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Top 25 American Universities For R And D Spending; Johns Hopkins #1 Again
Senior Contributor
Michael Nietzel, former college president, writes on higher educationFollow
Dec 17, 2022,06:00am EST
Updated Dec 26, 2022, 10:04am EST
Total research and development (R and D) expenditures at American colleges and universities topped $89 billion in Fiscal Year 2021, according to the most recent Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey, released by the National Science Foundation (NSF) this week.
The Fy 21 total of $89,872,007 represents an increase of more than $3.4 billion (4%) over FY 2020. Funding from federal sources accounted for $3.0 billion of the total increase, the largest increase in federally funded R&D expenditures since FY 2011.
The HERD Survey is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation. The R&D expenditure data were collected from 910 universities and colleges that grant a bachelor’s degree or higher and expended at least $150,000 in R&D in the prior fiscal year. For most of the surveyed institutions, FY 2021 covered the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
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According to NSF, the reported amounts include all funds spent on activities specifically organized to produce research outcomes that are sponsored by an outside organization or supported with institution funds. The major souces of funding are:
- the federal government, which includes agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (under which the National Institutes of Health funding is counted), the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation. and the Department of Agriculture. Federal funding accounted for 54.8% of FY 2020’s total R and D expenditures.
- state and local governments, 5.3% of all expenditures
- institution funds, 25% of all expenditures
- business, 6.5% of all expenditures
- nonprofit organizations, 6.2% of all expenditures
- all other sources, 3%.
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Research expenditures are one way to measure an institution’s research activity. Along with other indicators like refereed publications, citation counts, commercialization of research discoveries, and scholarly awards, they provide a quantification of the impact from a university’s collective scholarship.
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Last fiscal year, 21 universities surpassed the one billion dollar R and D mark. This year, 24 did so. As it has for decades, Johns Hopkins University headed the list of academic institutions, with $3.18 billion in total R and D. The rest of the top 5 were:
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University of California, San Francisco – $1.71 billion
University of Michigan – $1.64 billion
University of Pennsylvania – $1.63 billion
University of Washington – $1.49 billion.
Rounding out the top ten were:
University of California, Los Angeles – $1.45 billion
University of California, San Diego – $1.43 billion
University of Wisconsin – $1.38 billion
Stanford University – $1.27 billion
Harvard University – $1.25 billion
Heading ranks 11 through 25 was Duke University at $1.24 billion, followed, in order, by:
Ohio State University – $1.24 billion
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill – $1.21 billion
Cornell University – $1.18 billion
Yale University – $1.17 billion
Texas A & M University – $1.15 billion
University of Maryland – $1.14 billion
University of Pittsburgh – $1.14 billion
U. Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center – $1.12 billion
Georgia Tech University – $1.11 billion
Columbia University – $1.10 billion
University of Minnesota – $1.07 billion
New York University – $1.06 billion
Vanderbilt University – $1.02 billion
Washington University, St. Louis – $989 million
Among the leading academic fields receiving R&D funds:
- The Health Sciences topped the list with a total of $29.88 billion in expenditures.
- They were followed by Biological and Biomedical Sciences at $16.56 billion.
- Engineering (and all its subfields) was third with $14.29 billion.
- Rounding out the top five research fields were the Agricultural Sciences with $3.55 billion and Geosciences, Atmospheric Sciences and Ocean Sciences with $3.30 billion.
- Other fields with R&D expenditures exceeding the one billion dollar threshold in FY 2020 were Computer and Information Sciences with $2.95 billion, Physics ($2.46 billion), Chemistry ($2 billion), Education ($1.62 billion), and Psychology($1.33 billion).
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Michael T. NietzelFollow
Michael Nietzel is president emeritus of Missouri State University. A Forbes contributor since 2019, he writes about higher education. After earning his B.A. from Wheaton… Read More
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- STSon Tran.1 February, 2023I am surprised that MIT is not in the list. Anyone have idea why?ReplyShare1 reply
Accelerating Progress: A Phased Approach To Greater Sustainability In Metals And Mining
Brand Contributor
BRANDVOICE| Paid Program
Aug 20, 2024,10:46am EDT
The transition to net-zero emissions will require an estimated US$850 billion in investments by the metals and mining industry through 2030. Converting lithium, cobalt and copper stores—to name just a few—into commercially viable reserves, while ensuring supply and reducing emissions, will be challenging given materials concentration, long project development timelines, declining grade quality, and historic negative environmental impacts. Nevertheless, the time is right to innovate and scale sustainable operations to support the global energy transition.
A tri-phased strategy could improve sustainable operations in the metals and mining industry.
Phase one: Building a foundation for sustainability
Efficiency could be enhanced and the environmental impact of existing mines reduced with new approaches including:
- Improving the efficiency of production processes. Advanced planning techniques such as linear programming and integrated planning systems, supported by technologies such as digital twins, drones, and machine learning, can enhance precision mining and reduce bottlenecks. One example: a hyperspectral sensor enabled the discovery of US$25 million of additional resources at a west Australian iron ore mine.
- Optimizing the resources used. Material production often occurs in high water-stress regions, while mining trucks gobble diesel and generate emissions. Both represent significant decarbonization potential. Optimizing usage and expanding certifications that establish premium pricing for sustainably produced minerals can also help. More than US$5 million of Fairmined Premium has been paid to organizations since 2014 for reinvesting into communities.
- Incorporating technology to improve yields with lower emissions. Leveraging direct lithium extraction may double the yield and reduce the production time from months to days while producing lower emissions than traditional extraction.
Phase two: Building efficiency and resilience across the value chain
More resilient supply chains that incorporate global and local partnerships can help ensure supply reliability and fair pricing. Companies such as General Motors are shoring up supply chains by concluding long-term fixed-price contracts with mining companies. Similarly, companies in Ghana are collaborating with local manufacturers to create vital mining equipment, reducing operational expenses while boosting employment.
Collaborations with battery manufacturers could lead to new material chemistries, such as iron-phosphorus-based lithium iron phosphate batteries and sodium-ion alternatives, reducing the need for critical minerals.
Phase three: Using an ecosystem approach to manage environmental impact
Many mining operations overlap with Indigenous lands, requiring active collaboration to gain acceptance. The partnership between Cameco and the Pinehouse Lake community in Canada shows how production can move forward while creating jobs and opportunities to strengthen the local economy.
Elevating recycling also builds industrywide synergies. Improving recycling efficiency for critical minerals could create a secondary supply that could help meet 10% to 20% of mineral demand by 2030. Companies such as Sibanye-Stillwater are “forward integrating” by acquiring recycling firms.
Tipping points: Important factors shaping sustainability in metals and mining
Achieving sustainability in metals and mining is also contingent upon four critical enablers: finance, technology, business models, and talent.
Finance
Meeting net-zero emissions targets requires bridging a significant investment gap. Some actions to consider:
- Establish ownership integration. Engage downstream consumers for direct investments in mining, refining, and precursor materials. General Motors and Tesla’s acquisition of lithium assets and the US Department of Defense’s agreement to secure graphite for large-capacity battery production represent such an approach.
- Capitalize on government incentives for project security. Tax incentives, early-mover grants, and critical mineral agreements minimize risks. For example, the US Department of Energy funded 16 projects across 12 states to increase production and processing capacity of critical minerals for the clean energy transition.
- Unlock sustainable financing. Sustainability-linked bonds or loans can reduce capital costs. For instance, Teck Resources utilized a US$4 billion sustainability-linked credit facility with key performance indicators related to emissions, safety, and diversity.
Technology
Expedited digitalization can support sustainability and some companies are already seeing positive returns. Asset modeling and simulations can also enhance performance. A multinational mining company compared theoretical truck and operator performance to actual in-field performance, leading to a 23% reduction in haul cycle times. Finally, companies can improve their exploration process with technologies such as hyperspectral imaging, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to analyze geological data to increase accuracy.
Business models
Companies have modified their business models to improve agility and resilience. Innovations include multi-user infrastructure models that pool expertise and resources. Integrated partnership models such as the joint venture between BMW and Mangrove Lithium and minority investments can also protect the value chain and mitigate supply and pricing risks. Similarly, mining-as-a-service models like that employed by Inspire Resources Inc. shift companies to operator roles, allowing community control and more scalable operations.
Talent
Meeting the net-zero target will likely require 700,000 new workers in the critical minerals extraction industry by 2030, as well as backfilling millions of open mining-related jobs. To close these gaps, companies could deploy new talent management strategies starting with early cultivation.
Companies could also tap global resources by supporting industry collaboration, automation, standardization of skills and certifications, industry-specific benefits, and new ways of working, including remote work and project-based assignments.
Architects of change: How policymakers, companies, and consumers can drive metals and mining sustainability
Simultaneous efforts by all stakeholders—policymakers, companies, and consumers—are important for sustainable development. The aggregate impact of streamlining permitting processes as Canada announced earlier this year, coupled with better, earlier community engagement can reduce the timeline for new projects dramatically. Internally, companies can use digitalization across the value chain to improve decision-making and institutionalize and scale more sustainable practices.
The metals and mining industry can play a unique role in meeting net-zero targets. Innovation and collaboration among stakeholders to meet interim and long-term sustainability goals are showing impact across the globe.
Download Energy transition: The road to scale for more insights.
Ian serves as both the Global Mining & Metals Sector Leader and as the Australian Energy, Resources & Industrials Industry Leader. He has more than 30 years of experience… Read More
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