Record grant boosts biomedical research

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a multimillion-dollar grant to further life sciences research at KU and throughout Kansas. It is the largest grant ever awarded to a Kansas university.

The five-year, $18 million grant has been awarded to Joan Hunt, principal investigator and senior associate dean for research and graduate education at the KU School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kan.

The Kansas IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence grant will continue the work started by $8.2 million in Kansas Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network grants, first awarded to Hunt in 2001.

These grants helped establish a cooperative intercampus biomedical research program at nine campuses throughout Kansas.

Recipients include the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., KU in Lawrence, Kansas State University in Manhattan, and Wichita State University, all of which award doctorates in biological sciences, and undergraduate programs at Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Pittsburg State University and Washburn University in Topeka.

Current programs funded by NIH
• Developing bioinformatics capacity at KU, Kansas State and Wichita State, the state’s three universities that offer graduate degrees—a first for the state.
• A Faculty Scholars Program that awards $10,000 to outstanding faculty who demonstrate excellence in research, teaching and service to the state’s universities.
• A Summer Scholars Program that awards 30 students at eight state universities a $3,000 stipend each to pursue research projects in basic and clinical science.