Report by blue-ribbon panel, including McGill Principal
Munroe-Blum, highlights links between world-class research
universities and future prosperity
A report issued today by the National Research Council (NRC),
the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National
Academy of Engineering, in Washington, provides valuable reference
points for Canada, says McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Heather Munroe-Blum.
The report – requested by the U.S. Congress – concludes that
American research universities are essential for U.S. prosperity
and security, but the institutions are in danger of serious decline
unless government and industry take action to ensure adequate,
stable funding in the next decade. The report was written by a
committee that includes industry CEOs, university presidents, a
former U.S. senator, and a Nobel laureate. Prof. Munroe-Blum is the
only non-U.S. member.
The committee recommends 10 strategic actions that the U.S. and
U.S. partners should take in the next five to 10 years to maintain
top-quality research institutions.
“The talent, innovative ideas, and new technologies produced by
U.S. research universities have led to some of our finest national
achievements, from the modern agricultural revolution to the
accessibility of the World Wide Web,” said Charles O. Holliday Jr.,
chair of the committee that wrote the report, chairman of the board
of Bank of America, and former chair and CEO of DuPont.
“Especially in these tough economic times, the nation cannot
afford to defer investment in our best asset for building
prosperity and success in the future.”
The report underscores growing challenges for the U.S. that
Canada also faces from other countries that are stepping up
investments in their research-intensive universities, says Prof.
Munroe-Blum. “In light of the tremendous growth of
research-intensive universities world-wide, and the high priority
that other governments are giving to the development of top-flight
research universities and graduate programs, the committee has
produced a report that responds to the request of Congress. Current
federal programs for research and innovation in Canada served as
inspiration for some of the recommendations in this report, but
others of the key recommendations are as relevant and critical for
Canada’s success as well.”
Among these, the report urges strengthening the investment in
basic research and graduate education; that state (provincial)
governments provide greater autonomy for public research
universities so that these universities may leverage strengths to
compete strategically and respond with agility to new
opportunities; that universities set bold goals to increase their
productivity and cost-effectiveness; that governments reduce
regulatory burdens; that the federal government and other research
sponsors support the full costs of research, direct and indirect,
so that it is no longer necessary for universities to
cross-subsidize research from resources intended for other central
elements of the university mission.
Another key area of recommendation involves reforming graduate
education to better serve students and society; that doctoral
programs be restructured to make them more effective by enhancing
pathways for talented undergraduates, improving completion rates,
shortening time-to-degree and improving the preparation of
graduates for careers beyond the academy. The U.S. government is
encouraged to significantly increase its support for graduate
education through balanced programs of fellowships, traineeships,
and research assistantships.
“Notwithstanding great progress, Canada would do well to act on
key lessons from the report – notably with respect to enhanced
support for graduate education, international students, the full
funding of research costs and the investment in basic research,
and, universities also must do their part,” Prof. Munroe-Blum
added. “As research universities outside of North America
aggressively move into the top global ranks of higher education,
Canada must also position itself to be as ambitious as the U.S.
Canada (and its provinces) will only succeed by benchmarking
our government policies that support our research universities and
innovation against the government policies of countries that
consistently foster the success of their top institutions.”
The study was sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Science
Foundation, and U.S. Department of Energy. The National Academy of
Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine,
and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They
are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science,
technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter.
The Research Council is the principal operating agency of the
National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of
Engineering. For more information, visit
http://national-academies.org.
Copies of Research Universities and the Future of America: Ten
Breakthrough Actions Vital to Our Nation’s Prosperity and Security
are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313
or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13396&page=1
