Making Research a Part of the Public Agenda

The papers in this collection represent discussions that took place at the fourth regional conference sponsored by the Merrill Advanced Studies Center on the topic of research in public universities. We hosted " Making Research a Part of the Public Agenda " on June 7-9, 2000 at the retreat center in Valley Falls, Kansas. The gathering included twenty-two administrators and senior faculty scientists from five research institutions: was the keynote speaker and commentator. We were fortunate to be joined by a Kansas legislator, Representative Ralph Tanner, and by the chair of the Kansas Board of Regents, William R. Docking. Also, this year, we included business leaders from the Kansas City metropolitan area for a special panel on plans to create a research center in the life sciences. Keith Yehle, a member of Senator Pat Roberts staff, joined us once again. We also hosted Heather Wingate, chief of staff for Senator Sam Brownback. This year's topic followed naturally from the three previous regional conferences. The inaugural conference in 1997 focused on pressures that hinder the research mission of higher education, with special consideration of public research universities. In 1998, we turned our attention to competing for new resources, and ways to enhance individual and collective productivity. In particular, our keynote speaker of that year, Michael Crow, encouraged us to identify niche areas for research focus, under the premise that it was most promising to do selective areas of investigation at the highest levels of excellence. In 1999, we examined in more depth cross-university alliances. Keynote speaker Luis Proenza encouraged participants to think in terms of " strategic intent " and he highlighted important precedents in university-industry cooperation as well as links between institutions. This year, we again invited five universities representing the four-corner states of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. We focused on the impact of the sciences, in particular, with an eye toward economic development and improvements in the quality of life. The following collection of papers captures the energetic and enthusiastic nature of the dialogues that took place at the conference, beginning with the keynote 2 address of George Walker. He encouraged us to meet the needs of our state citizens, business leaders and students who are quite able to "carry our water" and champion the cause of research as a valuable state resource. Over the two days of the conference, presenters and discussants explored the dynamic interface between …