? UNC-CH now ranks fifth among the nation's public universities (US News & World Report, 2002). In Fiscal Year 2001, UNC-CH received a record $438 million in external funding. This included a 14% increase in NIH funding to over $236 million that placed UNC-CH 12th nationally in overall funding from NIH. The School of Medicine has been fortunate in the last five years to receive funding for several new research buildings to expand our programs in Neurosciences, Bioinformatics, and Genetics. The new Neuroscience and Biomolecular Research Building which houses Genetics provides state of the art wet labs and multiple BSL-2 facilities. In addition, in 2000, NC taxpayers passed a bond referendum that helps provide seed funds for renovations of some of our older research facilities (see Budget). ? ? The Burnett-Womack Clinical Sciences Building was designed, constructed, and has been occupied by the UNC School of Medicine since 1975. The University plans to renovate the entire building in order to correct operational deficiencies and upgrade life safety systems to modern codes; extend the usable life of the building for 30 more years; modernize the laboratories and improve the general quality of the interior spaces. The building [became] completely unoccupied for renovation starting in April 2003 when the new Medical Biomolecular Research Building was finished. The space utilization for the renovated building will provide 3 floors of wet laboratory including multiple BSL-2 suites and one BSL-3 suite, 4 floors of offices for clinician-scientists who desire proximity to the UNC Hospitals and the General Clinical Research Center, and a basement level for shared laboratory support, simulation laboratories, and workshops. The proposed future occupants of Burnett-Womack include the Departments of Anesthesiology, Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Orthopedics; Divisions of Cardiology and Reproductive Biology; [investigators from the Infectious Disease Center], and the Carolina Vaccine Institute. ? ? This proposal seeks NCRR partnership in funding the renovation of the ninth floor of the Burnett Womack Building to accommodate BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories with a satellite animal facility. Our goals are: ? Specific Aim 1 - Increase the quantity and quality of space available to: ? ? three members of the Carolina Vaccine Institute (CVI) and to allow the addition of one faculty member with a primary appointment in the Institute all of who will work on existing and planned preclinical vaccine initiatives related to disease and bio-defense; ? ? three members of the Infectious Disease Center who have collaborative relationships with the CVl in order to provide the space they need to support their growing research preclinical programs in pathogens which require a similar level of protection;] ? Specific Aim 2 - Provide a state-of-the art BSL-3 suite that will allow: ? ? CVI [and ID Center] members to work with an increased number of pathogens and/or increased numbers of investigators to work with select agents and/or pathogens requiring this level of protection. ? ? An increase in the capacity of the satellite small animal facility; ? ? Specific Aim 3 - Increase the capacity to provide training for pre- and postdoctoral students in these areas of investigation. ? ? Our goal is to enhance the synergism that exists between these investigators as they perform preclinical studies on these select agents and/or pathogens. [Further, we believe that relocating the satellite animal facility in a state of the art BSL-2/BSL-3 facility with surveillance capabilities and under the day-to-day direction of a knowledgeable and skilled professional will ensure the highest standards of security, safety, and responsible care. Finally, by providing additional and proximate space and conference rooms for these investigators, they will be able to handle additional trainees and can more easily share educational opportunities for trainees such as speakers, seminars, and presentations of work in progress.] ? ?
