UNMC’s research funding increases again

Harold M. Maurer, M.D.

Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D.

In spite of a harsh funding climate that makes money for research hard to come by — UNMC again saw an increase in its extramural funding in fiscal year 2007-2008.

As of mid-June, UNMC’s gross research funding support for fiscal year 2007-2008 was $82.2 million — an increase of about 2 percent from 2006-2007 when UNMC investigators brought in about $80 million in external research funding.

“This is a difficult time to attain research funds — particularly from the National Institutes of Health — from which many of our scientists get support. That being the case, it is a true testament to our investigators that they have continued to grow our research enterprise,” said Harold M. Maurer, M.D., UNMC chancellor. “This is great news for our campus particularly as we anticipate the opening of our new research tower early next year. The research future for UNMC looks very bright.”

Like Dr. Maurer, UNMC Vice Chancellor for Research Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., credited medical center investigators for their perseverance in a tight period for research funding.

“Our continuing growth is an excellent result and shows the inspired effort given by UNMC scientists during a time of unbelievable competition for limited research dollars,” Dr. Rosenquist said. “I am very pleased with their courage and optimism, and very proud of the UNMC corps of researchers.”

Fiscal restraints at various funding agencies have caused many outstanding research projects around the nation to go without support, Dr. Rosenquist said, noting that the increase of funds this year shows the quality of work being done by UNMC’s scientists.

UNMC research awards A list of yearly UNMC research award totals since 1999. Year – Total (in millions) 1999 — 30.9 2000 — 40.05 2001 — 41.3 2002 — 50.7 2003 — 56.2 2004 — 68.2 2005 — 72.5 2006 — 80.6 2007 — 82.2

Some of the funding highlights at UNMC this past year were:

• The securing of about $12 million in federal earmark funds from agencies such as the Departments of Defense and Energy;
  
• The renewal of a $10.9 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant led by UNMC’s Peggy Wheelock, Ph.D.;
  
• The department of pharmacology and experimental neurosciences collectively securing seven NIH grants totaling about $12 million; and
  
• The recruitment of several high-caliber researchers who have extensive federal funding including husband and wife cancer researchers Hamid Band, M.D., Ph.D., and Vimla Band, Ph.D.

Dr. Rosenquist praised UNMC researchers for their willingness to pursue funding from non-traditional sources such as the Department of Defense during this time of decreased NIH funding.

Based on a changing political climate that shows signs of being more research friendly, Dr. Rosenquist believes more opportunities could be forthcoming for medical center researchers to expand UNMC’s enterprise further.

“Overall the UNMC research enterprise has been able to ride out the crisis and not only maintain but grow,” he said. “I believe we are about to enter an era of renewal and restoration at NIH and other federal agencies.”