SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 24, 2008) — The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has eclipsed the $200 million mark in grants, contracts and other awards for the first time in its history, President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., announced today.
Despite increasing competition for research dollars awarded by federal agencies, the Health Science Center saw a jump of 28 percent in funding from the National Institutes of Health during the 2008 state fiscal year ($107.2 million) compared to fiscal 2007 ($83.9 million). Spending on all sponsored programs also increased 22 percent.
“The horizon for upcoming years continues to look bright,” President Cigarroa said. “I am extremely grateful to our faculty for their leadership in our research mission, as these are the individuals who are the principal investigators of these important grants.”
The Health Science Center attracted several large research programs that constitute tens of millions of the $203 million total recorded in fiscal 2008, which ended Aug. 31.
These include the $26 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) to move research from laboratory findings to clinical trials to improved health in communities; the $33 million Strong Star Program to enhance detection, treatment and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder; and a National Children’s Study designation totaling more than $33 million to examine genetic and environmental factors’ impact on children from before birth to age 21.
The fiscal 2008 total is 18 percent higher than the $171 million in grants, contracts and awards recorded in fiscal 2007. The annual external funding activity report includes federal and non-federal awards and expenditures for instruction, research and public service.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $668 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $15.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $35 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 23,000 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu.