Enhancing Research Competitiveness
WSU’s research enterprise is driven by a profound commitment to addressing the most pressing challenges facing our communities and the world at large.
As a public land-grant institution, we embrace our responsibility to advance knowledge and innovation with a focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and positive societal impacts.
Our research ethos is anchored in the belief that transformative solutions arise from interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. Key research strengths include developing sustainable agricultural practices that enhance food security, creating innovative technologies to address climate change, and improving maternal and infant health. By leveraging our unique position as a land-grant institution, we actively engage with stakeholders at all levels to ensure our research is both relevant and impactful.
Our approach is characterized by rigorous inquiry, collaborative partnerships, and a relentless pursuit of solutions that address the needs of society. At WSU we don’t just conduct research — we make a difference.
Executive Summary
The research enterprise at WSU continues to grow annually in total sponsored research award dollars and in overall research expenditures.
Washington State University’s systemwide strategic plan includes as one of its goals an increase in research competitiveness and national standing—specifically in relation to sponsored research and related research expenditures as measured by the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey (NSF HERD). According to NSF HERD metrics, WSU research expenditures have increased by 11% between 2018 and 2022. Simultaneously, WSU has seen a steady decline in tenure-track faculty, unique PIs awarded, and proposals submitted. The growth in large awards and a steady inflow of foundational, single PI awards accounts for the growth in the total dollar amount of awards despite the decrease in unique PIs. Understanding WSU’s research strengths and improving research support for all faculty across every discipline is crucial for continued growth.
During FY 23–24, the Office of Research (OR) gathered and analyzed data on research trends through awards and proposals, F&A returns, and funding sources across colleges and campuses. Over this time, OR held faculty listening sessions, worked with college and campus leaders and created the Research Competitiveness Working Group to provide input on the research enterprise. Key insights from this work include:
- The necessity of a shared set of indicators for determining research strengths and prioritizing those research strengths through internal investments,
- Shared investment in research infrastructure and support services across university offices, and
- A commitment to improve the recruitment and retention of research active faculty.
Research Strength Indicators
In Spring 2024, the Office of Research surveyed chairs, directors, ADRs and VCRs to create a shared set of indicators for determining research strengths systemwide. Through this process there was a clear consensus around three key indicators:
- Critical mass of faculty to sustain and grow the area; measured by unique PIs on sponsored research and unique authors on publications.
- Sustained and significant research funding; measured by total values of sponsored research and;
- Societal/community benefits/impact; measured by publications including policy briefs, public media, webpages, etc., media visibility and qualitative case studies of cultural, social, economic and health benefits.
Using these indicators, there are five areas of research strengths systemwide and one emerging area. These strengths reflect the highly collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of WSU research.
- Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
- Community and Public Health
- Environmental Sciences and Energy Futures
- Biomedical, Life Sciences, and Biotechnology
- Next Generation Materials and Advanced Manufacturing
- Emerging: AI/ML and Robotics
While these indicators define key areas of strength, they do not account for research and creative practice in fields across the arts and humanities more broadly that are not as reliant on sponsored research funding. In Fall 2023, the Office of Research convened the Working Group on Advancing Arts & Humanities to assist with defining indicators for this scholarship. This work is ongoing in conjunction with broadening the measures for defining societal and community impact across all types of research and will be utilized as part of the larger efforts to enhance and grow the research enterprise going forward.
Priority Areas & Recommendations
Based on multiple systemwide surveys, input from the Research Competitiveness Working Group, and faculty listening sessions, three priority areas were identified across the research enterprise to support enhancing WSU’s research competitiveness.
Investing in research works. Data from past investment initiatives show that the return on investment comes in many forms: increased awards, a culture of collaboration, reinvigoration of areas of research strength, growth of new areas of research, and increased visibility of WSU’s research enterprise. With limited funds, prioritizing investments in areas of known strength or emerging priority areas that are high risk, high reward is crucial.
Recommendations:
- Create a Strategic Research Investment Fund (SRIF) from uncommitted F&A funds and define a transparent process through which these funds will be allocated.
- Align research investments with improving infrastructure, support services and enhanced communication of the research enterprise.
Support for the research enterprise cuts across administrative, financial, and academic units systemwide. This research support ecosystem includes the Office of Research, Sponsored Program Services, Human Resource Services, the Provost’s office and research administrative staff in colleges and on each campus. The current support system would benefit from more deliberate collaboration between offices, streamlining of services across and between central administrative units and colleges and campuses, and a more transparent and coordinated system for providing training and support for faculty.
Recommendations:
- Improve recognition of and rewards for faculty research excellence by working with college and campus leadership and the provost’s office to develop a systemwide strategy to identify faculty across disciplines for recognition internally and externally through awards nominations, honorifics, etc.
- Enhance communication between support staff in OR, SPS, and HRS and faculty to increase awareness of the roles and responsibilities of all involved and to create a more collaborative culture to facilitate more effective working relationships.
Much of WSU’s research infrastructure is in decay and decline. Deferred maintenance and aging and out-of-date equipment are curtailing growing the research enterprise. There are differing needs across campuses and including the four Research Extension Centers.
Recommendations:
- Form a Research Infrastructure Committee to draft a Research Facilities Plan with recommendations for prioritizing infrastructure, equipment and maintenance priorities systemwide.
- Establish a systemwide research computing strategic plan to address computing needs to support and enhance research systemwide.
Next Steps
This report serves as a snapshot of the current WSU research enterprise. The Office of Research is committed to continuing discussions system wide by formalizing a standing Research Competitiveness Committee to ensure that these insights and recommendations are addressed.
Research Competitiveness Working Group
In Spring 2024, the Office of Research under the leadership of Interim Vice President for Research Michael P. Wolcott convened the Research Competitiveness Working Group (RCWG) to assess the present state of the WSU research enterprise and to develop recommendations for enhancing WSU’s competitiveness in the national landscape of university-based research. Led by Associate Vice President for Research Kim Christen, the group included research administrators and leading research faculty across the WSU system:
- Haluk Beyenal
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture - Anjan Bose
Regents Professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Doug Call
Senior Vice Provost and Regents Professor, Paul G. Allen School for Global Health - Leslie Edgar
Associate Dean for Research, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences - Patricia Hunt
Regents Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences - Lois James
Assistant Dean for Research, College of Nursing - Julie Kmec
Chair and Professor, Sociology - Courtney Meehan
Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences - Judy Morrison
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Programs, WSU Tri-Cities - Jon Oatley
Associate Dean for Research, College of Veterinary Medicine - Christine Portfors
Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, WSU Vancouver - Mike Pumphrey
Assistant Professor, Crop and Soil Sciences - John Roll
Vice Dean for Research, Emeritus, Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine