ABOUT THAT UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ‘OVERHEAD:’ Billions of federal tax dollars go to universities for scientific research every year, but did you know every buck for research comes with another chunk of funds to cover “overhead costs.” You know, overhead like “designing museum exhibits, conducting middle school lab demonstrations, or developing podcasts, in the name of having a ‘broader impact’ beyond scientific discovery.” And don’t forget DEI! Such non-research activities are used to justify expanding administrative staffs.

Open the Books’ latest report examines how this process has worked over the years at the universities of Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, plus Rutgers.