The president should sign an executive order giving funding priority to national universities (both private and public) with high levels of research activity. These funds can be used to attract world-renowned faculty, create new interdisciplinary research centers, and improve facilities. A similar policy enacted by the PRC (project 985) has led to dramatic improvements in the quality and quantity of scholastic output. These funding priority levels should be divided into three tiers: a top tier, a world-class tier, and a national tier.
Top Tier:
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
World-Class Tier:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
Stanford University
National Tier:
Brown University
Dartmouth College
All Public Universities