URMC announces new clinical and translational sciences initiative

Mar 30 2007

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has announced a major new expansion in research and education that will establish the University as a national leader in clinical and translational science.

This new initiative – which involves the construction of a new, four-story research building and the hiring of new clinical and research faculty – will have a substantial regional economic impact and lead to the creation of hundreds of new jobs.

URMC will create an "academic home" for new Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and plans to begin construction of a new 150,000 square foot research and education building on the Medical Center campus near the School of Nursing building next year. The new building will enable the University to bring together necessary scientific disciplines, support operations, education and training programs, and specific clinical research programs together under one roof. The University also plans to create 30 to 50 new positions for clinical and translational researchers over the next several years, generating an additional $25 million in research funding per year. Over a six year period the entire project – which includes facilities, faculty recruitment, and external research funding – will total more than $430 million.

In October 2006, the University of Rochester was one of twelve leading academic medical centers to receive a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The $40 million NIH grant, the largest in the University's history, will enable URMC to assemble the enabling technologies, trained personnel, and operational support necessary to accelerate the process of harnessing medical breakthroughs and transforming them into new ways to diagnose, treat, prevent, and cure diseases.

The University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute will serve as a catalyst for regional economic development by propelling growth in employment and research at the University, creating collaborative regional research initiatives, and developing new technologies with commercial potential. The Center for Governmental Research has concluded that the immediate and catalytic impacts of the project will total nearly $30 annually and will result in $43 million in labor income and the creation of approximately 550 permanent jobs at the University and in the community over five years. The new facilities will create 830 construction jobs.

Related Links on Strong Health Web Site
http://www.urmc.edu/ctsi/index.cfm