South Dakota Universities are working to recover from two years of reduced research funding. Federal funding cuts led to a sharp drop in graduate level research between 2011 and 2012 in South Dakota. In 2010 research awards peaked at over $150 million. By mid-2012 that number had fallen to around $99 million.
Around 2006 state government made a commitment to fund more Ph.D. programs in-order to secure future economic development and support projects like the Sanford Underground Lab. Later federal stimulus funding boosted research dollars–but subsequent cuts forced those numbers back down. Dr. Paul D. Turman is with the Board of Regents. He says future funding must come from a number of sources including new public-private partnerships.
“Working with industry here in South Dakota to meet their R and D needs while also being aggressive on both state and federal funding, so taking a much more comprehensive approach to the way that we look for external funding,” says Turman.
Turman says research funding paid for about 900 full time equivalent positions across the state last year. He says the innovation generated from research dollars can also lead to start-ups in the state.