Racking up another year of research funding gains, UC Davis is trying to be upbeat about its prospects amid growing economic uncertainty.
The campus and its scientists received $586 million in research funding in fiscal 2007-08, but the future is "a real question mark," said Barry Klein, vice chancellor for research.
There is the possibility that "we could take a dip this year or next year," Klein said. "But this campus is really well positioned in the long run."
Davis does a lot of work in partnership with the state of California, looking at air quality, water and roads, and such work likely will be needed even in a federal funding downturn, he said.
In addition, once the election is over, Klein hopes both political parties will work together to support good science.
"One could argue that the strength of our country will be related to how well we do in research and development," he said.
The federal government gave UC Davis and its researchers about $287 million in the last fiscal year, nearly half of the university's research grants from all sources. The biggest chunk of that, $175 million, came from the National Institutes of Health, and much of it ended up funding projects at the university's medical school.
The state of California, other governments, foundations and private businesses also provide research funding at UC Davis. Businesses' share, while still relatively small, has doubled in the past five years, from about 4 percent of research funding to over 8 percent.
Business funders include pharmaceutical companies supporting drug testing, Chevron's backing of biofuels research, and electric utilities backing energy efficiency studies, Klein said. Overall, business support totaled $50 million this past fiscal year, compared with $18 million in fiscal 2002-03. That year, total research funding was $426 million.
Call The Bee's Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, (916) 321-1086.
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