Evan and Geoff,

I can't help but take the baseball analogy to (absurd) extremes. Imagine if we could determine the "winningest" researchers in various disciplines - publishing such a list would probably freak everyone out but it would clarify who's on top and for how long. (Maybe AAAS should publish trading cards with their pictures and list of recent grants and Science publications - sort of the baseball card analogy to Karen Hopkin's Studmuffins of Science calendar that she put out a few years back).

More seriously though, Barbara Atkinson (Vice Chancellor) should have a very specific business plan that specifies how such a large expansion of R&D funding can be achieved. It doesn't HAVE to all come from the NIH - she should also think about state money, other agencies such as the VA and DOD, and Congressionally-directed funding. Evan - maybe you can tell us if there's much biotech or pharma in your area that could be part of an industry/medical center consortium. An aggressive, multi-pronged business plan, targeting specific "customers" and aiming for strong (but not absurd) rates of growth would be extremely valuable. If done right, KU could really make a move.