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Brain Drain: Fertile grounds fear a drought

State government has successfully enticed major R&D firms to locate here. But Florida universities must scramble to replace dwindling federal dollars.

By Madhusmita Bora, Times Staff Writer
Published January 28, 2008

Who funds Florida's academic R & D Federal money is the traditional mainstay of academic research, but as it slows, schools have started to pick up the slack.
	[Becky Bowers | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT Brian Drain Part 1: Funds drying up in the idea war America needs more money for science

"Dickensian" is how Richard J. Bookman, vice provost for research at the University of Miami describes the research and funding scenario in Florida.

"We are in the best and worst of times," he said.

As scientists around the country grapple with declining or stagnant federal grants to fund experiments, equipment and junior scientists, their pain is felt around research labs in the Sunshine State. This, despite the state government luring giants such as the Scripps Research Institute near Jupiter on the east coast, the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies in the Palm Beach area, the Burnham Institute in Orlando, as well as the new Tampa Bay alliances of SRI-USF St. Petersburg and Merck-Moffitt.

The research centers were all enticed here through a mix of state, city and county dollars totaling more than a billion dollars.

"With our state making investment and building biotech R&D, we are at an advantage," said David Day, director of technology licensing at the University of Florida. "What's happening is good, but state money is always the No. 2 resource for us."

The bulk of a university's funding, about 50 to 70 percent, comes from the federal government, Day said. And with federal aid for agencies such as the National Institutes of Health stagnating in recent years, scientists here are feeling the pinch.

The shrinking pool of federal money also hurts businesses that collaborate with scientists for research and innovation.

"High-tech companies throughout Florida are dependent on the universities for future research development and for technical talent," said Jim Burke, spokesman for Harris Corp, a Melbourne-based communication and information technology company.

Shrinking research funding or a perception about declining dollars in scientific and technological fields could discourage students from pursuing such programs, Burke said.

Until 2004, Florida researchers saw a steady growth in federal dollars with numbers touching $843.8-million. But in 2005, the amount plummeted 22 percent to $655.2-million and remained there in 2006.

"It's a big strain on faculty to write six grants and only have one approved," said Susan Bell, director of the division of integrative biology at the University of South Florida.

The stagnation comes at a time when the state's universities have been successful in raising dollars elsewhere. In 2006, at $285-million, USF ranked 60th in the nation and second in Florida for total R&D spending. That's up 97 percent since 2000.

But researchers fear that the upward swing may not continue as funding agencies get tighter.

"We have reasons to be nervous," said Win Phillips, vice president of research at the University of Florida. "We have a goal on the horizon but the reality of funding is quite different."

At UF, the winning rate for grants is down from 12 to 14 percent to 6 to 7 percent, despite the university splurging $565-million on R&D in 2006 and earning the 17th rank in the nation for such spending. The amount helped UF jump 10 spots since 2004 and beat giants such as the University of California at Berkeley.

UF officials fear that with federal support hitting the brakes, the university may not be able to maintain its rank.

"It's really taking the edge off the momentum we were in," Day said.

Some say the state government is not doing enough to help Florida universities, but rather seeking the state's fortunes elsewhere.

"The state government paid California and German nonprofits to come here, but I don't know how much grant money they've brought to the state," said Dr. M.J. Soileau, vice president for research and commercialization at the University of Central Florida. "We scratch like mad for a few thousand dollars here and they have been given millions in incentives to establish colonies."

Florida ranks among the near bottom for the average funding to state universities for every full-time student, Soileau said. The state is starved for research facilities, with UCF alone running a million square feet short of research space, he said.

"We are capable of doing so much more," said Bookman, of the University of Miami. "We need to realize that the relationship between the scientific community and society at large, and make sure that in the very competitive atmosphere that we are in, Florida doesn't lose out."

Madhusmita Bora can be reached at mbora@sptimes.com or 813 225-3112.

Win Phillips, vice president of research at the University of Florida, was incorrectly identified as Wayne Phillips.

[Last modified January 28, 2008, 12:05:18]