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For Immediate Release
December 7, 2005
Gov. Warner announces $554 million in funding to increase Virginia’s research power
RICHMOND, Va. – Gov. Mark R. Warner recently held a press conference at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park to announce the allocation of $255 million in his upcoming budget to develop and promote higher educational research facilities and faculty in Virginia.
“This is a historic investment in Virginia’s future, one that can help save lives and generate economic growth,” said Gov. Warner. “Our state dollars will leverage federal and private funds to help attract the best and brightest scientists and students to our universities. Several of our universities have started to recruit world-class researchers to Virginia. This funding will further our advances in biomedical research and help lead to potential breakthroughs in treating cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other serious diseases.”
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Gov. Mark Warner (center) discusses recent genetic research findings with Dr. Lindon Eaves (left) and Dr. Kenneth Kendler (right), professors at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics located at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond, Va. |
State higher education institutions are committing up to $299 million to match the governor’s proposed allocation, resulting in a half-a-billion-dollar investment in research to help treat and eradicate diseases, develop new technologies and build state-of-the-art research facilities in Virginia.
The funding will increase the research capacity of Virginia’s higher educational institutions by providing startup capital for research laboratories, recruiting top researchers and graduate students to Virginia universities, creating state-of-the-art research facilities, and funding cutting-edge research equipment. Most of the funding will be one-time.
The governor announced that the funding package would support several new research facilities including:
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A bioscience facility and a biocontainment laboratory at George Mason University; |
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A medical research building at Virginia Commonwealth University as well as additional funding for the Massey Cancer Center addition; |
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Investments in a new clinical cancer center at the University of Virginia; and |
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Construction of a critical technology building and an infectious disease laboratory at Virginia Tech. |
The governor’s budget proposal also will build on Virginia’s existing research strengths through support of:
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Cancer research and neurological and metabolic disorders research at VCU — through the VCU School of Medicine and the Massey Cancer Center, focusing on improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer, neurological diseases, diabetes, obesity and other diseases. |
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Advanced biomaterials engineering at Virginia Tech — developing advanced materials for drug delivery, advanced diagnosis and injury/disease treatment using nanotechnology methods. |
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Disease treatment and tissue repair research at the University of Virginia — focusing on developing treatments for diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. |
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Bioengineering, neuroscience and cancer biology research at George Mason University — partnering with private-sector research institutes in Northern Virginia to study protein structures and infectious diseases. |
The proposal also includes creation of a competitive grant fund to support collaborative translational research aimed at commercialization of discoveries, and creation of a permanent funding mechanism for research facilities, to allow the commonwealth to take prompt advantage of unique research opportunities as they arise.
Part of the research proposal involves additional state support for modeling and simulation programs. Details on those elements will be announced on Dec. 9, 2005.
Gov. Warner has been committed to increasing Virginia college and university research and development since taking office. The governor hosted a research summit in 2003 that resulted in establishing a goal of $1 billion in research expenditures by the end of the decade. In addition, the state made modest investments toward promising research programs in 2004 and earlier this year. Today’s announcement represents the next step in the sustained investment that is needed to grow and expand research enterprises.
“According to the National Science Foundation, Virginia’s public and private universities conducted more than $770 million in research and development in 2003 — the latest year for which numbers are available. It is our expectation that this initiative will catapult us over the governor’s goal of $1 billion in research and development well before the end of the decade,” said Peter Blake, Virginia Secretary of Education.
Contact:
Nicky Colomb
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
Phone: (804) 828-6884
E-mail: ncolomb@vabiotech.com
Web site: http://www.vabiotech.com
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