UNMC Makes Annual Commitment to Research Infrastructure
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is assembling the building
blocks that are essential to becoming a premier research institution.
Most recently, the Chancellor’s Council approved a program to help develop
and maintain an infrastructure that nurtures and enhances research activities.
The innovative new approach calls for an annual commitment of 10 percent
of the indirect costs of grants and contracts to support UNMC’s research
infrastructure.
Indirect costs are dollars provided by the granting agency for overhead
expenses. The National Institutes of Health, for example, provides UNMC
$0.46 for every dollar given to an investigator for direct research costs.
“We will use this money to help us become a top research institution,”
said Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “If we want the best diagnostic
tools and treatments for patients, we have to be able to develop these
through research done here. Research also keeps the education of students
and residents at the cutting edge. If we can assist investigators in developing
that kind of top-notch research, we will secure the medical center’s future.”
UNMC’s new program resulted from a recommendation of the Research Infrastructure
Comprehensive Evaluation for 2000 (RICE 2000), an ad hoc group formed in
February. The committee, charged with doing an intensive evaluation of
the campus research infrastructure, identified animal care facilities and
grants support services as two areas most in need of immediate attention.
“By committing these funds to these areas, we ensure that UNMC will
be well-positioned to support its growing research enterprise,” said Thomas
H. Rosenquist, Ph.D., director of research development.
UNMC’s approach to infrastructure support yielded about $600,000 for
the 1999-2000 fiscal year, Dr. Rosenquist said. These funds will be designated
for improvement of Sponsored Programs Administration, Sponsored Programs
Accounting, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Comparative Medicine/Animal
Facilities. The initial $600,000 will be used for space renovations and
large equipment for Comparative Medicine, as well as for increases in support
personnel for Sponsored Programs and the IRB. In future years, these dollars
will be used for further improvements in these areas.
“We’re laying a foundation so, that as the research enterprise grows,
we will have a built-in, escalating source of funding to support the infrastructure,”
Dr. Rosenquist said. “I hope this new program will help confirm to the
UNMC research community the administration’s willingness to support their
research efforts.”
Overall, the UNMC Strategic Plan calls for an increase in research funding
to $68 million per year by the beginning of fiscal year 2004-2005. As of
July 1, UNMC had achieved extramural funding of more than $40 million for
the current year, including $25 million in federal grants. The $40 million
represents an increase of 31 percent over last year and exceeds UNMC’s
2000 target of $38.5 million, Dr. Rosenquist said.
Although UNMC’s research program has grown in recent years, its supporting
services had not, Dr. Rosenquist said. That will soon change. The UNMC
Strategic Plan calls for substantial development of the infrastructure,
beginning with the new commitment of indirect cost dollars.
Earlier this month, UNMC achieved a significant milestone when it reported
an annual receipt of more than $25 million in federal grants, including
those from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation,
Department of Defense and Veterans Administration. The $25 million level
triggers a new set of federal guidelines and additional paperwork for the
Sponsored Programs Administration and Sponsored Programs Accounting offices,
Dr. Rosenquist said.
“The funding from indirect costs will help us respond appropriately
to the federal guidelines for highly funded institutions,” he said.