80^th Texas Legislature

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2002 Agenda

1. UH System Goals

   The University of Houston received a total of $28.614 million in funding in FY 2001 for Federal research and development. Fiscal Year 2001 funding for all grants and contracts at UH was $53.124 million through 456 awards.

   In order to continue to build the UH System sponsored research funding base, the UH System will pursue the following goals in 2002:

   • The UH System will continue to work to take advantage of funding increases in NIH and NSF in the FY 2002 Federal budget.
   • Advocacy and coalition-building activities will continue to be paramount for the UH System as the science and education communities work together to sustain growth for federal R&D agencies that have not fared as well as NIH and NSF, such as the Department of Defense 6.1 and 6.2 research accounts, the Department of Education, NASA’s science offices, and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
   • The UH System will work to identify specific computing funding opportunities at agencies which have received large information technology R&D funding increases in the past several fiscal years, including NSF and NIH.

   • The UH System will continue to help strengthen support for the basic research areas where the University of Houston has strong faculty and proven capability.

   • The UH System will continue to identify opportunities for targeted Congressional funding.

   • Expanded efforts to identify new program funding opportunities and submit unsolicited proposals for this funding will be a priority of the UH System. Particular focus will be placed on opportunities generated in the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, and the Department of Energy.

2. Support for Federal Research Budgets

   The economic future of Houston and Texas depends as never before on the city’s ability to remain at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation. The UH System research program is vital to this innovation, and its research priorities—computational science and information systems, advanced materials science and technology, biological and life sciences, space exploration and commercialization, and energy—reflect the region’s economic, scientific, and technological base.

   Through its state-based Research Excellence Funding initiative, the UH System will build the academic, research, and outreach programs needed for cultural and economic prosperity in the 21^st century. Over the next two years, research excellence funding will enable UH to make continued improvements to UH’s research and educational infrastructure. Research excellence funding also will go to UH-Clear lake and UH-Downtown.

   This section identifies federal areas of opportunity for the University of Houston System community to provide significant contributions to basic and applied research in science and education, and to seek federal support for these critical opportunities.

   National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) — The President’s budget proposes $15.117 billion, an increase of $104 million over the FY 2002 funding level of $15.013 billion. Included in this request is modest support for several UH System centers including the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center (SVEC) at UH and the Research Institute for Computing and Information Systems at UH-Clear Lake. These centers concentrate on research in space commercialization and promote technological advances between industry and researchers. Additionally, strong programs to develop computer simulations of space radiation environments and the effects of radiation shielding, and to determine the effects of weightlessness and space flight on wound healing and cortical bone and skeletal muscles, are funded by NASA. Within NASA, the Science, Aeronautics, and Technology account would receive $8.845 billion, $797 million over FY 2002. Because of the important work being done by the UH System in space research, UH endorses a funding level of at least the President’s request for NASA’s science programs.

   National Science Foundation (NSF) — The President's FY 2003 budget request for NSF is $5.04 billion, an increase of 5 percent over FY 2002 (due to the transfer of several programs from other federal agencies to NSF, the true requested increase is only 3.5 percent). The Research and Related Activities account would receive an increase of 5.1 percent for a total of $3.78 billion, the Education and Human Resources account would receive $908.1 million, an increase of 3.8 percent, and the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction account would receive $126.3 million, a decrease of 9 percent. From virtual reality education to materials science and engineering, NSF-sponsored research plays an important role at UH.

   Two major centers currently receiving NSF funding are the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and the Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC²). UH is particularly interested in two programs within the NSF budget. These are the "Learning for the 21^st Century" program (FY 2003 request is $184.7 million), and the Information Technology Research (ITR) program (FY 2003 request is $285.8 million). "Learning for the 21^st Century" combines research in areas such as cognitive neuroscience and human-computer interactions with educational reform initiatives. ITR focuses on computer system architecture, information storage and retrieval, scalable networks, and connectivity, as well as studies of the impact of information technology on society. However, the President’s budget request for NSF falls very close to the projected inflation rate, and therefore would provide very little new funding for NSF programs. The UH System supports a 15 percent increase over FY 2002 for NSF.

   Department of Education — As a member of the Great Cities’ Universities (GCU) coalition, the University of Houston is seeking $5 million from the Department of Education for continuation and expansion of the Urban Educator Corps Partnership. This initiative involves the creation of a virtual campus for online urban teacher and leadership preparation, the development of a research and technical assistance capability, and the pilot implementations of community-specific action plans. UH is currently seeking to authorize this program within Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

   Over 55 percent of students in the UH System receive some form of financial aid. The system’s financial aid program has grown by nearly 400 percent in total dollars since 1985-86, and it now provides over $109 million in aid each year, 72 percent of which comes through Federal programs. UH System students rely heavily on Work-Study and Pell Grant Awards. The UH System endorses President Bush’s budget request of $10.86 billion for the Pell Grant Awards and $1.01 billion for the Work Study program.

   National Institutes of Health — The University of Houston supports the continued effort to double the NIH budget. Several major university research programs directly benefit from this funding. For example, NIH funding is the primary source for UH’s world recognized research program on biological clocks. It also is a key source of funding for programs in infectious and genetic diseases including cholera, diphtheria, anthrax, HIV, ulcers, hearing loss, blindness, and bone and cartilage defects. Studies of antibiotic action and resistance, computational biology and chemistry in the areas of bio-engineering and bio-informatics including the analysis and study of complex protein structures (proteomics), also receive NIH funds. Other NIH-funded programs focus on reduction and prevention of physical abuse and associated behaviors and the prevention and intervention of substance abuse, particularly among adolescents. These and other UH projects may have significant impact on human health. The President’s FY 2003 budget provides $27.2 billion, which is a 16 percent increase over FY 2002. This represents the largest ever year-to-year increase for the NIH. The UH System supports this budget request.

   Department of Defense — The Department of Defense budget would increase by $46 billion in the FY 2003 request, the largest increase since the Ronald Reagan presidency. However, while funding for development of new technologies would receive substantial increases under the budget request, the 6.1 and 6.2 accounts (basic and applied research, respectively), from which the UH System receives the vast majority of its federal defense research funding, would receive significant decreases. For example, Army 6.2 funding would decrease by nearly 30 percent, while Navy 6.2 funding would decrease by more than 25 percent. Currently UH research programs receive DOD support for research in seismic 3-D acquisition, processes and interpretation; metallization of focal surface arrays; spatiotemporal dynamics of premixed flames; development of virtual environment training programs; and multiple projects focusing on high temperature superconductors and thin films. The development of new technologies and methodologies depend upon continued and increased funding for these types of projects. The UH System supports an increase over the FY 2003 budget request for the 6.1 and 6.2 accounts in the Department of Defense.

   Department of Energy — The Department of Energy’s Office of Science once again would receive only a small increase under the FY 2003 budget request. Total funding for this office would climb $4 million to $3.285 billion, an increase of only 0.12 percent. However, actual funding levels for the various programs within the office would rise slightly more than the overall percentage would suggest due to the large number of earmarks included in the final FY2002 funding for the office. The University of Houston provides research in several areas for DOE, including development and calibration of new 3-D VSP imaging technology; fatigue resistance of non-transforming ceramics; development of shallow viscous oil reserves; capillary and bond numbers’ impact on relative permeability; programming models for scalable parallel computing; diffraction studies of the structure of gases, liquids and nanoclusters; and experimental intermediate energy physics problems. Enhanced support to DOE for these and similar projects is required for the development of improved energy exploration, conservation, and utilization. The UH System supports a 10 percent increase over the FY 2003 budget request for DOE’s Office of Science.

3. UH System Research Strengths

   The University of Houston System, and particularly the University of Houston, are recognized leader in research. Its research "centers of excellence" are strategically aligned with the major industries of the Upper Gulf Coast Region. These areas of excellence include:

   • Materials science
   • Computational sciences and information systems
   • Biological and life sciences
   • Space exploration and commercialization,
   • Energy
   • Education research

   Materials Sciences

   • The Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TCSUH) is the largest university superconductivity research effort in the United States. It is a national leader in the research and development of materials and devices for that conduct electricity at very high speeds with very low resistance. These devices are used in the communications, medical, aerospace, transportation, and energy industries. Over 200 employees in fourteen laboratories are doing research to reach these goals.

   • The Material Research and Engineering Science Center is an NSF center that focuses on advanced oxide materials with technologically important applications in ionic devices including membrane and electrocatalytic reactors, fuel cells and chemical sensors. It provides the latest technologies for advanced material research in artificial membranes and thin films that can be applied toward the development of new fuel cells and semi conductors.

   • The Center for Advanced Ceramics is a national center in the development new ceramics that have high corrosion resistance, strength and high fatigue resistance. Many of these technologies are used in high performance engines (aerospace) and pumps.

   Computational Sciences and Information Systems:

   • The Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC²) is a multidisciplinary center within the computational sciences dedicated to the development of state-of-the-art computer applications for education, industry, and research. It provides an environment where researchers from various disciplines work collaboratively using computer and software technology for modeling, simulation, structural design, molecular dynamics, grid applications, imaging, informatics, automation, and robotics. The center also develops computer and computational education programs for K-12, community college, and university students, as well as training programs for UH’s technology workforce. It serves as an umbrella organization for the institution’s major computer science-related initiatives with private sector companies (including IBM, Parallel Tools, Continuum Software and others) and other research institutions to develop and provide information management, retrieval and analysis, and computer and communication system sciences and technologies, and computer-aided visualization capabilities.

   • Researchers at the Modeling and Simulation Research Labs for environmental research are studying air and water quality in the Gulf Coast region. They are developing high resolution modeling and simulation that can be used to predict events regarding the transport and concentration of various chemicals. These computational mathematicians and computer scientists, and their international network of collaborators, are driving the science underpinning subsequent generations of multiphase (air, water, aerosol) simulation programs.

   • The University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Research Institute for Computing and Information Systems is collaborating with NASA and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to promote technological advances between industry and researchers, while UHCL’s Mid- Continent Technology Transfer Center links NASA/JSC technology sources and its recipients and supports local high-tech and manufacturing companies, service providers and federal laboratories. UHCL aims to expand collaboration with NASA, industry, and UH researchers to promote technological advances.

   Biological and Life Sciences

   • UH’s Institute for Molecular Design is a national center that studies complex biological structures such as viral proteins and other complex proteins that are associated with infectious diseases and cancer. Its research focuses on bridging the theoretical and experimental approaches to biomolecular structure and function. Its scientists conduct basic research to develop new tools for computer-aided molecular design and design new drugs by computer simulations based on X-ray structures of enzymes. The center was instrumental in receiving successful Keck, NIH and Grand Challenge awards devoted to biomolecular design.

   • Neuroscience programs are engaged in the study of the brain (visual systems, behavior, biological clocks, learning and memory) and cardiovascular neural control. They concentrate on understanding how learning and memory work to prevent or reduce dementia and other debilitating diseases of the brain; the molecular basis for brain functioning; understanding and treatment of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and ALS; how behavior is organized; and the molecular basis for mental retardation. Internationally, UH’s biological clocks research program is one of the world’s most highly recognized research program in the field.

   • Research Labs for Infectious Diseases are engaged in developing improved ways to combat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and St. Louis encephalitis. These labs are also involved in the development of anti-cancer drugs.

   • Research labs on ecology and evolutionary biology focus on marine life. They study the impact of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the recruitment and population dynamics of reef fish populations in the Galápagos Islands, and on the coral reefs in the Southern Pacific in an effort to understand the impact of ENSO on marine life. In addition, UH’s Coastal Center serves to stimulate the improvement of the declining quality of urban coastal areas and investigate and guide man’s use and development of near-urban coastal areas consistent with conservation and sound environmental management.

   Space Exploration and Commercialization

   • The Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center (SVEC) is a NASA Commercial Space Center that promotes the commercialization of advanced thin-film materials developed on Earth and in space. Its goals are to create new and improved thin film materials for application to the microelectronics industry. SVEC has generated three start-up companies and more than $250 million of economic benefit to Texas in the areas of aerospace, thin films, and microelectronics.

   • The Wake Shield Facility, which is operated by SVEC and its partner, SPACEHAB, Inc., is a free-flying research and development facility that uses the pure vacuum of space to develop new, thin-film materials. These materials could lead to exciting future applications such as faster electronics for computing. As a commercial enterprise, the Wake Shield Facility expects to utilize the International Space Station to support the development and production of advanced thin-film materials. Through several space flight experiments, the Wake Shield Facility has generated unique information on the fabrication of advanced thin-film materials in the vacuum of space.

   • Research in Gravitational Biology for the study of cellular and organism adaptation to microgravity has made advancement at UH with programs that focus on molecular biology, genetics, and physiology.

   Energy

   • The Center for Engineering and Advanced Composites (CEAC) is internationally recognized as conducting the most advanced research of composite materials for the design of offshore production platforms. It serves as an information source for the National Bureau of Materials Standards.

   • Allied Geophysics Lab is a national resource dedicated toward developing new technologies that provide higher resolution of earth substructure for oil and gas exploration and geothermal sources. The Lab has a research consortia agreement with every major energy company and DOE funding to develop and calibrate new 3-D VSP imaging technology.

   • Other research performed through consortia agreements with the major energy companies has produced the best technology for the industry for drilling in deep off-shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Current efforts focus on removal of the reverberation and development of technology to see what exists below these deep off-shore waters.

   • Projects studying permeability and development of shallow oil reserves hold the potential to enhance exploration efforts.

   Education Research

   • The Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES) is dedicated to improving the behavioral, psychological, educational, and developmental outcomes of children and adults through application and development of advanced measurement, evaluation and statistical research methods. Current projects focus on bilingual readers and dyslexic subjects.

   • Research and training to prepare teachers to use technology and to effectively teach in high-need urban schools, and programs to assist students at risk for failure because of linguistics, cultural diversity, race, poverty, or geographic isolation, are core to UH’s effort to better educate the populace.

4. Service to the Community

   Unlike many other large public universities, UH is located in a major metropolitan area rather than a small college town, providing the intellectual resources and expertise needed to support the region's economic growth and general quality of life. Major UH outreach programs include partnerships with schools to improve public education, professional assistance for fledgling businesses, health care services for the indigent, and cultural events and programs provided through the UH School of Theatre, the Moores School of Music, KUHT-TV, KUHF-FM, and the Blaffer Gallery and Museum.

   Civil and Environmental Engineering Infrastructure — The University of Houston has positioned itself to become a national leader in research and development for civil and environmental engineering, serving as a national center for geotechnical testing of concrete pilings and operating the largest concrete material testing unit in the South. The university has built a strong partnership with the State of Texas and the City of Houston for developing effective design strategies for water and sewer systems that incorporate the use of new composite piping. In addition, UH has considerable research capability in the area of water quality management (see Urban Civil Infrastructure below).

   Urban Civil Infrastructure — Major cities here and abroad are plagued with deteriorating wastewater systems, prompting massive projects to replace or rehabilitate corroded pipes and overloaded treatment plants. Under an EPA mandate, the City of Houston is involved in a $1.2 billion wastewater system rehabilitation program. Since 1995, UH has participated with the National Science Foundation-sponsored Civil Infrastructure System Initiative. As one of six universities in the program, UH has launched a six-part interdisciplinary project to address the wastewater problem. The largest of its kind, the Houston project addresses corrosion assessment, system assessment, pipeline renewal, operations, and community renewal and system integration.

   UH Small Business Development Center (UH SBDC) — The UH Small Business Development Center has served more than 52,000 clients in 32 counties and more than 140 communities in Southeast Texas since its founding in 1984. It has helped create more than 25,000 new jobs as well as secure in excess of $450 million in governmental contracts, loans, and equity capital for local businesses. More than 5,000 new businesses have been started with a survival rate that far exceeds the norm. The UH SBDC offers one-on-one professional, customized, and free or low-cost management and technical consulting services, professional referral services, business library resources, a computer learning center, and seminars. Consulting in Spanish is also available. Through the Direct Business Assistance program, the UH SBDC promotes the health and growth of new and existing businesses by providing entrepreneurs access to reduced-fee services provided by business professionals (CPAs, attorneys and other business professionals) and advisory board members.

   Air and Water Quality — The newly established Environmental Modeling Institute, part of the Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC²), counts among its researchers the principal author of the latest new generation of three dimensional, urban pollution modeling supercomputer code, CMAQ/Models3, which is already written to handle large time- and length-scale climate modeling programs. A team of internationally known computational mathematicians and computer scientists, and their international network of collaborators, drive the science underpinning subsequent generations of multiphase (air, water, aerosol) simulation programs. Additionally, in conjunction with colleagues in the Texas Medical Center, UH researchers are monitoring the impact of the environment on human health.

   Distance Education/CampusNet — Through the UH System Distance Education/CampusNet, the institution will explore funding opportunities at the Department of Education for distance learning, and work with NASULGC on its Millennium Partnership Initiative (MPI) to ensure that distance learning is an integral part of MPI’s efforts to develop academic institutions’ technological infrastructure and ability to train traditional, part-time, and continuing education students. The UH System also plans to continue the expansion of the network that connects all four UH System universities, local community and junior colleges, and the Houston Independent School District in order to facilitate sharing resources and information.

   Great Cities Initiative — The UH System has joined an effort with other public, urban research universities to study the needs that arise in an urban environment and to determine means to address these unique needs. The Great Cities Initiative is looking at models of formula funding to support the urban agenda.

   Houston Area Technology Advisory Council (HATAC) – This program is a part of the Texas Learning and Computation Center. It was established to make Houston the skill and knowledge capital of the world, as well as provide high tech skill and knowledge solutions to satisfy the needs of the business community. During the past two years, HATAC has created a coherent sequence of courses for high schools, continuing education, and the Houston Community College (HCC) System with eight specialty tracts leading to an associates degree at HCC institution. It has also created an associates degree program at HCC for Unix Operating System, networking, and PC support.