- Blue Horizons
UK receives its largest Public Health launches
. national coordinating center
resea rCh fundlng award The Robert WoodJOhnson Founda—
tion awarded a $3.2 million, three—year
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), with interdisciplinary research teams. grant to the UK College of Public
the largest government funding source for “Probably the most important research Health to create the National Coordi—
biomedical research in the United States, has that has been neglected on a national basis is nating Center for Public Health Serv—
awarded $20 million to the University of that there are some standards and best prac— ices and Systems Research (PHSSR).
Kentucky to move research discoveries from tices that just don’t get disseminated and The grant will help accommodate a
the laboratory to bedside more quickly don’t get used as effectively as they should,” growing field that supplies public
The five—year funding, awarded through says Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice health officials and policymakers with
the NIH ’s institutional Clinical and Transla— president for Health Affairs. “Figuring out the data they need to make decisions
tional Science Awards (CTSA) program, is how to change that, how to get physicians, about how health departments should
the largest research funding award ever re— patients and others to comply with what we be financed, staffed and structured.
ceived by UK. It will be used to support re— know are best standards is a critically impor— This research is important as state and
search at the UK Center for Clinical and tant issue. That’s going to be something we local health departments across the
Translational Science (CCTS), making it are going to emphasize in multiple different country face difficult choices due to
part of a select national biomedical research ways. We’ll emphasize that through the grant budget cuts and reductions in staff,
consortium. The UK center — the only des— and some of the partnerships we’ll develop.” programs and services.
ignated CTSA in Kentucky — is led by Dr. CTSA fundingwill support infrastructure One goal of the new center is to grow
Philip Kern, associate provost for clinical and and the Clinical Research Development and this field of research by coordinating
translational science, who will serve as princi— Operations Center at UK Albert B. Chandler current PH SSR investments, supporting
pal investigator of the program. Hospital, where patients participate in clinical real—world applications, and strengthen—
Translational research, referred to as research studies. It also will be used for educa— ing the capacity of researchers and prac—
“bench to bedside,” means turning lab find— tional programs for future investigators, for titioners. Another key goal is to
ings into preventions, treatments and cures community engagement, to fund research determine the future direction of the
through collaborations across academic units pilot grants and an informatics program. I field’s research initiatives, and translate
UK receives grant to help reduce tional Coordinating Center will also
. . . work to increase the visibilit of the
rel la nce on Imported 0" work and attract other fundeTfs to the
The US. Department of Agriculture and to convert biomass to a mixture of butanol, field.
the US. Department of Energy issued UK ethanol, acetone and organic acids. The prod— “In this era of health care reform and
one of eight federal grants to study the re— uct can then be easily transported to a biore— tight government budgets, now is the
duction of imported oil to the United States. finery for further processing. The project will ideal time to take a hard look at how
UK received $6.9 million as part of the integrate input from experts in a variety of valuable public health dollars are being
Obama administration’s comprehensive plan disciplines, including plant and soil scientists, spent and how we can best spend those
to address rising gas prices, and to fund re— horticulturists, chemical engineers, and econ— dollars in the future to ensure the great—
search and development projects that will omists. Principal investigator Sue Nokes, est, most positive impact on the popula—
support the production of biofuels, bioen— professor in the UK Biosystems and Agricul— tion,” says Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield,
ergy and high—value biobased products from tural Engineering Department, says the bulk director of the National Coordinating
a variety of biomass sources. of the grant will be used to study the process Center for Public Health Services and
UK’s project is to improve the economics of growing switchgrass and miscanthus to Systems Research and the Peter B. B0—
for biorefineries by using on—farm processing create biofuel for farm machinery. I somworth Professor of Health Services
Research and Policy at UK. I
African American Encyclopedia back on track
The Kentucky African American Ency— search on the black experience in the Com— C .

. . , , , , , ompIIed from news reports
clopedia (KAAE) prOject, based at the monwealth, including entries on the indi— about research at UK
University of Kentucky, has new life thanks viduals, events, places, organizations, , , j
to a contribution from philanthropist Tom movements and institutions which have fgsrergrclrfetlgfinrmatlon about

. . . . . . . . 9 place at UK:
Brumley, whose interest in the prOject goes shaped the state’s history since its origins. visit www.research.uky.edu
back several years. The KAAE, published It is believed that Kentucky could very well
by the University Press of Kentucky, will be the first state to have an encyclopedia
provide a comprehensive volume of re— like this one. I
www.uka|umni.net 11