Higher Education Concerns
Arthur Bienenstock, Ph.D.
Special Assistant to the President for Federal Research Policy and
Director, Wallenberg Research Link
Stanford University
Like most other public research universities throughout the nation, the University of California is facing extreme financial difficulties as a consequence of state funding cutbacks and endowment declines, as well as financial pressure due to lack of appropriate federal and state infrastructure support that should be provided to fulfill research contracts and grants. Its student admissions and courses offerings have been reduced and staff and faculty have been furloughed. Major fee (aka tuition) increases have been implemented. Its long-term effectiveness as an educator of worthy students from all economic strata, as an innovation engine and as an attractor of talented students and scholars from around the globe is threatened. Yet, these functions are vital to the economic health of the Bay Area.
At the same time, the University of California, along with all other research universities, continues to face increasing federal administrative and reporting requirements. The Federal Demonstration Partnership has found that faculty are, on average, spending 42% of their federally-funded research time on administrative functions, compared to 18% two decades ago, seriously affecting the research and research outreach activities of this precious human capital. The Association of American Universities estimates that research universities are spending about $1,000 per student, on average, on unreimbursed indirect costs resulting from federal administrative requirements and lack of appropriate infrastructure support of research. This estimate implies that the University of California is spending several hundred million dollars of its own money to meet its administrative responsibilities associated with federal research grants and contracts. Policies that allow federally-funded researchers to focus on research, such as the allowing of direct funding of directly relevant administrative support, should be enacted. In addition, as the National Science Board recently urged, it is time for the federal government to review federally-mandated administrative requirements and indirect cost reimbursement. Given the financial stringencies that research universities face, the government should provide full reimbursement of these costs.