Dive Brief:
- Higher education commands nearly $70 billion in funded research, but many institutions do not take advantage of technological advancement which could generate billions by cutting delays in experiments and savings on personnel.
- Improving recruitment strategies for graduate assistants, building networks for peer review and publishing and implementing cloud-based data storage and virtual-lab work are ways to expedite the research process while cutting costs.
- Smaller laboratories are frequently hampered by the antiquated systems of research management, but all institutions can benefit from cost savings and expedited systems, specifically in areas like pharmaceuticals and disease research.
Dive Insight:
Creating networks for collaborative research can be a challenge for many campuses in the way of cost and human capital, but as technology speeds up the process of human discovery and capacity, schools which hope to remain relevant and funded will need to create strategies for how technology will support these efforts.
Many institutions are already adopting technology strategies for student retention and engagement, but those with research at the core of their output to state and national research agendas should consider directing profits from innovation investment or appropriation requests to technology enhancement, or considering outsourcing research administration.
