MU to share grant on value of scientific research

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri will share a $500,000 grant for a project aimed at educating the public on the value of taxpayer funding for federal scientific research.

Missouri is the lead institution in what's called the Broader Impacts and Outreach Network for Institutional Collaboration program, or BIONIC. The $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will fund the project for five years.

Susan Renoe heads the Broader Impacts Network at the Columbia campus. Renoe said the program was established by Congress to encourage scientists to educate citizens about the research they support as taxpayers.

Other schools taking part in the program are the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Iowa State and Stanford.