Research Funding in Postsecondary Education: Introduction to a Symposium

RESEARCH FUNDING IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION: Introduction to a Symposium James L. Morrison University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill For a social institution that consumes nearly three percent of the na­ tion's gross national product, higher education receives relatively little funding for research, particularly when compared to elementary and secondary education. Furthermore, research in the field is being conducted (1) by in­ stitutional researchers who focus on the problems and conditions of individual institutions, (2 ) by individuals in university-based research centers, insti­ tutes, and departments who may consider regional- or national-oriented re­ search as their responsibility, and (3) by researchers in independent research centers who are dependent upon successful responses to grant and contract RFPs from a variety of foundations and agencies for financial stability. The ap­ proaches taken by researchers in these different settings are determined by individual preference, institutional needs, and to a large degree, according to the type of financial support they receive. The fact that financial support for research comes from many sources may, indeed, contribute to the lack of adequate support for research in higher ed­ ucation. While there are exceptions, normally research funding is categori­ cal. Foundations fund special areas that they have determined to need atten­ tion; university-based funds are mainly used to gain a greater understanding of the internal dynamics of the institution or its relationship to its consti­ tuency, and state and federal support of research generally focuses on larger societal issues. It is reasonable to conclude that the diverse location of research activity and the multiple sources of funding have inhibited the deve­ lopment of a mutually agreed research agenda for pastsecondary education, as well as a national assessment of research needs in this field. In response to a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the amount of funding for research in higher education and with the failure to establish consensus on national research priorities, a number of researchers met in Washington, D.C., September 1976, to establish an organization that would be able to give advice and direction to their colleagues in postsecondary educa­ tion. From this meeting, the Coalition of Postsecondary Research Interests was formed. The purpose of this organization is to develop an understanding of the state-of-the-art of postsecondary education research, identify the ba­ sic philosophies and approaches that act as a major force on this research, and to establish greater dialogue between researchers interested in postsecon­ dary education. To facilitate the objectives of the Coalition, the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group on Postsecondary Education spon­ sored a symposium at the 1978 AERA annual meeting in Toronto. This symposium brought together scholars from several settings actively involved in postsec­ ondary education research with representatives from two federal agencies that have considerable influence on funding and on establishing research priorities --HEW's Office of Planning and Evaluation/Education and the National Institute of Education. Symposium participants were asked to address the following is­ sues: What are the objectives for postsecondary education research? What are the underlying reasons why particular research is being conducted and why are funds being made available for this type of research? What impact has this research had on postsecondary education? What should be happening in postsec­ ondary education research? Where are the gaps? Why have these gaps occurred? What priorities should be established? What would be the implications of these priorities for future funding? Symposium participants included: John F. Hughes, American Council on Ed­ ucation, representing the Coalition of Postsecondary Education Research; Mar­ vin W. Peterson, University of Michigan, representing university-based re­ search centers; C. E. Anderson, Office of Planning and Evaluation/Education, representing HEW; Michael Timpane, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Education, representing that agency; and Alexander Astin, UCLA and Higher 2 Education Research Institute, representing independent research centers. Their comments, revised for publication, are contained in the following pages. We would like to express appreciation to Jonathan Fife, Director, ERIC, Clearinghouse on Higher Education, for his work in organizing the symposium, and to Samuel Kellams, RHE Editor, for his cooperation and assistance in pub­ lishing the results of the symposium so quickly. We hope that this publica­ tion will facilitate continuing...