Photo by D.L. Anderson
B.J. Lawson, shown here campaigning at Mediteranean Deli in Chapel Hill in 2008, is pro-pita bread and anti-government-funded research.
Duke has been awarded 360 grants worth a total $202 million. Most of that, $166,3 million, has been allocated for research in the School of Medicine and School of Nursing, creating or preserving more than 300 jobs at Duke. UNC has earned 463 awards worth $168.9 million
The release goes on to detail projects made possible by the grants such as developing longer-lasting therapy for prostate cancer, creating new centers to study addiction and to train information technology specialists to work in health care and studying photovoltaics and energy saving strategies for low-income areas,
The infusion of funds also trickles down to local businesses as researchers purchase needed items and can help create start-up companies that provide jobs and expand the tax base.
"The stimulus funds are doing two things," James Siedow, Duke's vice provost for research, states in the release. "Near-term, it's about creating jobs and economic activity. Longer term, academic research is an investment in American competitiveness. University research is the source of new ideas and new workers that will help our nation compete in a global marketplace."
Lawson contends that the private market can take care of that by itself. Voters will decide who they trust Nov. 2.