Mission Retreat Papers
Since 1997, the Merrill Center has published a series of papers on The Research Mission of Public Universities. All publications are available online and in print.
These white papers represent exchanges between faculty and administrators who are committed to nationally-competitive research at their state schools. At the annual Merrill retreat, participants share best practices for supporting innovative faculty, building research programs between institutions, and enhancing institutional rankings.
Hot topics have included:
- The decline in support from state governments for their higher education institutions
- Contributions scientists can make in the war on terrorism
- How to build public advocacy for research
- How to collaborate with business and increase R&D dollars
- How to evaluate entrepreneurial faculty and give credit to programs that train scientists for industry
- Should funding by the National Institutes of Health be considered the gold standard?
- Should administrators target niche programs in their quest for excellence?
- How has graduate education changed as the university becomes more entrepreneurial?
- 2019
- Challenges for Implementation of Cross-Disciplinary Research in the Big Data Era (PDF)
- 2018
- Re-Thinking and Re-Engineering Incentives for Scholarly Activities across the Research Enterprise in an Open Access Environment (PDF)
- 2017
- University Research Planning in the Data Era: Working with the Levers and Pulleys that Tie Together Research Information, from Big Data to Local Details (PDF)
- 2016
- Building Research Infrastructure: Planning for Future Needs and Implementing for Change (PDF)
- 2015
- Research Innovation as a Pathway to the Future (PDF)
- 2014
- Planning for Future Research in Public Universities in Uncertain Times (PDF)
- 2013
- Planning for Research Excellence in the Era of Analytics (PDF)
- 2012
- Information Systems as Infrastructure for University Research Now and in the Future (PDF)
- 2011
- Behavioral and Social Sciences as Key Components in National Research Initiatives (PDF)
- 2010
- Sustaining and Enhancing the Research Mission of Public Universities (PDF)
- 2009
- Regional Research Collaborations (PDF)
- 2008
- Global Research Collaborations (PDF)
- 2007
- Future Directions for Federal Research Funding (PDF)
- 2006
- The Privatization of Public Universities: Implications for the Research Mission (PDF)
- 2005
- The Interface of Science and Public Policy (PDF)
- 2004
- Riding the Momentum of Research: Leadership Challenges in Public Research Universities (PDF)
- 2003
- Recruiting and Training Future Scientists: How Policy Shapes the Mission of Graduate Education (PDF)
- 2002
- Science at a Time of National Emergency (PDF)
- 2001
- Evaluating Research Productivity (PDF)
- 2000
- Making Research a Part of the Public Agenda (PDF)
- 1999
- Building Cross-University Alliances that Enhance Research (PDF)
- 1998
- Mobilizing for Research Opportunities in the Next Century (PDF)
- 1997
- Planning for the Research Mission of Public Universities in the Twenty-first Century (PDF)