Governor Beebe's Weekly Column and Radio Address: Recognizing Research

Statement

Economic development is usually looked at from the standpoint of recruiting new businesses and entities to our State and nurturing the industries and businesses that already call Arkansas home. We endeavor to make certain that the work force is well-suited for the high-paying jobs we are busy establishing in Arkansas. This means that our job-creation efforts go well beyond bricks and mortar. We must also develop human capital, people with the brainpower, talent and passion for discovery that will unlock new opportunities through research breakthroughs.

Created in 2007, the Arkansas Research Alliance is an excellent example of a public-private partnership. It holds great promise to make a transformational impact in Arkansas and well beyond our borders. Each year, internationally acclaimed scientists are recruited to our State through the Arkansas Research Alliance Scholars Program. Not only have we been able to attract and retain new thinkers and doers, but their output has been enormous in terms of quality and practical application.

Now, the Alliance has introduced a second program to recognize and reward research talent. The program, called ARA Fellows, involves university innovation and collaboration to recognize and assist researchers who can fuel innovation and economic growth. This past week, five inaugural ARA Fellows were named. These outstanding individuals were selected through nominations received from universities across the State. They'll each receive a $75,000 grant to help further their research, which we hope will one day be commercialized and bolster our economy and resources. This puts even more great minds together in a collaborative environment that will make an even greater impact.

During the announcement, I was presented with a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lauding our continued partnership with another remarkable research facility. Most people in Arkansas don't know about the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson County, but it is the only FDA center located outside of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area. The work of hundreds of scientists there is internationally recognized, and the NCTR is a key component of our state's scientific foundation.

Arkansans need to know that, just like these research fellows, we have many enormously talented people across all disciplines in our State, and those people should be celebrated. I often speak of the politically risky nature of research investment, because you never know, even the scientists never know, exactly what the return on that investment will be. But more often than not, it has led to discoveries, both immense and microscopic, that are changing the world around us. And that's why it's worth it, and that's why science has been an essential key to America's position in the global economy throughout the past century.

In the knowledge-driven economy of the 21st century, research and higher education create opportunities that are paramount to Arkansas's future. Whether it's recruited talent or homegrown scientific minds, groups like the Arkansas Research Alliance and facilities like NCTR help to ensure that Arkansas will play a lasting role in improving the lives of our people.

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