The long-term objectives of this application are to provide the space and infrastructure necessary to support a major increase in critical mass of scientists capable of generating National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 support at the University of Montana, to support the evolution of two new interdisciplinary research Centers, and to support the introduction of two new doctoral programs in the UM's School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. With a doubling in the number of research faculty over the past two years, the existing12,000 sq. ft. of assignable research space is insufficient to support this growth and the addition of seven-to-ten new investigators over the next two years. The School is now rated17th of 82 schools of pharmacy nationwide in total NIH funding and seventh nationally in NIH funding per Ph.D. faculty member. Schools with comparable funding (Universities of Colorado, Utah, and Wisconsin) average 42,500 sq. ft. of net assignable research space.
Specific Aim 1 is to provide the research laboratories, core facilities, and research support space necessary to support full development of the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience (CSFN) and the Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS).
Specific Aim 2 is to encourage interdisciplinary research by providing space to NIH-sponsored researchers from three departments and divisions associated with the aforementioned Centers, as well as the two UM Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) focus areas: Biomolecular Structure and Function and Integrated Analysis of Complex Biological Systems.
Specific Aim 3 is to provide sufficient student research space and research support space to introduce two new doctoral training programs; one in toxicology (environmental health) and one in neuroscience.
