NKU awarded up to $2.5 million for biomedical research, a record

Northern Kentucky University could receive up to $2.5 million over the next five years as part of the  Kentucky IDeA Network of Biomedical Research, a collaboration among six state universities lead by the University of Louisville. The funding comes from the National Institutes of Health, and is an extension of earlier funding for the effort that supports student and faculty biomedical research at NKU. The University will first receive $500,000 in the 2009-210 school year, with the potential to receive a total of $2.5 million over the next five years. This award, along with a previous NHI grant in 2004, is the largest research award in NKU’s history. “The work completed with the previous KY-INBRE grant was of such high-quality that an extension was awarded,” said NKU Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Gail Wells. “This grant is an important contributor to both teaching and research components of our mission and will greatly enhance the quality of work at NKU.” The NIH grants have had a dramatic impact on biomedical research at NKU. Since 2004, five university researchers have garnered additional, independent funding totaling $975,000 from NIH to support their research. In addition, the awards have doubled the number of NKU students engaged in active research, increased their number of international and national research awards and driven up the number of students entering grad school to study biomedical research. In 2005, an interdisciplinary minor program in neuroscience was first offered at NKU. Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Chris Cole, communications director NKU