FIU's drive to Research I:a look beyond the numbers

Since the early 1990s, Florida International University has pursued a vision to achieve Research I (RI) status and join the ranks of the nation's leading research universities. In the hierarchy of U.S. higher education, the upper echelon of research universities are classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as Research I institutions.

In the universe of colleges and universities classified by the Carnegie Foundation, only 88 institutions - less than 3 percent of 3,595 institutions - are classified as Research I universities. Carnegie defines Research I universities as those institutions that offer a full range of baccalaureate programs, are committed to graduate education through the doctorate and give high priority to research. They award 50 or more doctoral degrees every year and receive $40 million or more in federal support for the sciences and/or engineering. Florida currently has three Research I institutions: Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of Miami.

FIU was classified as a Doctoral I institution by Carnegie in 1994, and the University has already achieved the criteria of a Research II university, awarding 50 or more doctoral degrees each year and receiving between $15.5 million and $40 million in annual federal support. It is anticipated that Carnegie will conduct its next round of reclassifications in 2001.

Attainment of Research I status is now the University's top priority. Last year, President Modesto A. Maidique appointed a faculty task force to accelerate progress toward this goal.

"I view Research I as a platform from which we will achieve greater excellence in teaching and education," said Maidique. "Unless you are RI, you are not eligible for major grants, fellowships and other opportunities. It is a platform on which we will continue to develop the University. Achievement of RI will open doors for all our departments.

"Research is not now, nor will it ever, dominate the university. But without it we cannot take advantage of those opportunities. Teaching will continue to be the primary activity at the University. But we've reached a critical mass in size where a significant number of the faculty can be devoted to research."

In 1998-99, FIU had another record year attracting external research grants and contracts in support of its research programs. The University closed the books for the year with a record $44.62 million, up more than 20 percent from the previous year. Approximately $20 million was in federal support for the sciences and engineering - the type of funding Carnegie counts for its classifications. Since 1988-89, when the University generated $8.46 million, sponsored research funding has increased more than five-fold. It is projected that research funding will top $50 million in 1999-2000.

Although the classification is based on quantitative measures, being a Research I university means much more than just federal grant dollars and doctorates awarded. Developing into Research I transforms a university, making available a wide range of opportunities that are not available to smaller institutions. In this article we focus on areas in which the drive to Research I is already changing FIU, affording opportunities that enhance student education and the overall institution. These opportunities will continue to grow as the University gets closer to its goal.

Opportunities for hands-on research by students

The growth of FIU's research programs has increased opportunities throughout the University for both graduate and undergraduate students to take part in hands-on research. Research opportunities exist for students to: collaborate on faculty research projects; serve as research assistants; and conduct their own research projects for publication and/or presentation at conferences. The following are a few examples of student research.

More than 50 graduate and undergraduate students are involved in the largest environmental restoration project in the world - the effort to return the Florida Everglades to its pristine state - through their participation with FIU's Southeast Environmental Research Center (SERC).

Established in November 1993, SERC is composed of faculty, research associates, students and technicians from a variety of disciplines who work together on environmental research in the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, with special emphasis on Biscayne, Big Cypress, Everglades, Dry Tortugas and Virgin Islands national parks; the Everglades Water Conservation Areas, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and other freshwater and coastal areas. SERC received most of its research funding from the U.S. Department of Interior.

Although SERC is not an academic program, it is committed to providing students with educational and research experiences in real-world situations, both in the field and in the laboratory. Almost all of SERC's research projects support student research, in areas as varied as ecology, hydrology, microbiology, analytical chemistry and geochemistry. Many graduate students utilize their work in SERC as the springboard for thesis and dissertation research.

"We provide hands-on experience and provide support in terms of lab supplies and the ability to get to locations in the field," said Ron Jones, director of SERC. "This includes the use of our boats and laboratory equipment to test samples."

More than 50 FIU undergraduate and graduate students also work for the Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology (HCET) in a variety of capacities. Established in 1995 in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), HCET researches, develops and demonstrates innovative environmental technologies and facilitates their transfer to commercial and government users. As a testing center, HCET is the nation's leading university center, as well as an international leader in the evaluation and demonstration of new technology for decontaminating and decommissioning (D & D) of nuclear facilities.

"We're increasing job opportunities in the market and educating the next generation of D & D and DOE professionals," said Ali Ebadian, director of HCET. "Students graduating with hands-on experience get more job offers and higher salaries."

Two students pursuing their master's degrees in Environmental Engineering while they work at HCET full time are Carmen Alicia Aponte and Ruben Dario Lopez, respectively from Colombia and Argentina. Both are conducting research supported by DOE.

Aponte is working on a D & D project for the DOE's Rocky Flats site, a facility near Denver. The facility produced nuclear weapons for nearly 40 years, leaving a legacy of contaminated facilities, soil and ground water that must now be safely cleaned up before the site can be closed down.

Lopez is conducting research in HCET's Tanks Focus Area, which develops technologies for DOE to safely and efficiently treat and dispose of millions of gallons of hazardous/ radioactive waste contained in storage tanks. "We're trying to come up with the best solution because there's so much waste," he said. "It's very good experience."

The Lehman Center for Transportation Research is an area where 20 students are involved in hands-on research. Two current projects (funded by the Florida Department of Transportation) are: studying the use of vehicle safety belts among minorities; and a pedestrian safety study in Hialeah (in collaboration with University of Miami). Upcoming projects include: developing a strategy for providing transportation access to former welfare recipients returning to work, and a study of rear-end collisions.

The Lehman Center also has three federally funded fellowships supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program provides stipends, tuition and laboratory support for two undergraduate students and one graduate student. The fellowships also enable the students to attend an annual Department of Transportation conference in Washington, D.C.

Extending the University's reach

FIU's research programs have enabled the University to have a greater presence nationally and internationally. Many programs are conducted in other cities in the U.S. or in foreign countries and, in some instances, the University has satellite offices in other sites.

The International Media Center (IMC), a research and training arm of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, operates several international programs designed to strengthen professional communication media in Latin America and elsewhere. The Latin American Journalism Program, a $13.5 million, 10-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen journalism in 11 Latin American countries, was managed by IMC personnel. The IMC founded the Latin American Journalism Center, in Panama City, Panama, which is continuing the work of the Latin American Journalism Program.

The Center for the Administration of Justice (CAJ) is another unit that has expanded FIU's presence in the southern hemisphere. The CAJ was established as a component of the College of Urban and Public University at 1984, to engage in research, training and public education regarding the administration of justice in Latin America. With offices in Miami and San José, Costa Rica, CAJ has become a unique international resource at the forefront of justice-sector reform in Latin America. The Center also supports crime prevention efforts targeted to U.S. Hispanics. The CAJ, which receives funding from USAID, employs a multidisciplinary and international staff of specialists, including lawyers, political scientists, public administrators and public policy analysts. Its assessments have been widely disseminated and have been critical in public policy-making throughout the region.

HCET's partnership with DOE has also enabled the University to extend its presence to other geographical areas. Earlier this year, HCET opened an operations office at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The first project completed by the office was a report commissioned by British Nuclear Fuels Limited on concrete demolition technologies. The center also opened an office in June at the DOE's Fernald Environmental Management Project in Cincinnati, Ohio, where work is being conducted on D & D and underground waste storage. HCET has other ongoing projects with other DOE field offices around the country.

Increasing opportunities for minority students

FIU's substantial minority enrollment (52 percent Hispanic and 16 percent African-American) and its variety of programs in the biomedical area have enabled it to host a Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) Program. Established by the National Institutes of Health 20 years ago, the MBRS Program seeks to strengthen institutional research capabilities, support faculty and student participation in research and encourage more under-represented minority scientists to participate in biomedical research.

The FIU MBRS Program began in 1985 and currently supports 13 undergraduate and 11 graduate students on eight research programs. The program funds the research projects as well as salaries for students, tuition for graduate students and travel to attend scientific meetings. For the 24 MBRS students, this has led to 117 authorships in scientific publications. The program is based on the premise that research experiences will stimulate students to pursue careers in biomedical research.

Challenges being addressed Last May, the University's Research I Task Force issued its report, which included recommendations on ways to increase research funding and the number of graduate students.

Chaired by Stephan Mintz, chair of the Physics Department, the Task Force studied issues in four primary areas: infrastructure, graduate enrollment, administrative services and rewards. Recommendations of the report included: take steps to ameliorate the critical shortage of laboratory and office space; increase staffing to aid in grant preparation and to take advantage of new opportunities; recruit new principal investigators with proven track records for attracting major grants; enhance financial support for graduate education; and implement a system of rewards for successful investigators, including bonuses. This fall, faculty forums were held to discuss the report's recommendations and steps being taken to implement them.

"We learned that the situations among research institutions are distinct," said Mintz, commenting on the Task Force's look at benchmark universities. "There isn't a particular formula one can use to achieve Research I. …Now it's a question of what to do." Mintz noted that the lack of laboratory space is the most pressing issue, a problem that is facing a number of departments throughout the University.

"There are scarce resources to achieve multiple objectives at the University," commented Mark Rosenberg, FIU provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. "We also are cognizant of the importance of providing an outstanding undergraduate experience at FIU. "The faculty have shown that they can be nationally competitive in their research endeavors. Achievement of Research I will place FIU in the mainstream of research issues. …It will make us a national player."