Federal research funding improves our lives

By Jordan Cohen

The anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,

which was marked Feb. 17, provides an opportunity to reflect on the impact that federal research funding and overall research excellence at our public universities have had on local, regional and state economies and quality of life.

At the risk of selecting only a few of the University of Iowa's major accomplishments in research over the years, it is interesting to look back at some unique accomplishments that originated from university and faculty excellence.

Just over a half-century ago, the first U.S. satellite, Explorer I, carried a Geiger counter designed and built by world-renowned space scientist James Van Allen into space and ultimately led to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts.

The very next year, 1959, UI education leaders E.F. Lindquist and Ted McCarrel founded ACT (then American College Testing). With its headquarters in Iowa City, ACT is an international leader in education and work force assessment and measurement, serving millions of people in middle and high schools, colleges, professional organizations, businesses and government agencies. In addition to the ongoing importance of ACT as a company in our region, several other advances in educational testing occurred during that period, propelling east-central Iowa into a leadership position in this industry, which continues to be so critical for our success as a state and nation.

There have been numerous biomedical breakthroughs attributed to UI with Dr. Mark Stinski's development of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter being an exceptionally important example. His work led to the development of a tool to “promote” the expression of proteins and proved important in the production of many of our newer-generation biotechnology-derived drugs and vaccines. Stinski's discovery has transformed the development of vaccines and therapeutics and has been described as “part of the most important advance in medical therapeutics in the past three decades.”

In addition to these nationally and internationally prominent projects, research and scholarship in so many other areas continue to enhance the economy and quality of life in our region. Examples include the work of our College of Education in developing new approaches to teaching and learning; the long-standing work of our Institute for Hydraulics Research, which has been so vital in understanding and managing floods; our State Hygienic Laboratory; and other public health programs that protect Iowans and many others.

The recent ARRA funding for 141 projects totaling more than $53 million is providing an important economic stimulus to our region at a time when it's critically needed. Using carefully determined national metrics, we have estimated that this funding, which will be sustained through 2011, has created or retained 288 jobs.

Moreover, our significant annual research grant and contract funding - garnering a record-setting $430 million in 2009 - continues to fuel our regional economy and provide stability during this severe economic downturn on the heels of our devastating flooding in the summer of 2008. To view a list of current ARRA-funded projects at The University of Iowa, visit https://research.uiowa.edu/arra/

Beyond the direct employment impact of federal research funds, continued advances in health care, the social sciences, arts and humanities - and more recent emphasis on national grant challenges related to renewable energy, sustainability and biomedical discovery - position the university to improve the lives of Iowans through economic development partnerships in the Corridor and state. The importance of the partnership between a region and a strong research university is becoming increasingly evident in these difficult economic times.

And through our strength in research, as well as our educational and outreach programs, the UI continues to seek opportunities to demonstrate our commitment.

Jordan Cohen assumed the position of interim vice president for Research and Economic Development at the University of Iowa in March 2008. He previously served as dean of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Kentucky.