A newly established research office is providing more research opportunities to faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.”We have in place in this college, for the first time in history, a research support mechanism,” said Wolfgang Kliemann, associate dean of research for LAS.Kliemann, professor of mathematics, said the research office, which helps faculty with budgets, submission proposals and identification of funding opportunities, is important because the LAS college is “roots” of the university.”When it comes to research, we are the core of the university,” he said. “We fuel almost everything else.”John Eighmey, chairman of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, also said the research office is a valuable tool for LAS faculty.”They can look at the idea that we’ve drafted and see how it can be improved,” said Eighmey, professor of journalism and mass communication. “You improve your chances for success greatly if you have a coach that’s been down that path successfully so many times before.”The support of the research office enables faculty members to concentrate on their research, Kliemann said. “LAS shoulders a considerable teaching responsibility, and many of our faculty do not have as much time for research as they would like,” said Peter Rabideau, dean of the College of LAS.Although the number of LAS research proposals has increased over the past year, Kliemann said he also wants to see an increase in proposals from departments that usually don’t receive research funding, such as history, political science and journalism. “Besides bringing up the numbers, I’m also interested in generating opportunities for our faculty in departments that are not traditionally funded from the outside,” he said.Eighmey said journalism and mass communication faculty are identifying possible sources of support and developing their research agendas.”We’re in the preparation and coaching stage,” he said. “It has to do with connecting ourselves with the research enterprises that are out there and understanding what their issues are.”Finding money for their research is not their only priority, Eighmey said.”It’s not just about the funding,” he said. “It’s about identifying problems that matter to society. If there’s a problem that matters to society, there’s probably some source of funding related to that.”A goal of the research office is finding research opportunities for faculty members, following the ISU mission of discovery, Kliemann said. “Research is an important part of the LAS mission,” Rabideau said. “Research enhances an institution’s reputation, and this, in turn, attracts high quality faculty and students.”He also said research strengthens the knowledge teachers impart to their students.”The high-quality faculty bring the excitement associated with the discovery of new knowledge into their classrooms,” Rabideau said.