The University of Nebraska Medical Center is assembling the building blocks that are essential to becoming a premier research institution. Most recently, the Chancellor's Council approved a program to help develop and maintain an infrastructure that nurtures and enhances research activities. The innovative new approach calls for an annual commitment of 10 percent of the indirect costs of grants and contracts to support UNMC's research infrastructure. Indirect costs are dollars provided by the granting agency for overhead expenses. If we want the best diagnostic tools and treatments for patients, we have to be able to develop these through research done here.
Research also keeps the education of students and residents at the cutting edge.
If we can assist investigators in developing that kind of top-notch research, we will secure the medical center's future. In future years, these dollars will be used for further improvements in these areas. I hope this new program will help confirm to the UNMC research community the administration's willingness to support their research efforts. Although UNMC's research program has grown in recent years, its supporting services had not, Dr. Rosenquist said. That will soon change.