Slight Hijack: Using @xiggi 's methodology, of consulting the financial statements for LACs and RUs for evidence of research dollars, I have to say there is some support for his contention that it tends to be a “footnote” for some LACs. Here is the amount spent on research (however it may be defined) as a percentage of the entire budget of the top 6 LACs in the Forbes poll:
(Expressed in 000s)
Claremont McKenna - $8,298/$100,715=8%
Wesleyan - $8,562/$182,232=4%
Swarthmore - $4,676/135,955=3%
Amherst - $3,777/$149,701=3%
Pomona - $2587/142,915=2%
Williams - N/A*
The real surprise here is Pomona which reports only a fraction of the research dollars that fellow consortium member CMC does, especially since CMC does not have STEM facilities of its own. I’m guessing a lot of the latter research money is coming from Robert Kravis, a CMC alumnus, or his foundation.
*Williams combines research support with its “Instructional” budget, apparently as a part of faculty compensation.
Carry on 