"If departments or institutes are expanding, you prefer to identify someone with a funding track record, so they are able to hit the ground running," says E. Albert Reece, dean of the medical school at the University of Maryland, quoted by in the Baltimore Sun.
Grants often beget future grants, which sometimes lead to patents and royalties and more money for the institution down the line.
The article, Universities in Hot Pursuit of Research Talent, provides an interesting look into the recruitment of scientists at leading research universities.
