HERD Expenditure Accounting - Memo to DDC

To Deans and Associate Research Deans

Dear Colleagues:

As the academic year comes to a close, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your contributions to the growth of research and scholarship at the University.

As you are aware, the MSU 2030 Strategic Plan contains ambitious goals in its research component, Discovery, Creativity and Innovation for Excellence and Global Impact.  Our goal is to reach $1B in research expenditures by 2030.  To achieve this objective, it will be critical to accurately capture all expenditures related to research and scholarly activity.

Our team will soon be working with unit financial officers to clarify the types of accounts that should be created to track research expenditures and/or to move funds that might currently be comingled. Such expenditures might include college and central funds used for instrument purchases or other research activities. While we do recognize that this will add some burden on our hardworking financial management teams, capturing research expenditures is critical not just for the Strategic Plan goals, but also for the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey, which has a direct impact on University rankings.

An informational memo will soon be sent to financial officers and this topic will be added to a future meeting agenda of that group to allow for questions and clarification.

Thank you for your cooperation, and please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President
for Academic Affairs, MSU Foundation Professor

Douglas A. Gage, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research and Innovation