Page 333 - Advances In Productive, Safe, and Responsible Coal Mining

The role of research in the coal-mining industry: Moving forward using lessons from the past 309

15.4 Research logistics and funding

15.4.1 Academic research
When the author decided to pursue a career in mining engineering, he investigated
how many schools offered such a degree and was surprised at both the number of
available options as well as some of the schools that had active research programs,
such as Columbia University and University of California at Berkley in the United
States. Unfortunately, many of these programs have been eliminated or are no longer
active. Today, there are fewer than 15 US universities that offer a degree in mining
engineering, and only about half of those have research programs with a coal-related
emphasis.
Also, on the decline is the number of university faculty with experience in coal-
related research. Whether the reason is retirement, very attractive offers from the pri-
vate mining sector, or highly lucrative opportunities with other industries all together,
the “brain drain” in mining engineering is affecting not only the quantity and quality of
research being done, but also enrollment numbers. Recognizing the criticality of this
situation, organizations like the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
(SME) have stepped up and begun to offer funding to graduate students interested
in pursuing an academic career in a mining-related field. Additionally, research grants
are being awarded to junior faculty to incentivize their pursuit of tenure.

15.4.2 Government-funded research
For more than 80years, the US Bureau of Mines was the hotbed for coal mining and
processing research, particularly on health and safety topics. When budget cuts elim-
inated the bureau, politicians from coal states lobbied heavily to preserve at least some
research facilities and personnel. They were successful to a degree in keeping the
Pittsburgh (PA, USA) and Spokane (WA, USA) research groups alive. These groups
became part of NIOSH in the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Center
for Disease Control and still include “mining research” in their official names. The
principal objectives of the NIOSH mining research program are to “eliminate mining
fatalities, injuries, and illnesses through relevant research and impactful solutions”
[8]. NIOSH research focuses on reducing overexposures to hazardous dust and diesel
contaminants, noise, unsafe ground, and work environments that are high-risk when it
comes to causing musculoskeletal injuries.
Another major sponsor of coal-related research has been the US Department of
Energy (DOE). Born out of the 1970s oil embargos, the DOE has focused on energy
development and regulation. Of course, this covers more than coal, but coal-fired elec-
tricity generation has been the leading source of energy both domestically and inter-
nationally since the DOE’s origin, so it is natural that the DOE would be involved in
coal research. Like NIOSH, the DOE coal research program includes a number of
national laboratories where research is conducted; however, the DOE program also
provides significant financial support to external organizations. Research emphasized
with this external funding has evolved as “the Department has sought to transform the