A soon-to-be former member of the state Board of Higher Education says he believes there is a huge opportunity for the state’s colleges and universities to grow their research component.
"People know that, in North Dakota, you can get things done," said Dr. Casey Ryan, who chaired the Board's Research and Governance Committee. "You have a limited number of hoops you have to jump through to get it done. And I think our history shows that the state has ben very successful in doing a lot of very good and leading research."
Ryan told the Committee he sees research as a third leg of an economic stool, along with energy and agriculture.
"The difference between energy and agriculture is, both of those commodities or businesses have a 'sine wave,' up and down — up here, down here," Ryan said. "With research, once you get there, and people know you're good, it just keeps going up."
Ryan said the colleges and the Board should continue to work with the state’s Congressional delegation to attract federal research dollars to North Dakota. And he said it isn’t just the “Research-One” universities – NDSU and UND. He says it’s all of then institutions.
Ryan also told the Committee he has an aspirational goal to attract $1 billion in research money to North Dakota.
Ryan was not eligible for re-appointment to the Board.
