Noble Foundation earns No. 5 ranking in national survey

NEWS RELEASE
Issued - June 30, 2010

ARDMORE, Okla. — For the third consecutive year, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation has ranked as one of the top 10 scientific institutions for academic faculty in the United States.

The Scientist magazine recently announced the results of its annual "Best Places to Work in Academia" survey, and the Noble Foundation ranked No. 5 out of 89 institutions nationwide. This year's ranking finds the Noble Foundation advancing in position from No. 8 in 2008 (the first time the organization participated in the survey) and No. 9 in 2009.

"The Noble Foundation continues to excel because of our unified, unrelenting drive to improve," said Michael A. Cawley, president and chief executive officer. "We remain committed to the vision established by our founder, Lloyd Noble. Our continuing goal is to benefit mankind by positively impacting agriculture. We put all our energies in achieving this mark with excellence."

The magazine's Web-based survey garnered 2,302 responses from life scientists at 119 institutions worldwide. Participants were asked to rate their institutions on 38 criteria in eight different areas that make up their working conditions and environment. The Noble Foundation received top scores for job satisfaction and research resources.

"The resources available to our staff go beyond merely the funding for research and the facilities," said Richard Dixon, D.Phil., director of the Plant Biology Division. "Researchers at the Noble Foundation have the support of a visionary Board of Trustees and work with the highest caliber of colleagues. The research environment is truly unequaled."

The Noble Foundation employs more than 110 Ph.D.'s from 29 different countries to perform fundamental and translational plant science research as well as applied agricultural research at the organization's facilities in Ardmore, Okla. The organization's research activities complement a regional agricultural consultation and education program that began in 1945. The institution provides more than 500,000 square feet of research and administration space, 12,000 acres of research and demonstration land, dedicated funding and ample support personnel to assist its research and agricultural consultation staff.

"The Noble Foundation's programs are driven by a simple philosophy," said Joe Bouton, Ph.D., director of the Forage Improvement Division. "You hire the best people. You provide them the best resources, and you demonstrate a long-term commitment to excellence."

The Noble Foundation ranked as the highest agricultural and plant science research institute in this year's survey. Additionally, it is one of the few organizations in the entire survey that conducts fundamental, translational and applied research.

"The Noble Foundation contributes to the complete spectrum of agricultural and plant science research," said Billy Cook, Ph.D., director of the Agricultural Division. "We coordinate our research, allowing us to move discoveries from the laboratory to the field. Agricultural producers in our region and in similar ecological zones globally have benefited and will continue to benefit from our research."

The Noble Foundation topped such recognized research organizations as the National Institutes of Health and Trudeau Institute, as well as two dozen other national research universities such as Stanford University and Yale University.

This is the second time the Noble Foundation has earned a top 10 ranking from the magazine this year. In May, the Noble Foundation earned a No. 2 ranking in the magazine's "Best Places to Work for Postdoctoral Fellows" survey.

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For media inquiries concerning the Noble Foundation, please contact:

J. Adam Calaway

jacalaway@noble.org

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.