Northwestern redesigned the front page of its main website last month to spotlight faculty- and student-led research, showcasing the value of university research amid the $790 million federal funding freeze at NU.
“The new webpage highlighting the impact of Northwestern’s research is designed to showcase the University’s far-reaching research and innovation,” a University spokesperson told The Daily. “Enabling this vital research to continue is among our most important priorities, and supporting our researchers in this moment is a responsibility we take seriously.”
The webpage update follows a similar website change made by Harvard University in mid-April.
Last month, NU confirmed recent grant terminations, payment suspensions and stop-work orders tied to the federal funding freeze. The University said it will continue to fund research affected by around 100 stop-work orders.
Chemistry Prof. William Dichtel said he feels honored by the University’s decision to display his research on the webpage because it articulates the real-world impact of the work he and his colleagues do.
“I think the average American doesn’t necessarily fully understand that the innovative work that is happening in our universities is the fuel for improved technologies that will improve their lives,” Dichtel said. “Northwestern launched this website to try to articulate the impact that our collective research is having on the world.”
Dichtel leads efforts to develop polymer materials that remove toxic “forever chemicals” — manmade chemicals that do not break down easily — from drinking water. His work has led to consumer-accessible filtration products — a tangible, health-related innovation that he said represents the public impact made possible by university research.
Now, Dichtel said some of his lab’s federal grants have been frozen. While NU is temporarily covering expenses to keep the research going, he said this model is not sustainable in the long term.
“We’re at a point where scientific research in America is deeply threatened. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are in a crisis,” Dichtel said. “It’s dark. I really can’t sugar coat it.”
The freeze has also impacted faculty in engineering and medicine.McCormick Prof. Joshua Leonard, whose research is also featured on the homepage, said the current moment demands not only scientific innovation but stronger public engagement.
Both Dichtel and Leonard said a big part of their research is reliant on federal or other external support. By placing research front and center on its webpage, Leonard said he hopes the University can make its research more accessible and invite the public to ask researchers about their work.
“What’s needed is a dialogue to help hear people’s questions and hear people’s concerns or what they’re excited about,” Leonard said. “I actually really like the idea that universities, including Northwestern, are making the effort to be a little bit more communicative about all the different things that are happening.”
Leonard is co-principal investigator of ROGUE, a cross-institutional project funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which aims to create a low-cost, implantable therapy for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The implantable device, a few millimeters in size, uses genetically modified cells to administer treatment inside the body.
Leonard, who testified on emerging biotechnology before the Congressional committee that oversees the National Science Foundation in 2010, said conversations between experts and policymakers are also crucial.
“(Science and engineering funding) is very much something that the vast majority of this country is in support of,” Leonard said.
Leonard said he sees the University as a kind of “contractor” for the public — a place where researchers take on projects that have a tangible impact on the public.
With their research now featured at the top of NU’s main website, Dichtel and Leonard said they are proud to pursue projects that benefit humankind.
“I’m just optimistic that hopefully we can get back on track soon,” Leonard said.
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Related Stories:
— Federal government freezes $790 million in funding for Northwestern
— More than 100 NU graduate projects receive stop-work orders from Department of Defense
