Jan. 28, 1998 Contact Ross West (541) 346-2060 Source: Steadman Upham (541) 346-3081 EUGENE--President Bill Clinton's proposal to create a 21st-century research fund with the largest funding increase in history is very good news for the state and the University of Oregon, says Steadman Upham, University of Oregon vice provost for research. In his State of the Union address Jan. 27, Clinton proposed doubling funds for three of the nation's premiere organizations that support science research--the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the National Cancer Institute. Upham applauded the president's proposal and said it is very good news for the State of Oregon. "In today's highly competitive economy, America's future prosperity will depend more than ever on our continued preeminence in science and technology," Upham says. "This is especially true here in Oregon as we supplement our resource-based economy with technology-based industries." "For more than 50 years, our nation's investment in university-based science and engineering research has educated future scientists while strengthening America's economic leadership in the world and our quality of life at home," he explains. "As the president noted, research advances have paved the way for new treatments for disease, while scientific innovation has spawned new businesses, openednew markets and created new job opportunities." Upham expects Oregon's researchers to capture a healthy share of any new research funds. Although federal support of research has declined in the past decade and fewer research grants have been available, Upham notes that UO researchers have been very successful in a very competitive environment. UO research funding for Fiscal Year 1996-97 set a record of $54.8 million--83 percent of which ($45.5 million) came from federal funding agencies, primarily the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. This is an increase of 18.5 percent ($8.6 million) from the previous year and more than double that of the 1985-86 fiscal year ($24.3 million). "In the past decade," Upham says, "only a handful of the very best universities in the country compare with the UO in the area of grant-getting per faculty member." Support for the kind of broad-based research effort the president proposed is vital, as major advances often result from new and often unpredictable knowledge in several disciplines, Upham says. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine was developed through advances in nuclear physics, engineering and computer sciences. Laser eye surgery grew out of research on lasers and new dyes. Often, the medical applications became clear only after the basic science research in these disciplines was completed. "A strong and sustained federal commitment to all areas of science research will ensure not only a healthier, but also a safer and more prosperous future for all Americans," Upham says. -30- #F-7323/Local , OrSci