University officials attempted to sell Gov. Frank Murkowski and his cabinet on increasing state research funding during a commissioners meeting Oct. 6 at UAF.

The meeting, under the theme of "Government, Business and Higher Education," was intended as a way for UAF faculty to show commissioners how their research could be applied to state issues.

"We haven't done as good a job, I think, of interacting with the university as we should or could," Murkowski said, suggesting that a Science Advisor act as a go-between for the State and UA research.

Chancellor Stephen Jones opened the session, promising to create an Office of Research and Economic Development within 60 days. The university has $109 million in research expenditures in 2003, he said, and for every $1 invested in UAF research, $6 was produced.

"Please think of research as an industry," he said, with funds going for not just projects but also technology, infrastructure and buildings.

Gov. Murkowski said in a later interview that was most impressed with Jones.

"Clearly the new Chancellor is a gentleman with a resource background and he's well oriented in wood fiber and timber, which is a tremendous resource to the State of Alaska," he said. "I think he brings a refreshing recognition of the identification of the university's research and directing it more towards the basic resources of Alaska, and we want to help that process."

Murkowski promised to keep his word and increase university funding by 5 percent. "I'm going to live by my commitment."

The Governor and his crew spent much of the day touring campus and being introduced to the school's scientific initiatives. Faculty members lectured the governor on microelectronics, while commissioners were split-up to learn about various studies on campus.

State research grants have declined in recent years, said UA President Mark Hamilton in his welcoming address. As a result, most of the school's research is done through federal grants, he said, and much of the research has little relevance to the state.

"The good news," he said, was that some of the school's research, like studies on the arctic, overlaps with state interests. "So we answer some Alaska questions," he said.

The commission could get even more state questions answered if they supplied grants and research aid, he said. But he said the real answer may not be to give the university more money but to instead enlarge department research budgets so they can supply funds for their specific interests.

"Not everything we do is research," he said, "and not everything that is research should be done by the university."

"What we are attempting to try and do here is make investments in Alaska that will generate a more immediate return," Murkowski said.

Murkowski thought the university should prioritize its research toward state resources, like mineral, gas and oil development. The university could also help provide "qualified answers" to national concerns, such as the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, which he specifically said UAF should see the scientific possibilities of using land three miles outside the refuge.

"We need a group with expertise who can stand up to the environmental groups and tell them when they're wrong," he said.

UAF's research has benefited the state, Hamilton said, most recently during this summer's wildfires, where faculty were able to monitor the fires with satellites and apply past research on pollutants to the problem. He also emphasized the importance of long-term projects, such as a 25-year study that disproved the dangers of mercury poisoning in halibut.

"Science trumps passion or politics every single time," he said.

The university employs between 2,300 and 2,400 people, mostly researchers, he said, making UAF the third highest employer in Alaska. Faculty members have an average $155,000 in research grants, he said, but reminded the audience that there are "some monsters" with a lot more money than others.

"What we've got to do is we've got to recognize that until we develop the economy of this state through expanding resource development, we're not going to have adequate funding for the research," Murkowski said. "Too many of our young people are leaving the state. [If] the jobs aren't here, and they're well educated, where are they going to go? They're going to go someplace else."

Lt. Gov. Loren Leman, right, and Gov. Frank Murkowski's chief of staff, Jim Clark, examine the UAF clean room in the Natural Science Facility on Wednesday. The tour allowed Murkowski and his staff see some of UAF's microtechnology research.
photo by Nate Raymond/Sun Star

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