Total research and development expenditures for the University of Georgia, Athens (UGA) reached an all-time high of $458 million. This is a 31% increase in R&D expenditures since the 2013 fiscal year. Over the past three years, externally funded research activities have climbed by 37% to reach $198 million in fiscal 2017. These expenditures are funded in part by federal grants and contracts. For example: in the first seven months of 2017 the University received 96 research project grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH). They total $37.2 million. The rest of their research funding comes from foundations, corporations, as well as the state of Georgia.
(Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
NIH Funding Highlights
- National Institute of General Medicine Sciences: $10,990,227. This included two grants of over a million dollars each. The study titled, “MAMMALIAN GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASES FOR USE IN CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY” received nearly $1.5M. Here UGA researchers will study the enzymes that biosynthesize Glycans, biopolymers that play key roles in almost every biological process and are involved in every major disease. The study titled, “UNDERSTANDING MECHANISMS OF HESC SELF-RENEWAL AND CELL FATE COMMITMENT,” received over $1.6M to define how the cell cycle coordinates epigenetic events and chromosome remodeling and how this impacts on pluripotency, the ability of a cell to give rise to various cell types that make up the body.
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: $10,100,319. This included a million dollar grant for a study entitled, “MULTIPLEX TREATMENT OUTCOMES TEST FOR CHAGAS DISEASE.” The goal of this project is to validate and improve tests of cure for T. cruzi infection, which can results in muscle tissue damage known as Chagas disease.
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: $2,833,085. This includes over a half million in funding for a study titled, “BIOMARKERS OF HEALTH RISK AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN COUPLES” which will research the effect of relationships and stress on the calibration of Inflammation Related Transcriptional Response (IRTR) and its impact on the onset of chronic, age-related diseases in African Americans.
- National Cancer Institute: $1,785,079. While the NCI grants all aim at furthering the fight against cancer, the seven studies funded cover a wide range of research in the field. Over $300K went to a study titled, “OVERCOMING CANCER RESISTANCE MEDIATED BY THE HUMAN MDR1 TRANSPORTER,” which seeks to find approaches for overcoming cancer resistance that will accelerate anti-cancer drug development, and will improve the effectiveness of current cancer treatments. While another $300K went to a study called, MAN'S BEST FRIEND FOR DRIVER-PASSENGER DISTINCTION.” This research project will use a novel human-dog spontaneous cancer comparative genomics and oncology strategy to discriminate cancer drivers from passengers for the >7000 amplified/deleted genes reported by The Cancer Genome Atlas for human colorectal cancer.
- National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders: $1,755,713. This includes over $600K in funding for a study titled, “VAGAL INFLUENCE ON BRAINSTEM PLASTICITY AND NEURAL CODING OF TASTE.” This research project hopes to uncover the role of the vagus nerve in taste perception and taste preference alterations that happen as a result of bariatric surgery, a common treatment for obesity. Such knowledge may help with the development of novel anti-obesity treatments without the risks associated with surgery.
Researchers at UGA to Meet with Lab Suppliers at Bioresearch Product Faire:
Laboratory equipment suppliers should plan on displaying their products at The 19th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ at the University of Geogia will be held on March 14th, 2018. For those wishing to increase their laboratory product sales in the coming years this is a great opportunity to meet face to face with the well funded researchers at UGA and discuss their needs.
Those wanting to display and demonstrate their latest lab or chemical supply products can call (530) 272-6675 or click the link below for more information.
Life science professionals attend for free. Click the button below for additional information or to pre-register.