the UO ranked 44th globally.

Among all U.S. public universities, the UO achieved 14th place, ahead of such institutions as UCLA, the University of Texas-Austin, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and many more.

The myriad activities of the UO's research organizations and the creative, committed scholars who work in them are a major part of what makes the educational opportunity in Eugene so remarkable.

May the year ahead bear even more evidence of their contributions to the global body of knowledge and to the service they provide to Oregon.

Richard Linton is vice president for research and graduate studies at the University of Oregon.