Dive Brief:
- College research facilities in rural areas can be especially vulnerable to wildfires, according to a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
- A University of Montana researcher said fires are getting more costly and more frequent, putting at risk tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and facilities, and the cost of prevention is tough to pinpoint.
- Some institutions are putting in place measures to keep well-watered grass around the facilities, while others are employing teams whose job it is to protect the facilities and monitor conditions around the labs, but prevention options are limited.
Dive Insight:
Environmental concerns such as flooding, wildfires and tornadoes are very real issues for not just institutions operating rural research facilities, but really a majority of colleges and universities today. On many campuses across the country, there's a backlog of deferred maintenance projects thanks to budget cuts, which could be disasters waiting to happen. And while most likely have insurance policies that could help compensate them in the event of a loss, there is still the issue of lost productivity when the facilities go down.
These considerations, coupled with anticipated cuts to many arts and science organizations that traditionally fund this type of research on campus, could see leaders reconsidering the types or volume of research they undertake. However, public-private partnerships and increased engagement with young alumni to encourage giving and private philanthropists could help to close some of the funding gaps and preserve research productivity on campus.