Three research projects to receive a total of $362,000
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is welcoming $362,610 in federal stimulus funds for medical research at the University of Arizona.
Giffords, a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, said the funds will strengthen the university’s nationally recognized programs in medical and biomedical research.
The funds will be distributed through the National Institutes of Health and will go to three researchers. The largest award, $159,438, will help increase the number of minorities pursuing advanced degrees in biomedical research.
Marc Tischler, director of the Minority Access to Research Careers program at the university, said the money will be used to assist minority undergraduate students to perform well in key classes needed for advanced degrees.
According to Tischler, several minority groups are underrepresented in medical research. He said that by increasing the number of researchers from those groups, it is more likely that research will be conducted into diseases most likely to affect those specific ethnic groups.
In addition, Marek Romanowski, an assistant professor in biomedical engineering, received an award for $108,000. Sally Dickinson, a research associate at the Arizona Cancer Center, received a $95,172 award. Both are conducting cancer-related research projects.
Earlier this week, six university researchers received $1.46 million in stimulus funds for biomedical research work. Today’s announcement means the university has received a total of $1.8 million in federal stimulus funding this week.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed by Congress earlier this year and signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 17, 2009. It provided immediate relief for American families and jump-started billions of dollars in projects to create jobs, improve infrastructure and strengthen local economies.