Temple University Navigates Research Funding Amid Political Changes
In an era of uncertain grant and contract funding, Temple University is cautiously optimistic about its research future, despite unpredictable political shifts. The institution’s Office of the Vice President for Research remains hopeful as it faces potential changes in federal funding policies.
Temple University was elevated to an R1 research institution by the Carnegie Classification in 2015 due to its substantial research spending and doctorate awards. The National Science Foundation ranked Temple 84th out of 914 universities in research and development spending in 2020, though it fell below the top 100 in 2023, according to recent data.
President John Fry announced last month that Temple has maintained its R1 status, celebrating a decade of recognition.
Josh Gladden, vice president for research, expressed confidence in the university’s standing. “I’m really not concerned, even with the uncertainty that’s going on right now in Washington, that [research is] in jeopardy,” he stated. “I think we are far enough into that pack of top tier research universities. I’m not really concerned about us losing, say, R1 designation. With that being said, we’re always looking for how to grow the impact of our research enterprise.”
The R1 classification requires institutions to spend at least $50 million on research and award a minimum of 70 doctorates annually. Currently, over 180 universities in the U.S. hold this designation. Temple spends approximately $300 million on research each year, while Drexel University spent $169 million in 2023, and the University of Pennsylvania’s 2024 research budget was $1.37 billion.
Recent developments from the National Institutes of Health indicated a potential reduction in indirect cost reimbursements to 15%, creating concern among research institutions. However, Gladden noted that Temple continues to receive the expected reimbursements.
“The latest is a court did enjoin, or they put a stay on the [research grant pull] indefinitely until the full case can be heard,” Gladden explained. “That’s where we are legally.”
In contrast, the University of Pittsburgh temporarily halted Ph.D. admissions due to anticipated financial constraints, as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Both Temple and Pitt are R1 state-related universities receiving federal and state funding.
Temple’s research funding strategy includes internal funding programs, such as the Blue Sky Initiative and the Humanities and Arts Research Program, which provide substantial support for various scholarly projects. Seema Freer, director of research development, highlighted the breadth of research areas, including biomedical, AI, and defense research.
The Lewis Katz School of Medicine leads Temple’s research output, with innovations like the Thrombolex device, which improves blood flow to the lungs. State senators recently visited Temple to commend the state’s $2 million funding support for the commercialized device.
Opportunities for undergraduates at Temple include the Diamond Research Scholars program, which provides students the chance to engage in research with a stipend of $4,000 over ten weeks. Meanwhile, Klein College of Media and Communication is hosting a research week from March 10-14, featuring a faculty research forum and the Klein-Carnell Awards.
“In some places, you’re going to have very specific requirements as to what journal you have to publish in, or they might try to really shape the kind of research you’re doing,” said Fabienne Darling-Wolf, associate dean for research and graduate studies at Klein. “I feel that at Temple I’ve had a lot of freedom to explore whatever questions I’m interested in, as long as I keep being productive in my research.”
Haddijatou Jammeh contributed reporting.
Read More Here
