Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

A handful of state senators heard an earful yesterday from Texas college executives about why the state needs more national research universities. Commonly called Tier One schools, these campuses with large research portfolios receive a significant share of money from out of state to do their work. In turn, that money attracts the investment capital that grows their states' economies.

All members of the Legislature should remember that point when they get down to business next year. Investments in research now will yield enormous dividends for the state later. As Bill Powers, president of the University of Texas at Austin, told the Senate higher education subcommittee, 25 years from now the leading states will have serious, robust research universities. Will Texas be in that game?

Currently, UT-Austin, Texas A&M and Rice are the only Texas universities that meet the common definitions of a national research university. Those parameters include how much research money a school spends, how many of its faculty members are recognized in their fields and how many graduate degrees the school awards in a range of subjects.

California has nine Tier One universities. Its list includes mostly public institutions. Thanks to those schools, California hauls in billions of dollars more in federal research money than Texas does.

The question: How does Texas produce more national research universities?

The Legislature needs to start the process by rewarding only those schools that are close to qualifying. Treating all universities equally will mean that we won't get any more schools into the Tier One category.

David Daniel, president of the University of Texas at Dallas, presented a plan to the senators yesterday that would target the state's seven "emerging research universities." He would have legislators reward them when they take the steps to get into the top rung of research schools.

For example, if one of the campuses raises money for a new research facility, the state would match some of the university's expense. That way, the seven schools and their alumni could compete to see which becomes a research powerhouse. (Those seven are UT-Dallas, UT-Arlington, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University, UT-San Antonio and UT-El Paso.)

UT-Dallas certainly is close to becoming a Tier One school, and we think that Dallas-Fort Worth, the nation's largest metropolitan area without such a research university, could support one.

As Dr. Daniel explained, his school is fourth among Texas' public universities with faculty members who have earned membership in the National Academies of Science. It also has the third-ranked graduate engineering program among our state's public universities.

Legislators are probably looking at close to $70 million a year to grow the next Tier One schools. As Dr. Daniel points out, that money would be one of the best investments the state could make. Until we push more universities to the top tier, we leave federal research dollars on the table – and shortchange our economy in the bargain.

Economic impact on Texas

•Texas has 8 percent of the U.S. population but only:

–5 percent of federal research and development dollars.

–5 percent of venture capital investment in 2007.

•If Texas had its proportional share of federal research and development and venture capital investment, it would gain $3.7 billion per year.

•In 2007, Austin had more venture capital investment than Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio combined.