Karen Plaut - June Dimensions of Discovery Introduction

June 28, 2024

 

Dear Colleagues,

A highlight of my job is sharing how Purdue researchers are changing the world. Boilermaker-led innovations help address some of society’s most pressing needs in a range of areas, including agriculture, health, engineering, liberal arts, computing, business and more.

A key enabler for many research programs at Purdue is the invaluable support received from federal agencies and departments. Support comes in various forms including longstanding collaborations with national laboratories, like Argonne National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, as well as research grants and awards from federal agencies and departments.

In fact, federal funding accounted for 70% of our overall external research funding in FY 2023. Purdue receives support from numerous funding bodies, including the National Science Foundation and United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and many others. Such a diverse base of federal supporters increases the likelihood of sustainable funding for our research into the future.

Among the numerous research stories in this edition of Dimensions of Discovery, you will read about an important new example of federal support involving our nuclear engineering department. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $6 million grant for Purdue to lead a nuclear reactor research consortium. The purpose of this work is to upgrade existing research reactors, educate the nuclear energy workforce of tomorrow, and provide new clean energy alternatives for the future.

This edition of Dimensions of Discovery also highlights several other research projects, a large proportion of which are made possible through public support. I am deeply appreciative for the work you do to garner such strong backing from federal departments, agencies and laboratories. Your efforts will result in new breakthroughs that will improve the lives of our fellow citizens and the world.

Thanks,

Karen Plaut
Executive Vice President for Research