Page 3 - RFCUNY Annual Report 2016

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York

Letter from the Chairman of the Board

and the President

The year 2016 represents a high water forth, and problems afflicting millions have been
mark for the Research Foundation. Total awards ameliorated as a result of this dynamic approach.
topped $485 million, a record in the history of the The federal government is not the only source
RF and in the history of The City University of New of funding, however; we also obtain substantial
York. We congratulate the many faculty and staff support from New York City and State, private
whose collective efforts have resulted in such a foundations, and others. Those funds are gen-
spectacular achievement. They bring distinction
to their fields, their colleges, and CUNY. Likewise, erally provided to carry out tasks that address
we acknowledge the RF central office and field staff, a specific societal need or interest – everything
13,000 strong, who provide indispensable support to from transportation to criminal justice to disability
award recipients. services. And they are no less important and no
And yet, as this annual report is being pre- less a key aspect of the role of the largest urban
pared, we find ourselves uncertain about what the public institution of higher education in the
future may hold in terms of funding opportunities. nation. (But even these sources can be adversely
Particularly at the federal level, the source of the affected by federal action as so much of what they
majority of funding for scientific and medical award contains federal flow-through funding.)
research, there is concern that agencies such as Nevertheless, the University and the Research
the National Institutes of Health and the National Foundation have implemented programs and sys-
Science Foundation will experience significant cuts tems to more aggressively seek out opportunities
to their budgets in coming years. Furthermore, and take advantage of CUNY’s unique assets,
proposals to effect cuts by reducing significantly which are considerable. Whatever the landscape
the indirect costs that accompany grants (facilities now and in the future, we will rise to meet the
and administrative costs in federal parlance) could challenges and continue to achieve outstanding
place not only CUNY, but all other institutions of results, just as we have in the past.
higher education conducting research in an unten- In this annual report you will meet a represen-
able position. tative sample of our exceptional award recipients
Indirect costs reimburse institutions for pro- and learn a little about their projects. You will
viding everything from laboratories to heat to also learn about the role played by the Research
information technology infrastructure that are not Foundation in supporting their efforts. We hope
generally covered elsewhere in award budgets. that you find the pages that follow illuminating.
Without such reimbursement, many institutions
would have to think long and hard about pursuing,
let alone accepting, awards that would force them
to absorb these costs.
Since the end of World War II, the collabo-
ration between the federal government and
research institutions has been the envy of the
world. Diseases have been cured, life-changing
inventions and discoveries have been brought

(Left) Marc V. Shaw, Chairman of the Board
(Right) Richard F. Rothbard, President

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