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Testimony March 2005 Home > Fulfilling the Mandate > Research Is A Key... <- You Are Here
Research Is A Key Funding Source

Our tenure and tenure track faculty generate on average about $250,000 in sponsored research and outreach activities annually per person—more than 2.6 times the average annual salary.

Between FY98 and FY04, total research funding increased 83.5%. In the first half of FY05, research funding is tracking 17% ahead of funding levels at the same point in FY04. [Click Here to View Chart.]

Quantity and Quality

The stories of our faculty's accomplishments abound. Whether the issue is peace in the Middle East, homeland security, or bioscience advances, University of Maryland faculty are selected for national leadership and are making news.

During January 2005 alone, Maryland faculty were featured in several highly publicized news stories, raising the visibility of the State.

  • The Wolf Prize in Mathematics—the world's most distinguished recognition in mathematics—was awarded in January 2005 to Serguei Novikov, Distinguished University Professor in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Mathematics. This is a remarkable honor and recognizes his contributions to mathematics that are considered among the greatest in the last half century.

  • One of NASA's great stories is space mission "Deep Impact," led by Dr. Michael A'Hearn, Department of Astronomy. This University of Maryland-led mission, launched on January 12, 2005, is on the way to collision with the comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, after its 268 million-mile journey. The results of this spectacular event will increase our knowledge of the beginnings of the Universe.

  • Secretary Tom Ridge announced that the Department of Homeland Security awarded the University $12 million over three years to establish the Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Behavioral and Social Research on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. This award was a coup for the University, which was selected from a field of 27 first-rate applicants. The Center will be headed by University of Maryland Professor Dr. Gary LaFree of Criminology. Programs of this scale in the social sciences are extremely unusual.



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