The University announced Monday a $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Health it received in July, College of Science Dean Kevin Carman said.
The grant comes from the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program, a branch of the NIH.
Carman said the University was awarded the grant in July but couldn’t disclose the information to the public until now.
Carman said the grant is fundamentally designed to promote biomedical research in Louisiana. The grant will fund research that administrators hope will lead to an increased
interest in the field for the state’s college students.
“It helps draw together the expertise of people across the state,” Carman said.
Thomas Klei, associate dean for research and advanced studies for the School of Veterinary Medicine, is the principle investigator for the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network, which was established in September 2001 to raise competitiveness among the state’s researchers.
Klei said the grant makes it easier for researchers to connect with faculty and students, and it has allowed the University to create the network of researchers.
Klei said the network acts as a bridge between students, faculty and researchers, earning it the name the “Biomedical Research Pipeline.”
He said the grant will be supplemented with $1.2 million from the Louisiana Board of Regents.
Klei said the University has been awarded the grant for more than 10 years ago, but it was just recently renewed again.
“It demonstrates the importance of LSU as a major biomedical research institution in the state,” Klei said.
Carman said several college students visit the University from across the state each year, and administrators want to increase their interest in biomedical research.
Klei added the program pairs students and researchers from other institutions with mentors at institutions that focus more on research.
“Our goal is to try to promote scholarship across the state,” Carman said. “To extend opportunities to students everywhere.”