San Antonio (Jan. 20, 2004) – Research institutions that maximize collaborations with peers stand a better chance of attracting federal funding, said Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa, president, who participated in a conference where U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced a major new project to beef up Texas’ research funding.
The Texas Academy of Science, Education and Medicine will focus on increasing collaboration among the state’s researchers with the goal of increasing the federal funds received by Texas research universities. Texas institutions last year garnered $1.26 billion in federal research dollars but trailed California, New York and Pennsylvania in the funding race. Each dollar invested in research nets a $5 return for Texas, Sen. Hutchison said in an opinion piece carried in state newspapers.
The Health Science Center’s share of research dollars awarded by the National Institutes of Health has increased 80 percent since 1999, and Dr. Cigarroa attributed much of the success to collaborative projects.
Sen. Hutchison’s opinion piece cited the work of the Health Science Center’s Dr. Julio Palmaz, who created the first stent to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diseased blood vessels.