Outside support for research and related activities at Wake Forest University School of Medicine continues to climb sharply, reaching more than $157.7 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
That''s up from $145.6 million in fiscal 2002 and $132.8 million in fiscal 2001.
"This significant increase in research funding demonstrates that our outstanding faculty is excelling in competing on a national level," said James E. Smith, PhD, associate dean for research. "I expect further advances in our research enterprise because of our entrepreneurial faculty. I do not believe that we have yet realized our full potential."
The increase in support for research at Wake Forest is driving the need for more research space, because most new research grants lead to the hiring of additional personnel, which means finding places for them to work.
"The construction of research space on the new campus downtown will provide the space and infrastructure for major advances in the next several years," Smith said.
Most of the $157.7 million, nearly 78 percent, came from the federal government, with another 10.2 percent coming from private industry -- primarily drug companies -- and more than 9.8 percent from voluntary health agencies such as the American Heart Association and the National Cancer Society and foundations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The bulk of the money -- more than $142 million -- is for research, supporting 908 research projects, research centers or training fellowships. The rest went for demonstration and service grants, such as support of the Northwest Area Health Education Center, the Child Guidance Clinic, a number of state-sponsored pediatric clinics and programs, and projects such as Faith in Action. Public Health Sciences brought in nearly a quarter of the total, reaching $37.9 million. Other top departments were Internal Medicine ($22.2 Million), Physiology/Pharmacology ($19 Million), Pathology ($9.7 Million) and Neurology ($9.2 million). ###
Contact: Robert Conn (rconn@wfubmc.edu) or Karen Richardson (krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu) at (336) 716-4587