ON RESEARCH AND GRANTS



Aside from teaching, what is a professor's job?

In addition to teaching, all faculty are expected to devote some of their time to both research and service. Each of these is a broad category of activities that consume the time and energy of all faculty members in varying amounts, depending on their stages of career development and assigned jobs. Individuals may spend one part of their career emphasizing research and another emphasizing service, particularly if they rise to leadership positions within their universities or professional fields.

What is research?

Research is continued learning that leads to the creation of new knowledge. Faculty learn how to conduct research in graduate school, then apply those skills throughout their careers. Research activities include: Research distinguishes Texas A&M from universities that do not grant advanced degrees. It is essential to keeping faculty and students on the cutting edge of knowledge.

Who pays for research?

Most research is supported by grants and contracts, outside funds that faculty secure for the university. However, some research is supported by the University itself, and some is even self-supported by faculty members during unpaid summer terms.

How do faculty obtain grants?

Private and government agencies issue regular requests for grant proposals. In response, faculty write proposals, a job that often requires a month or more of hard work, and submit them to granting agencies. Some are for specific, well defined tasks, others for more general scholarly investigations in a faculty member's area of expertise. Because these are often national competitions, only 10 to 20% in some fields, and on the average only about 25%, of all proposals are successful.

What does a grant cover?

Research funds purchase equipment and supplies, travel, some summer salary support for faculty members (who are typically only paid nine months teaching salaries by the State), financial support for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who participate in the grant project, and "overhead costs" which reimburse the University for the use of its rooms, supplies, and staff and for its administrative support for the project. A portion of the overhead is given to the State of Texas; that money often comes back to the University. Approximately $24.6 million of external grant funds support students and post-doctoral fellows, thus fully supporting about 2000 graduate students at $12,000 per year. Approximately 5.1% of the funds are overhead costs which go to the University's general fund.

Some grants allow faculty to devote full time to research for a period, or to study at institutions with special resources unavailable at Texas A&M.

Are external grants important to the University?

External grant funds provide much needed additional resources to enhance the educational experience at the University. Such funds are essential to the graduate programs and also have a large impact on the undergraduate programs. These funds provide state-of-the-art equipment and financial support which enable many Texas A&M students to obtain highly advanced training in their chosen fields. The work accomplished using these grants also contributes greatly to the scholarly reputation of Texas A&M University.

Who looks after all this money?

The faculty member designated as principal investigator on a grant has signature authority on all grant expenditures. Oversight and accounting for all expenditures is provided by the University, the Texas A&M Research Foundation, or the Texas Agricultural and Engineering Experiment Stations. These entities assure that all disbursements of funds are handled in accordance with the policies of the granting agencies. Grants and activities of the recipients of grants are routinely audited for compliance with University and State guidelines.

Do professors have to get grants to be promoted and tenured?

Sometimes, and sometimes not. The importance attached to having external grants will vary according to field of study within the University, and even according to a faculty member's area of responsibility within an individual department. Grants are more essential for faculty in areas where laboratories or other special facilities are needed in order for them to do their research.

External grants are typically awarded after extensive peer review. The receipt and successful use of such grants provides additional evidence of the motivation, abilities and stature of the faculty members in their areas of study. This information is one of the things used in reviewing faculty members for raises, promotion, and tenure.