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NEWS RELEASE
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PO
BOX 004
TRENTON, NJ 08625
CONTACT: Jayne O'Connor
609-777-2600
Judy Savage or Jeanne Oswald (CHE),
609-292-4310
RELEASE: November 17, 2000
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Higher
Ed Commission Approves Funds to Boost High-Tech University Research
The Commission
on Higher Education today awarded $6.5 million to six New Jersey universities
to boost their capacity for biomedical and other high-tech research
and help the state become a leader in the advancement of knowledge and
a hub for high-technology industry.
"Academic research is instrumental in creating jobs, building businesses,
boosting productivity, and saving lives," said Governor Christie
Whitman. "New Jersey's research universities are a key part of
the state's economic infrastructure. Investing in their capacity to
conduct cutting-edge research will stimulate new discoveries that can
strengthen our high-tech economy and benefit people all over the world."
The Governor's $165 million New Jersey Jobs for the New Economy initiative
targets $10 million in the FY 2001 budget for university research in
biomedical and other high-tech areas. The Commission earmarked $6.5
million to build research capacity at New Jersey's three public and
three independent research universities and $3.5 million for matching
funds to further enhance the institutions' ability to compete for federal
research grants.
The six universities will use the capacity-building funds to recruit
renowned faculty, purchase state-of-the art equipment, and launch innovative
new research in biomedical and other high-tech areas with important
commercial and health care applications. The proposals the Commission
approved today address the needs of key New Jersey industries such as
pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and information technology.
Funds were awarded to: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton
University, Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, Stevens Institute
of Technology, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
The capacity-building funds were targeted to these six universities
because they are the state's top recipients of external grant dollars,
and they are the only New Jersey institutions designated as research,
doctoral, or specialized (medical) institutions in the nationally recognized
system of institutional classification developed by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching.
The Commission allocated 80% of the available funds to the state's public
research universities and 20% to the independent universities. Institutional
grants ranging from approximately $233,000 to $2.6 million were based
upon each institution's current level of external research funding and
its graduate enrollment.
"Amid growing evidence that new knowledge and discoveries are the
key to future growth and prosperity, these grants will begin to propel
New Jersey's research universities to the next level. Building our capacity
for academic research will enhance the state's position as a national
and global leader in biomedical and other high-tech research,"
said Al Koeppe, chairman of the Commission.
The grants for university research build on a key recommendation in
New Jersey's Plan for Higher Education, which called for supplementary
funding to help the state's research universities become more competitive
in securing external research grants and contracts. Although they have
made significant gains since 1987, New Jersey's research universities
lag behind the nation and competitor states in federally-funded research
grants and contracts.
A summary
of each institution's proposal to build research capacity is attached.
Building
Capacity in Biomedical and Other High-Tech University Research
New
Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Newark
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$710,816
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NJIT is expanding its academic and research programs in biomedical
engineering in response to New Jersey's rapidly growing medical device
industry. The university will use its capacity-building funds to purchase
state-of-the-art equipment for six biomedical research laboratories
that will foster linkages with other research programs and help to make
New Jersey and University Heights a hot-bed of biomedical engineering
activity. The funds will contribute to the creation of a national center
of excellence that will attract outstanding faculty and students, nurture
new start-up companies, and attract increased federal and corporate
research funding.
Princeton
University
Princeton
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$713,733
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Princeton
intends to develop the technical infrastructure needed to perform basic
research in the new science of genomics, particularly in the area of
proteomics, which focuses on the study of cellular proteins that are
important for normal cell function and a key element in the development
of many diseases. The university will use its funds to upgrade a fluorescence-activated
cell-sorter, add a new mass spectrometer, hire skilled technicians to
run the instruments, and establish a training program for graduate students.
Building technical ability in proteomics will enable Princeton scientists
to compete for research funds for which they have not previously had
the technical capabilities needed to qualify. Enhancing Princeton's
teaching and research in this vibrant new field will help to make New
Jersey a leader in genomic and proteomic research.
Rutgers
University
New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden
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$2,608,321
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Rutgers
will use its funds for seven multidisciplinary projects targeting biomedical
and high technology research critical to key New Jersey industries.
Research areas include animal biotechnology, which has applications
for medical research and endangered species; bioinformatics, which contributes
directly to drug design; physics-based simulation technology for medical
imaging and other biomedical uses; life sciences research in biomaterials
used in implants and medical devices, human genetics, and neuroscience;
molecular and cellular pharmaceutical research related to absorption
of drugs for combating disease; cellular and molecular biodynamics,
which has implications for the study of aging in tissues and new drug
design for repairing injuries; and hybrid materials, which has applications
for information technology. Rutgers will use its capacity-building funds
to acquire and build advanced instrumentation, upgrade lab facilities,
and recruit outstanding new faculty members with proven success in attracting
external funding. The projects will prepare students to meet the workforce
needs of key industries, strengthen interactions with industry, create
new commercial ventures, and enhance Rutgers' ability to attract external
funding.
Seton
Hall University
South Orange
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$353,087
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Seton
Hall is building capacity in biomedical research with the potential
to impact the pharmaceutical industry, and in material sciences, which
can lead to the development of novel, high-tech micro and nanomaterials.
Advancing research in these areas requires state-of-the-art facilities,
and the university will use its funds to purchase eight pieces of scientific
equipment. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has a strong
reputation of providing well-trained scientists to New Jersey's pharmaceutical,
chemical, and high-technology industries. The availability of these
instruments will improve the department's competitiveness for federal
funding and its ability to attract excellent faculty and students.
Stevens
Institute of Technology
Hoboken
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$233,179
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Stevens plans to strengthen its physical and intellectual infrastructure
in areas centered on the design, synthesis, and processing of multifunctional
polymers. Such research is expected to lead to the development of new
materials and methods for biomedical applications. The funds will be
used to purchase a state-of-the art liquid chromatography system and
support two post-doctoral research scientists, building upon Stevens'
ongoing investments in faculty, instrumentation, and laboratories. Stevens'
focus on polymeric structure for advanced biomaterials and medical devices
will provide a cadre of students to meet workforce needs and will build
the intellectual property needed to help maintain New Jersey's competitiveness
in biomedical technologies.
University
of Medicine and Dentistry (UMDNJ)
Newark
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$1,880,863
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UMDNJ
plans to enhance dramatically neurosciences research and clinical practices
in areas that may lead to improved diagnostic and treatment procedures
for cognitive disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's, and ALS. The university will devote its funds, along with
an institutional match, to the purchase of a state-of-the-art high field
MRI scanner that will enable new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches
to these diseases. Establishing UMDNJ as a leading neuroimaging facility
with the most advanced equipment available will enable the university
to recruit well-funded neuroscience faculty members, enhance its national
prominence, and further develop its ability to attract federal and corporate
research grants.
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