E-Insight

October 2005

NIH Awards CSU $4 Million Grant to Help Fund BRB Expansion

The National Institutes of Health announced that it has approved a $4 million grant application from Colorado State University to help fund construction of an expansion to the Bioenvironmental Research Building at the Foothills Research Campus. The expansion will help alleviate a critical shortage of research space for biomedical investigators at CSU.

“The $4 million grant from NIH is a giant step forward in the continuing development of a global center in infectious diseases research here at Colorado State University,” said Dr. Lance Perryman, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “The grant requires matching funds from the University a requirement that has been met by a $3 million commitment from central administration and $1 million from the College. This is an excellent investment in the future of the College and in the future of biomedical sciences in Colorado.”

Scientists at College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences have been at the forefront of infectious diseases research for the last quarter century. Research centers include the Program in Infectious Diseases, the Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Disease Laboratory, the Mycobacterium Research Laboratories, as well as programs in retroviruses and prion-based studies. The College is undertaking a major expansion project to increase laboratory space for infectious diseases research as well as enhance existing space.

In June 2005, the University was awarded a $40 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease to develop a Regional Center of Excellence for Emerging and Infectious Diseases. In addition, grants from the National Institutes of Health support one of the largest tuberculosis research programs in the world, housed within the Mycobacterium Research Laboratories. In 2005, federal expenditures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were nearly $43 million at Colorado State University.

“To help them do the work as submitted in the grants, our researchers and research partners need additional BioSafety Level 2 and BioSafety Level 3 laboratories, as well as state-of-the-art equipment to conduct studies that will enhance health and diminish the threat of infectious disease in the years to come,” said Dr. Perryman. “The expansion of the BRB facility, scheduled for completion in 2008, will help us meet those needs. I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to Dr. Ralph Smith and his colleagues in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology who worked so hard to prepare this successful application.”