Investing in our Future; Investing in ResearchBy Caroline Whitacre
Vice President for Research at The Ohio State University
Newswise — The future of the American university and of American innovation is in jeopardy. For years, our country has been at the forefront of ingenuity and invention. But faced with diminishing resources and ever-growing global competition, the U.S. seems poised to make one of the largest cuts in research funding – a decision that could have long-lasting and far-reaching implications for our collective future.
At a time when other countries are increasingly investing in research universities and new technologies, leaders in Washington are considering major cuts. On paper, it is easy to look at government-sponsored research and see opportunities for reduction. Not all research leads to new technology and many projects require further study and additional funding.
But to do so would not only be shortsighted, it would also be devastating to our future.Some of our country’s greatest advances in medicine and technology were developed on college campuses and in technology incubators. Radar, penicillin, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and jet propulsion – all were developed in the labs of America’s universities and spawned new businesses and entirely new industries.
Research is a part of most everything we do at Ohio State. Our faculty and staff are spearheading groundbreaking exploration of the world, our students are engaging in truly entrepreneurial projects, and our alumni are working at some of the most innovative companies in the world. We don’t think of research in terms of dollars, but in terms of its potential to create lasting change in people’s lives and in our communities.
Right now, a team of Ohio State researchers is working on a Department of Energy-sponsored project to capture carbon dioxide from burning coal and convert it into additional electricity and liquid fuel. Another research team is using a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inhibit soil-borne plant diseases – which could help farmers cultivate stronger crops. And federal funding has supported the work of Dr. Ali Rezai, who specializes in the use of deep-brain stimulation to reduce tremor in patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Rezai is now evaluating deep-brain stimulation as a treatment for a variety of conditions through clinical trials – another critical piece of the research pipeline. Clinical trials are made possible by early-stage research projects. The scope of the project may appear simple, but the result can be truly life-changing.
Across America, more than 63,000 clinical trials are taking place – covering everything from cancer to personality disorders to heart disease. Our Comprehensive Cancer Center provides groundbreaking clinical trials for nearly every form of cancer. Those trials have led to new treatment options for cancer patients world-wide – and saved the lives of more than 12,000 patients at Ohio State alone.
Cuts in research funding will have a direct impact on the number of patients we can treat and on the number of researchers working in the field. Funding for clinical trials will decrease, meaning fewer people will be able to take advantage of potentially life-saving cancer treatments. What’s more, the cuts will directly impact funding for our researchers. How many students and researchers will walk away from research as a career? What will happen to the innovation pipeline then?
As we prepare to recover from one of the worst economic times in our history, it is clear that we cannot treat research funding as a line item. Throughout history, discoveries made through research have been the launching point for economic growth, especially in times of great adversity.
Our challenge, now, is to fully invest in innovation, in technology, and in research. Because even a seemingly insignificant cut in research funding creates a domino effect – reverberating far beyond the confines of a research laboratory and impacting the lives of millions of Americans.
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