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NORTH DAKOTA: UND Says Funding And Spending For Research Set Records SOURCE: The Associated Press / Grand Forks Herald WWWeb: http://tinyurl.com/6hvgx . Sunday, November 21, 2004 The University of North Dakota's energy center and medical school have driven research funding and spending to record levels again this year, a report said. The economic study of UND's research efforts shows the university attracted about $83 million in grants and contracts and spent about $82.5 million on research projects in the 2004 fiscal year. The figures represent a 15 percent increase in research support and an 18 percent increase in spending over 2003, which was a record year. Cullen F. Goenner, a UND economics professor, conducted the study for the university. "The results confirm the role that research at the university plays as a source of economic development and an engine of growth in the region," Goenner said in his report. Peter Alfonso, UND's research vice president, said the report shows the school is moving toward its goal of attracting $100 million in sponsored research by 2006. "More importantly, it shows that the university's faculty are more deeply involved in their research than they ever have been in the past," Alfonso said. In recent years, the school's Energy and Environmental Research Center and School of Medicine and Health Sciences have traded the honor of garnering the most grants and contracts. This year is no different - the two came in first and second again, with the EERC reclaiming the top spot. The school said the EERC brought in about $21 million in research awards in the last fiscal year, and the medical school weighed in with $18 million. Gerald Groenewold, the energy center's director, said the program is poised to do even better next year. The EERC has been active in research on clean-coal technology and hydrogen fuel cells. "We are very pleased to have had such a successful year," Groenewold said. "It's an indication of the absolutely marvelous talent we have here at EERC." The medical school continues to make its money in research on certain kinds of cancers and on neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's diseases. The school's study said UND's research pushed more than $166 million into the economy, including $5 million in state and local taxes. The research funding supported about 1,630 jobs, an increase of nearly 200 jobs from last year. Alfonso said the value of all ongoing research projects at the school is nearing $300 million, and annual research awards have increased 84 percent since 2001. Research spending is up 77 percent in the same period. "That is just a phenomenal achievement and something that our faculty should be proud of," Alfonso said. ___ Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/ SOURCE: The Associated Press / Grand Forks Herald WWWeb: http://tinyurl.com/6hvgx * * *Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> Please place this address in your address book Please purge all others Web site: Parkinsons Resources on the WWWeb http://www.geocities.com/murraycharters ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn