Overall, UWM has done very well during the past decade to keep its research momentum going, considering the steady decline in the proportion of funding it receives from the state. Based on our analysis, several actions would further enhance UWM’s research profile.

First, the establishment of rigorous research productivity goals or extramural funding targets by the administration (in consultation with each department) and focusing resources on supporting research productivity would help to expand the number of active researchers. The campus is relying on a narrow base of grant recipients, and the norm of active participation in research and creative activity should be a stronger element within UWM’s institutional culture. Second, teaching workload policies should be reevaluated to enhance research productivity and in so doing, maximize individual contributions to the collective goals of effective teaching and research. Third, recognizing that national standing and impact are largely based on departmental scholarly output as well as the quality of the body of work, emphasis should be given to expanding faculty lines in undersized departments so that they are able to contribute more effectively to UWM’s development. Fourth, to mature as a research university, UWM must expand its doctoral array. Doctoral programs are central to the knowledge creation mission of the research university. They attract high-achieving faculty and graduate students who in turn enhance research productivity.

Accompanying these actions, there is broad recognition that there needs to be a rethinking of the relative rigidity that characterizes UWM’s school/college structure. Individuals and groups of faculty who want to move into an interdisciplinary arena that crosses unit lines currently face substantial impediments. For UWM to flourish in contemporary research settings that increasingly stress multidisciplinary work, every effort will need to be made to facilitate such efforts from administrative and programmatic standpoints. Such measures as offering incentives for writing multi-investigator grants and making it easier for faculty members to connect with potential research partners in other departments and at other institutions could reduce barriers to collaborative research across departments and with other educational and community partners. It is expected that the new Vice Chancellor for Research will facilitate the formation of such interdisciplinary teams.

In addition, more creative efforts need to be made to attract excellent faculty to UWM and to retain them. The continual shortfall in one-time start-up funds for hires in scientific and technological areas needs to be addressed with new ideas, such as investment borrowing and capital fund raising. Restoration of RA matching support on grant proposals, additional Graduate School funding for research proposals from newer faculty, and new funds in support of travel by nonscience faculty are also important considerations.

In general, the comprehensive research support mechanisms and services offered by the Graduate School and other academic units must continue to grow and develop in support of UWM’s goal of becoming a premier research university. Concern remains about the magnitude of research resources and their allocation in such areas as faculty hiring, grant-writing support, space, travel, graduate student support, and equipment. The 10-year program reviews are the most intensive examinations that UWM’s graduate programs receive. The presence of independent external reviewers on the panels provides credibility for the summary recommendations. For these reviews to serve UWM to their fullest extent, it is crucial that the review recommendations concerning program capacity and resources be seriously addressed by the campus.