This is a competitive, peer-reviewed program that will give faculty with records of achievement and commitment to the University at least one semester free of teaching duties in order to concentrate on research. Faculty also need assistants to help maintain an ongoing research agenda. The SLU2000 graduate assistantship initiative ensures this help while also providing opportunities for graduate students to directly participate in the research activities of their faculty mentors. This initiative will add 100 new graduate research assistantships over the next three years. This is truly an opportunity for many departments to increase their national and international research reputations while at the same time attracting high quality students to our graduate programs.
Funding is another important component of a successful research program.
Some research is extraordinarily expensive, some is not, but all research requires at least some access to funding. Sometimes this funding comes in the form of external grants and contracts. However, faculty must achieve success with their research programs in order to be successful in obtaining external funding. This is accomplished in two major initiatives in Project SLU2000. The centers of excellence program will support activities that further enhance strong academic and research programs of the University in an effort to encourage sustained growth.