Engineering Dean Kenneth F. Galloway testifies on defense research to the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in Washington, D.C.

by Jeff Vincent
WASHINGTON, D.C — Engineering Dean Kenneth F. Galloway scored a Washington double-play by appearing before two influential panels on the morning of May 5. At both events, he delivered a strong message to policymakers that defense research undertaken on U.S. campuses is vital to our national security and must be adequately funded.

Galloway first visited Capitol Hill, where he testified before the powerful Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, which has major influence in the annual spending levels for all defense programs. After delivering his prepared statement, he took questions and comments from Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Ranking Minority Member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii).

He then taxied across town to the National Academy of Sciences, where he made a presentation to the Department of Defense Basic Research Committee. He had a lengthy dialogue with the 17-member panel, which is headed by Gen. Larry Welch, former Air Force chief of staff, and Dan Mote, president of the University of Maryland.

“If we do not invest adequately in DOD research, we will delay or even prevent the development of technologies that would provide critical protection to our future warfighters and make them more effective in the field,” Galloway said.

He described several examples of defense research that play an important role today, including the Global Positioning System, lightweight body armor, night vision and thermal imaging technology, and biological/chemical sensors.

Galloway placed special emphasis on the need for long-term, basic research, which focuses on the generation of new ideas. While such research is not aimed at developing specific applications, it often expands scientific knowledge, thereby opening doors to new technologies. Over the last several years, funding for basic research at DOD agencies has been flat, and it has declined precipitously as a share of overall Pentagon research.

At both of his appearances, Galloway represented not only Vanderbilt, but also the 60 leading research universities that comprise the Association of American Universities. Earlier this year, he chaired a session on DOD research at a national meeting of engineering deans in Washington.

The DOD is the third largest federal sponsor of university-based research, after the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. More than 300 universities and colleges conduct DOD-funded research and development. It accounts for 68 percent of the federal funding for university electrical engineering, 50 percent for metallurgy and materials engineering and 32 percent for computer sciences.

In fiscal year 2003, Vanderbilt received awards for DOD research totaling $15.4 million. More than two-thirds of that amount was awarded to the School of Engineering, with the balance going to the College of Arts and Science and the Medical Center. These grants and contracts are the lifeblood for many graduate students engaged in research endeavors.

Posted 5/10/04