Many of Wayne State's programs have significantly improved their ranking nationally, including the School of Medicine which is ranked 22nd. "While Medicine only improved by one spot, this is a significant feat," commented George Dambach, vice president for Research. "The upper levels of the rankings are close among institutions, and Medicine's growth by 15.5% is significant in this highly competitive environment. Continued growth at this level should help them in to the top 20 in the near future."
Other WSU programs ranking in the top 100 nationally that advanced include physical sciences which advanced 12 places to 50; chemistry which advanced nine spots to 51; physics which advanced nine places to 43 and life sciences which advanced three spots to 52. The university's investment in infrastructure in FY 2001, specifically research instrumentation, advanced our research equipment ranking 38 places to 46.
"One of the University's strategic goals is to improve our national ranking and continue growth in research dollars coming in to the university from Federal sponsors," said Dambach. "For the fourth consecutive year, we have met those goals, and envision next year's statistics to continue this trend." Dambach fully anticipates growth in WSU's research rankings in the next report, particularly due to very large awards such as the Perinatal Research Branch program, the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor's Core Technology Alliance and several collaborative research programs. "The hard work and efforts of our faculty continue to win major awards while facing tough national competition," commented Dambach. "The key to our success is outstanding faculty, and they should be commended. "Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. In the past 20 years, Wayne State's research has grown 11 percent annually, with research expenditures reaching nearly $176 million in 2001. Over 65 percent of research at WSU is focused on the life sciences, and this focus has led our School of Medicine to climb the National Science Foundation rankings to 22 in 2001.Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.