Penn State Sponsored Research Expenditures Expected To Reach New High
September 8, 2000
University Park, Pa. --- Penn State President Graham B. Spanier revealed preliminary figures during his State of The University Address Sept. 8 indicating a projected 12 percent increase in fiscal year 2000 expenditures for research and creative activity funded by federal and Commonwealth agencies, private industry, foundations and other external and internal support.

"Research expenditures last year were approximately $440 million, a record high level for the University, and a dramatic increase of about $47 million over the previous year," Dr. Spanier said. "This is one of the highest single year increases in the history of American higher education."

Dr. Eva J. Pell, vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, says that "The most recent report from the National Science Foundation shows that since 1986, only seven institutions have ever exceeded a $47 million increase in a single year. Penn State thus will join an elite group including Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, Illinois, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, and Florida."

Research expenditures are an important indicator of the volume of research and creative activity undertaken by Penn State faculty, staff and students. These expenditures also indicate the exceptional ability of Penn State researchers to compete in the arena of ideas. If Penn State researcher's ideas did not compete successfully, the support would go to other investigators.

Robert Killoren, assistant vice president for research and director of sponsored programs, notes that preliminary figures show high percentage increases in expenditures on grants and contracts from a variety of sources.

He says, "Penn State expenditures on U.S. Department of Education grants rose an estimated 45 percent, and, on U.S. Department of Transportation grants and contracts, expenditures increased 75 percent. Spending from Office of Naval Research support increased 16 percent to nearly $80 million. National Science Foundation research project expenditures increased 12 percent to almost $28 million and expenditures from National Institutes of Health funding increased eight percent to approximately $66 million.

Contract research expenditures, conducted for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's agencies like PennDOT, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, increased 15 percent. Research expenditures from all other external sources, such as industry projects, foundation grants, and subcontracts from other universities increased an estimated 9.5 percent."

According to a study released in 1998 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pennsylvania is a national leader in attracting federal research and development funding, ranking ninth among the 50 states. More than half of the federal research funds coming into Pennsylvania go to industrial firms but almost one third is brought in by the Commonwealth’s colleges and universities — with Penn State among the leaders.

In the fiscal 1998 rankings compiled by the National Science Foundation, the most recent ranking available, Penn State was first among Pennsylvania universities, 9^th among public universities and 13th in the country in total research expenditures. The National Science Foundation report on fiscal 1999 data will be available in December.

Contact: Barbara Hale (814) 865-9481 or e-mail at