Washington University has been awarded nearly $80 million in funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support research across a broad range of projects, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, renewable energy, diabetes and climate change.
As of Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, University faculty had received 207 awards. Some $73 million came from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ranking Washington University among the top 10 academic institutions in NIH stimulus funds. Other awards were received from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.
"The research funding we have been able to attract to Washington University will lead to new discoveries that will have direct benefit to people throughout our region and, indeed, across the world," Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. "Our successful competition for this funding is in large measure due to our many talented and experienced faculty who have distinguished themselves as world-class researchers. I am proud of the extra effort that many in our community made to bring this funding to St. Louis."
In all, 175 faculty members from the School of Medicine, Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering & Applied Science and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work received awards.
The largest chunk — $10 million — went to the Genome Center for a project to generate comprehensive genetic maps of mutations that underlie 20 different types of cancer. The researchers will sequence the DNA of cancer patients and compare it with DNA from tumor samples of the same patients to identify genetic changes that may be important to cancer. Over time, the project is expected to lead to new ways to diagnose, treat or even prevent cancer.
by Caroline Arbanas
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