A University of Michigan administrator says the school faces serious challenges in continuing to build its research activities despite a steady pattern of growth that led to $1.3 billion in work during the most recent fiscal year. S. Jack Hu is interim Vice President for Research and submitted his office's annual report to the regents Thursday.
Hu says federal contracts make up about 62 percent of Michigan's research and says federal research spending peaked at $159 billion in 2010, not counting a short-term boost under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
He says the university can seek new sources by seeking more grants from business and foundations, starting more clinical trials and initiating more large-scale interdisciplinary projects.