Research funding reaches record of nearly $70 mil

Research funding at MUSC catapulted to a record total of nearly $70 million for fiscal year 1996-97. Despite increased competition for research dollars from a shrinking pool of funds, MUSC remains one of the fastest growing research centers in the country. In fact, research funding has more than quadrupled in the past 10 years.

These numbers bring MUSC even closer to becoming part of the upper third of medical schools in terms of research development, a goal set by university officials in 1991. ãThe 1996-97 total should bring us to about 51st among 125 of the nationâs medical schools,ä said Dillard Marshall, director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

The recruitment of highly motivated research oriented faculty and the space and modern equipment added by renovations and new structures like the Thurmond/Gazes Building have propelled MUSCâs success in the research arena, said Layton McCurdy, M.D., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine.

And excellence in research ensures strong graduate education programs. ãAn environment of discovery where investigation is occurring is crucial to the education of health professionals,ä said Rosalie Crouch, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

The newly formed Foundation for Research Development and plans to renovate Basic Science Building labs and construct a new facility for the Pharmaceutical Development Center bode well for the future of research development, McCurdy said.

Headed by Ken Roozen, Ph.D., the foundation will pave new pathways for university financial support in part through technology transfer, or bringing the products of successful research from MUSC laboratories to the marketplace. Roozen built a similar program at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Maintaining the momentum of research growth requires not only strong leadership, recruitment and modern facilities, but also expansion and modernization of research support activities.

Towards that goal, several projects are underway in the newly renamed Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (formerly the Office of Research Administration) to update the technology of grant administration and application. First on the list is the development of a integrated research information system. ãWeâre hoping to significantly reduce the workload of the investigator,ä Marshall said.

Currently, several different information systems are in use. ãUnfortunately these systems donât talk to one another,ä said Robbie Lee, information resource coordinator. ãThat means that information like the investigatorâs profile must be entered at least four different times. Our goal is one point of data entry, so that once the information is in the system it can be accessed and simply updated.ä

The office is planning a comprehensive assessment of the current system, which will include opportunities for MUSC investigators to submit their comments and suggestions.

In the near future, researchers will also have the ability to submit pieces of their grant reports, like final project reports and certain requests, electronically. Researchers can already check the status of a proposal this way.

As director of Grants and Contracts Accounting, David Welch also looks to improve the research infrastructure by fine-tuning research financial systems. Better financial systems can mean that principal investigators receive better information more promptly. It can also allow them to purchase goods and services more quickly while working within the rules and regulations of the grants awarded to them.

ãThe progress MUSC has made in recent years in terms of research is a good indication of things to come, ä McCurdy said.