Mark G. Yudof
$6.5 million committed to San Antonio Life Sciences Institute
(Aug. 7, 2003)--The University of Texas System and its two institutions in San Antonio will allocate $6.5 million for the initial support of the San Antonio Life Sciences Institute, which will promote education, research and economic development in biomedicine and biotechnology.
The institute, which was created by the Legislature in 2001 but has not been funded by the state, is a collaboration between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC).
"The commitment of funding that we are announcing today will jump start the operations of the Life Sciences Institute, providing it with the basic investment that will lead to additional funding through research grants and contracts and, we hope, legislative appropriations," UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof said Thursday at a meeting of the Board of Regents.
"In time, we envision that external funding for research will be the primary basis for support of the institute's activities. The potential for this collaborative effort, in terms of enhanced educational opportunities, laboratory discoveries and partnerships with private-sector industry, are tremendous. Today's investment has the potential for reaping enormous benefits for San Antonio and the state of Texas. This project is a model for interdisciplinary cooperation between academic and health science institutions."
Of the total investment, $4.5 million will constitute a Research Enhancement Fund for the institute. This funding includes $2.5 million that Yudof has made available from the Chancellor's Special Projects Fund, which is derived from excess reserves for medical liability litigation, and $1 million in matching funds from each of the institutions.
UTSA will commit an additional $2 million in endowment funds for the support of two faculty members who will have joint appointments at the two institutions. This funding will come from the university's Lutcher Brown Endowment, which is dedicated to the promotion of academic excellence at UTSA. The endowment was created in the 1980s from the sale of the 25-acre Lutcher and Emily Wells Brown estate in the Terrell Hills section of San Antonio.
"The Life Sciences Institute serves as a vital component of UTSA's and
the Health Science Center's partnership to accelerate development of new doctoral
degree programs and research in the biomedical arena. Together, our universities
will enhance the quality of life for all Texans and train tomorrow's experts
in the biomedical profession," said UTSA President Ricardo Romo.
UTHSC President Francisco Cigarroa said, "There is no doubt that
this alignment of UTSA and UTHSC through the San Antonio Life Sciences Institute
will develop synergies in research and education that will exceed the efforts
of the institutions if each acts alone."
Before the institute was funded, the two institutions collaborated on a variety of biomedicine and biotechnology projects. The institutions operate a joint Ph.D. degree program in biomedical engineering and have submitted joint grant applications to the National Institutes of Health for studies related to health disparities among minority populations, and are collaborating with Brooks Air Force Base on several projects related to biotechnology and defenses against bioterrorism.
"The institute will serve as an economic engine for San Antonio's $11
billion biotechnology industry by providing a highly qualified work force
through the associated educational programs, research capabilities of nationally
recognized faculty and biotechnology-related products," said UTSA College
of Engineering Dean Zorica Pantic-Tanner.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the biomedical engineering
degree program earlier this year after five years of preparatory work by faculty
at both institutions. The program has accepted 12 Ph.D. students who begin
classes Aug. 18.
For more information, contact Monty Jones, University of Texas System Office of Public Affairs, at 512-499-4363.
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2003