Health research building is critical to Kentucky: McConnell
April 1st, 2005
An architect’s rendering of the new building.
A new health sciences research building at the University of Louisville is critical to Kentucky’s future, Sen. Mitch McConnell said April 1.
McConnell presented a $10.25 million check facsimile to U of L President James Ramsey at a ceremony at the university’s Health Sciences Center. McConnell secured the funding during the FY ’05 appropriations process.
Ramsey also presented to McConnell a personalized white lab coat and a framed, signed copy of a special poster that features basketball coach Rick Pitino and a list of academic and research accomplishments at U of L.
The facility, known as Biomedical Research III, will include 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space and will house about 50 researchers. Most of the researchers are associated with the James Graham Brown Cancer Center and will work to find more effective ways of preventing and treating cancer.
The building is part of a two-phase plan to expand research facilities at U of L’s Health Sciences Center in downtown Louisville, and is expected to cost $65 million. Of the total, more than $10 million is coming from federal funds secured by McConnell; the university is contributing another $16 million. The remaining $39 million will come from bonds recently authorized by the Kentucky legislature.
Several legislators, trustees and university faculty and staff members attended the announcement event.
“This new facility will provide lab space to support research on cancer and other serious illnesses,” McConnell said. “It will also help bring the best scientists to Kentucky to conduct research that will yield significant dividends for the future.”
“Cutting-edge lab space is the key factor affecting our ability to recruit internationally known researchers,” Ramsey said. “We have asked the architects and engineering consultants to fast-track the design and construction of this strategically important facility.”
The dollar amount of research money brought in by U of L went up 49 percent last fiscal year, dramatically exceeding goals. The total climbed from $67.6 million in mid-2003 to $100.7 million in mid-2004.
