The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 6, 1993- Page 7 'U' leads university research spending by Nate Hurley Daily Administration Reporter The University ranks first in the country for the amount of money spent on research and development among public universities and col- leges - and second among all uni- versities and colleges, according to a recently-released National Science Foundation study. University Vice President for Research William Kelly presented the results of the survey in his an- nual report to the University Board of Regents on iDec. 17. "The University's Fiscal Year 1992 was still another financially sound year in research, one that saw our total research volume climb to levels that set both a record for this institution and a leading pace for the nation's major research univer- sities," Kelly said. "Total expenditures increased by 6.9 percent in Fiscal Year 1992, reaching a record-setting level of $346 million," he said. The University retained the top position in research money spent among public universities, and ousted the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from second place in the ranking of all U.S. colleges and universities. "This is in part a vision that was set out many years ago. The fact is that we are now in an age in which our civilization is dependent on knowledge more thanr ever before," University President James Duderstadt said at the meeting. Regent Neal Nielsen (R- Brighton) also commended the University. "If you start looking at the benefits to our civilization and our country, the benefit is thousand- fold," Neilsen said. The report credited the large ex- penditures of the federal Applied Physics Laboratory as the reason Johns Hopkins University remains in first place. Kelly credited much of the rise in research and development fund- ing to faculty competitiveness. "Faculty competitiveness would clearly be the best measure of re- search quality rather than just quan- tity, but. then this variable is very difficult to sort out from the oth- ers," Kelly said. toward the end of his report, Kelly put the numbers into perspec- tive to demonstrate to the commlu- nity the benefits of increased re- search and development funding. "In today's economic climate, when some might mistakenly come to regard academic research as a frivolous enterprise bearing little re- lationship to societal needs, I be- lieve it is timely to pause and to consider some of the practical benefits that accrue to the Michigan * 4 -I ~ .' t i~ III~ The University finished second in total Research and Development spending in 1991. Listed below are the top 20 schools in terms of R&D expenditures. 1. Johns Hopkins 2. Michigan 3. Minnesota 4. Wisconsin - Madison 5. MIT 6. Stanford 7. Cornell 8. Texas A&M 9. Washington 10. UC - San Francisco 11. Penn State 12. UC - San Diego 13. UC - BerkeleyI 14. UCLA 15. Illinois 16. Texas - Austin 17. Harvard 18. Arizona 19. Maryland - College Park 20. UC - Davis community as a result of the University's sponsored research," Kelly said. Kelly noted that University re- search benefits the local economy because: Most research funds come from the federal government and other external sources, thus repre- senting additions to Michigan's economy. 0 Research at the University leads to the development of local high-technology firms. by Christine Young Daily City Reporter By an 8-1 margin, the Ann Arbor City Council voted Monday to allo- cate $5,000 from the council's fund balance to the Shelter Association of Ann Arbor to staff a weekend Drop- In Day Shelter. Jean Summerfield, executive di- rector of the association, said that as a result of recent. budget and funding cuts, the shelter has reduced the number of its staff. "With the $5,000, the shelter will be able to hire two part time staff members that would work on the weekends from 9 to 5," Summerfield said. Mayor Liz Brater said, "This is an urgent matter that homeless peo- ple will have a place to go on week- ends as well as weekdays." While most councilmembers supported taking the money from the fund balance, a fund designed for urgent and unanticipated situations, Councilmnember Peter Fink (R-2nd Ward) protested. "We can probably find the money in the existing budget. We should not need to go into the fund balance," Fink said. "The point is that we made a budget and we should do everything we can to stay within the budget," Fink added. Councilmnember Larry IHlunter (D-1st Ward) said, "The fund balance is used for pressing needs. We can not get a larger pressing need than this." Councilmember Bob Grady (D- 3rd Ward) agreed. "This is what the fund balance is for," he said. "This is clearly a legit- imate purpose." Fink suggested that City Administrator Alfred Gatta propose an alternative way that the $5,000 could be taken out of the city budget City Council votes to fund weekend drop-rn day shelter without entering the fund balance. Hunter argued, "I find it hard to believe that we can not get $5,000 out of a $4.6 million fund balance. "A vote against this means that keeping people warm on the week- ends is not important at this time. We have an obligation and duty," Hunter added. "If we fail to appropriate funds then this sends out two messages - first to the Shelter Association that they cannot count on us and second to the Board of Commissioners that we fail to share the responsibility," Councilmember Nelson Meade (D- 3rd Ward) said. Hunter emphasized that there is a misunderstanding of the fund balance. "Every dime we do not spend will go back into the fund balance. Taking $5,000 will not affect it - especially when the money is going to keep people warm," lie said. Smith, Nielsen fiish terms as regents by Jennifer Silverberg Daily Administration Reporter Most students are aware of the changing of the guard taking place in Washington, D.C. as President-elect Clinton prepares to take office, but many are unaware of the university's own transfer of authority. At the University Board of Regents December meeting, Veronica Smith (R-Grosse Ile) and Neal Nielsen (R-Brighton) were made Regents Emeritus and pre- sented with Regent medals of honor for their service to the university during their eight-year terms. At the meeting, Smith - a 1948 University graduate - was thanked for her service to the institution. Smith has been a member of numer- ous organizations including the University of Michigan Alumni Association and the President's Club. .01