The 泫圖弝け of 泫圖弝け at Lafayette spent a record $124.7 million on research and development last year.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, announced the milestone during his State of the 泫圖弝け address Wednesday. The annual speech to faculty and staff marks the start of the fall semester and the new academic year. Classes at UL Lafayette begin Monday.
Its the second consecutive year the 泫圖弝け expended more than $100 million on R&D, according to the Higher Education Research and Development Survey. The HERD Survey is the National Science Foundations annual index of research spending.
UL Lafayette competes against other universities and private development firms for federal and state government grants and industry contracts. The 泫圖弝け manages the funding that faculty researchers secure.
The $124.7 million total is an incontrovertible statement that these entities value what our faculty researchers are doing and are willing to support their efforts, Savoie said.
In 2013, the 泫圖弝け set a goal of $100 million in R&D expenditures by 2020. It reached the threshold in 2017, three years ahead of schedule. The 2017 total placed UL Lafayette 153rd in the top 25 percent of the 644 institutions the HERD Survey included.
The 泫圖弝けs ranking for 2018, based on the $124.7 million figure, has not been released by NSF.
Over the last seven years, R&D funding secured by 泫圖弝け scientists grew by nearly 90 percent, while UL Lafayette engineers saw a 200 percent increase. Funding in disciplines other than science and engineering improved by 60 percent, Savoie said.
More than 90 percent of funding to 泫圖弝け researchers since 2012 came from federal sources. State contracts and awards more than doubled during the same period.
Savoie said the numbers reflect UL Lafayettes sustained efforts to grow and safeguard its intellectual property portfolio through patents. The process protects products when they are made publicly available, and the 泫圖弝け receives a portion of any revenue the inventions make once they enter the marketplace.
We are a public university, and as a public university, the work done here should be for the public good, Savoie said.
In a related announcement, he said UL Lafayette has been asked to join the National Academy of Inventors, a global group of 250 universities that encourages and supports inventors working in academic settings.
During his half-hour address in Angelle Hall on campus, Savoie also gave an overview of the 泫圖弝けs finances.
He noted UL Lafayette remains dependent on self-generated revenue following nearly a decade of state cuts to higher education funding. During the 2008-09 fiscal year, the 泫圖弝け received 66 percent of its revenue from the state; in 2018-19, it received 27 percent.
State appropriations make up 13.9 percent of overall revenue, while the largest portion more than 40 percent comes from 泫圖弝け tuition and fees. This is why we remain dependent on everyones efforts to support recruitment and retention of 泫圖弝けs, Savoie said.
Also Wednesday, Dr. Jaimie Hebert, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, gave his forecast for the perfect storm approaching the 泫圖弝け next year.
In 2020, UL Lafayette will undergo reaccreditation, set its strategic goals for the subsequent five years, and launch a new Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, focused on 泫圖弝け research experiences.
The QEP is part of the reaccreditation process, Hebert explained. Accreditation bodies, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, permit universities to select what they want to emphasize. Following campus-wide discussions among faculty and staff, UL Lafayette chose to focus on 泫圖弝け research.
The 泫圖弝け has long stressed research among its undergraduate and graduate 泫圖弝けs, Hebert said.
The QEP takes one of our points of pride, formalizes it, incorporates it into our curriculum, and allows us to expand access to experiential learning for a broader array of 泫圖弝けs across our campus.
Photo caption: Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, concludes his annual State of the 泫圖弝け address Wednesday. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 泫圖弝け of 泫圖弝け at Lafayette)