Last year, Missouri State set a record in external funding awards. As Brad Bodenhausen, vice president for community and global partnerships, recently presented to the Board of Governors, the university received $104.9 million in funding and appropriations. A big portion of this was $59.8 million in federal appropriations that are largely dedicated to the renovation of Blunt Hall. But once that $59.8-million figure is backed out of the total amount, Missouri State researchers still set a record: $45.1 million in awards — a 25% increase over the previous record of $36 million.

Tracking the Research Constants

This $45.1 million represents the dedication and expertise that many people around campus poured into their research proposals. Researchers at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center accounted for 46% of the funding awards, nearly $21 million. The remaining 54% was awarded to researchers in various academic units.

Regardless of the success of last year’s proposals, Bodenhausen says the outcome of any given proposal is hardly guaranteed. This is why, he says, “We try to focus in on the things we have some control over, because you really don’t have control over the results.”

For his team, this means zeroing in on certain fundamentals. These are the constants that can be tracked and encouraged to contribute to positive outcomes — no matter what variables are bouncing around in the atmosphere. Currently, the office of research administration tracks the following data:

• Number of proposals submitted.
• Amount of funds requested.
• Number of named investigators.
• Number of awards.

Three Factors for Research Growth

Based on last year’s numbers, Bodenhausen and Marina Loveland, interim director of research administration, can identify some factors that might have contributed to a record-setting amount of funding.

• Increased collaboration: Loveland says, “There was more collaborative work going on across specialties,” including interdisciplinary work across colleges. 
• More named investigators: Although the total number of proposals was flat from the previous year, the number of named investigators rose by 21%. This indicates that more people were engaged with research projects that made funding requests.
• Bigger asks: Compared to the previous year, there was an 18% increase in the amount of funds requested, which indicates that researchers were coming forward with more substantial funding proposals.

Increased On-Campus Support

Last spring, Bodenhausen and Provost Dr. John Jasinski conducted listening sessions with several university researchers and research-engaged staff members. As a result, a new strategic approach is emerging and in the process of implementation.

Loveland says she’s adding staff members in the office of research administration, with two new colleagues joining the office before October 1. One of these positions replaces a previous position; the other position — inspired by feedback from the listening sessions — is supported by funding from the provost’s office.

The office is also in the process of restructuring and streamlining its workflows, with the goal of freeing up time for more outreach. As part of this restructuring, Johnna Pedersen will now lead the efforts around research compliance, creating a consistent stream of communication for researchers as they administer their grant funds.

“It’s exciting that we’re moving toward a more strategic approach,” Loveland says. In the spring, her team plans to roll out a blog, where faculty can learn about new funding opportunities. They’re also working on increased training, including hybrid sessions, and they hope to bring representatives from funding agencies to campus. “It’s helpful for people to talk to the agencies directly and get an idea of what they’re looking for,” she says.

“We try to focus in on the things we have some control over, because you really don’t have control over the results.”

—Brad Bodenhausen

Around Campus…

The office of the provost created two new roles dedicated to research activities. Dr. Amy Hulme, associate professor of biomedical sciences, is the Provost Fellow for Research Compliance. This fall, she is reviewing Missouri State’s research compliance system. She will produce a report that details the current state of the system and recommendations for improvement. Dr. Paul Durham, distinguished professor of biology, is in a three-year appointment as the Provost Fellow for Research.

Dr. Kenneth Brown, chief academic strategy officer, says these positions grew out of faculty feedback. “We heard loud and clear in discussions with researchers last year that we need to uplift research on campus,” Brown says. “This begins by investing in a Provost Fellow for Research to work with faculty to develop a university-wide research strategy and develop ways to support and recognize the fantastic work our faculty are doing on campus.”

Durham says he was drawn to the position because of his longtime commitment to research. “I want to see changes to enhance our research environment, facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarly activities and provide more real-world learning opportunities for our students,” he says.  

Through preliminary discussions with other researchers around campus, Durham says he gained insight about “both strengths and weaknesses of our research structure and available resources.” Certain issues bubbled up in these discussions, including questions about how to balance the time required for productive research against teaching and service responsibilities. There were also questions about what incentives might encourage faculty toward their research and publication goals.  

“We heard loud and clear in discussions with researchers last year that we need to uplift research on campus.”

—Dr. Kenneth Brown

Get Involved in Discussions About Research

“I’ve begun forming advisory committees for basic and clinical research,” Durham says. “The committees include faculty and staff from each college to help identify strengths and weaknesses and make changes to departmental policies with the goal of fostering more research on campus.”

He also plans to work with the college deans to promote what he describes as “a vision of a research culture” on the Missouri State campus.

If you’d like to share your insight or get involved in the larger discussion about research, reach out to Dr. Paul Durham.