Robert Brown Warns of Growing Strain on America’s Research Universities
In a new book and interview, former BU president Robert Brown outlines how funding gaps and expanding R‑1 designations are testing the nation’s research institutions.
From MIT to Boston University: A “Great Urban Research University”
Robert Brown spent 25 years at MIT before becoming president of Boston University in 2005, a post he held until 2023. In his new book Fighting Fires and Building Flywheels: How We Sustain America’s Research Universities (MIT Press), he blends history, memoir and analysis to explain what makes research universities tick and how crises test them.
Brown describes BU as a “hybrid of a research university that attracts students from all over the world, but we also are very much integral to the environment” of Boston. He says every major research university bears some responsibility to its surrounding community.
Assessing Potential and Leadership Style
Before accepting the BU presidency, Brown did “due diligence,” identifying strong faculty pockets and under‑resourced but high‑quality research efforts. He believed the “underpinnings were there” and that, with time, the university could gain broader recognition.
Contrasting his approach with that of his predecessor John Silber, whom Brown calls “autocratic,” he argues that today’s university leadership has become “too diffuse,” with schools and colleges acting independently. He contends that a “strong central leadership” is needed for a genuine institutional strategy, noting that Silber’s focus on personal political ambitions—such as a gubernatorial run—distracted from university goals.
Brown characterizes himself as a “strategic pragmatist” who builds only when resources allow, emphasizing long‑term sustainability over short‑term glory.
Funding Gaps and the Expanding R‑1 Landscape
Even before the 2008 financial crisis, Brown says the research university system showed “wear and tear.” Federal research expenditures have not kept up with inflation or the growing number of institutions aspiring to R‑1 status. Using 2022 data, he notes that R‑1 universities spent 45 cents for every federal dollar received, a figure that has been rising.
At the same time, public scrutiny of higher‑education costs intensified after the crisis, with increasing questions about the “value of the degree.” This sentiment, Brown observes, has only accelerated.
Compounding the issue, the American Council on Education (ACE), which now runs the Carnegie Classification, has broadened the number of institutions labeled R‑1. Some of these newer R‑1s are “spending enormous amounts of their own money on research,” according to Brown’s data.
Policy Pressures and Institutional Resilience
Brown argues that recent policy actions have made it even harder to get research money, further straining the private research university sector, especially in the Northeast. He likens the situation to a house already burning when additional “dumpster fire” actions were taken.
Despite these challenges, Brown maintains that research universities remain vital, provided they can secure stable funding, maintain focused leadership, and demonstrate clear value to the public.
