Funding for research and programs available to undergraduate students has remained largely intact despite the current economic recession.
The Alumni Association's Student Grant Program and the Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship have incurred no change in operation. However, the Provost's Undergraduate Research Awards (PURA), have seen a 38 percent decline from 2008 to 2009 in the amount of funding it is able to provide for students.
The availability of undergraduate research is an important part of Hopkins's image.
"The number of research opportunities that are available to undergrads at Hopkins encouraged me to come [to this school]," said sophomore Miles Wimbrow, an Earth and Planetary Sciences major.?
Sophomore BME Alex Prentakis agreed, saying that the PURA program was a great way to get a start in research.
"I want to be a professor someday and research is going to be my life. I am anxious to delve into the mysteries that limit our knowledge. The PURA program is a great initiative to allow motivated students to do a project on their own terms," Prentakis said.
There were only 43 PURA grants awarded in 2009, four fewer than last year. In addition, the average grant amount awarded in 2009 was 32 percent less than the average 2008 grant. The source of the funding for the PURA grants is the Hodson Trust, which was formerly paid to Hopkins as an annual dividend.
However, about 18 months ago, the trust shifted their strategy, making a large gift to endow a fund here at Hopkins. In the long term, Vice Provost for Research Scott L. Zeger sees this as beneficial - however, as a result of the economic downturn, the fund collected poor interest last year, thus limiting PURA's funding.
"[The decrease in funding] is unfortunate. I feel like it gives students less opportunities to get out and do research. It's harder to get a hands-on experience without that money," Alan Lam, a senior who conducts research at JHMI said.
"I'd love to see as much money as possible dedicated to undergrad research," Prentakis said.?
Despite smaller funds, Zeger does not see a decline in the quality of research.
"The quality of research is determined by the talent and efforts of the students," he said. "Quality has never been better."?
Zeger is also looking to expand the program.
"PURA is a key way in which Johns Hopkins faculty and students learn from one another about how to frame questions precisely and reason critically, key elements of successful research. The Office of the Provost is working to build the PURA program to expose as many undergraduates as possible to it in the coming years," he said.?Sophomore Bernardo Guzman, a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering major, thought that the opportunities that PURA gives allows for students to learn directly from professors.
"Getting the PURA program back on track would help generate more opportunities to do research. I want to learn one-on-one with a professor in something I'm interested in," Guzman said.?
For 2009, the PURA program will provide up to $2,500 to undergraduates to perform research. Separate awards are given for a summer and a fall session. In 2008 however, the program provided up to $3,000. In both years, up to $2,000 of the award could be used as a stipend to provide for living expenses and a salary.
Hopkins is not the only school to experience cuts in some of their grants. Ann Gantner, Administrative Assistant in the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Office of Academic Programs said their undergraduate research grant program was entirely cut as a result of the economic situation. Previously, 50-100 grants of $350 were given each year to undergraduate students. Other colleges and universities did not respond to requests for comment.?
The Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which provides $10,000 fellowships to 15 incoming freshmen and $7,500 fellowships to 5 returning sophomores in each class, is highly sought after.
Undergraduates who have received the award choose a faculty mentor during their first two years at Hopkins, and then use their grant money to conduct research in a field of their choice. Several hundred applications are received from high school seniors each year, and Fellowship
Coordinator Ami Cox said that they will not be decreasing the amount of grant money.?
The Wilson Fellowship is funded by the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) and private donors. KSAS Dean Adam Falk remains committed to the program even in the difficult economic situation. Although he is stepping down from his position, Cox said that she "has his assurances that the program is 100 percent fine."
The Alumni Association's Student Grant Program provides up to $1,500 grants to student programs on campus.
"[The program] is funded by Alumni Association annual dues," said Executive Director of Alumni Relations Sandra Gray, who graduated from KSAS in '76. Last year the association awarded 70 grants totaling $74,000, and the budget still exists for the student grant funding for this year. ?
The Student Grant Program funds volunteer efforts such as the Baltimore Healthfest '09, the Waverly Community Children's Carnival and the Remington Outreach Project.
The Program also funds student events such as the MSE Symposium and the Foreign Affairs Symposium.
