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Matt Hammons |
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Mark Bowen |
Appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), UNMC’s main source of federal funding, have been stagnant and the average age of an investigator receiving an RO1 award has climbed to 43.
A consequence of the tight funding is evident by NIH reports that the success rate for all NIH research project grants has plummeted 16 percent since 2003.
UNMC faculty and administrators interested in congressionally-directed funding and the best avenues to secure it are encouraged to attend a workshop on Thursday, May 15 at noon in the Durham Research Auditorium.
Commonly called earmarks, congressionally-directed funding is a line-item in a federal appropriations bill that directs money to a specific organization for a specific purpose.
In academia, this funding helps level the playing field by providing access to research funds historically awarded to large institutions.
Congressionally-directed funding is competitive and is limited to a select number of projects that align with federal government priorities.
Thanks to the hard work of Nebraska’s congressional delegation, UNMC received nearly $12 million in congressionally-directed funding in fiscal year 2008 for projects such as vaccines to protect military personnel against respiratory infections, machinery that allows for the manipulation of proteins and funding for cancer research space in the Research Center of Excellence II.
University of Nebraska Federal Relations Coordinator Matt Hammons and UNMC Director of Government Relations Mark Bowen will conduct the one-hour workshop, which will be hosted by UNMC’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Office of Government Relations. The workshop will cover:
- The difference between congressionally-directed funding and grant funding;
- University and congressional timelines;
- How to write an earmark request; and
- The congressional process.
Attendees are invited to bring lunch. Cookies and refreshments will be available. Click here to RSVP for the workshop.