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$10M Stimulus Grant to Fund Major Expansion of Research at Albany Med

ALBANY, N.Y., March 8, 2010—Government officials joined with leaders of Albany Medical Center today to announce one of the largest federal stimulus package grants awarded to a Capital Region institution to date. Combined with 10% state matching funds, a total of $10 million will be used to expand research laboratories at Albany Medical College.

The combined federal-state award also is the largest grant ever received by the medical school since its founding 171 years ago. It comes in the form of a $9.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), specifically through the NIH Extramural Facilities Improvement Program (C06). This funding was made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), and a corresponding 10% “match” of nearly $1 million from the New York State Innovation Economy Matching Grant Program. Albany Medical College is the only institution in New York State and one of just 30 in the nation to receive ARRA funding under the NIH Extramural Facilities Improvement Program.

“In effect, this grant constitutes a significant recognition of the increasingly prominent role Albany Medical College plays in biomedical research,” said James J. Barba, president and chief executive officer at Albany Medical Center. “It underscores the ongoing contributions our institution makes in advancing medical science and in expanding our body of medical knowledge.”

As a result of the grant, Albany Med plans to add two additional floors of research laboratories—totaling 20,272 net square feet—to a new 3-story college building currently under construction. Consistent with the terms of the stimulus grant, once the space is completed, the medical school plans to add 10 research scientists and 10 technical staff members to its current complement of 77 scientists. The additional construction work necessitated by the two new floors of lab space will also create 50 construction jobs over the next three years.

“I’m proud to have supported Albany Medical Center’s application for this Recovery Act grant,” said Congressman Paul Tonko, who attended the announcement event. “Albany Med is among few facilities in the country to be awarded Recovery Act funds through the National Institute of Health’s facilities improvement grant program, which underscores the importance of this project. We are creating jobs and more importantly adding to the impressive biomedical research already being done on the campus, which can lead to breakthroughs that will improve our quality of life. Congratulations to everyone at Albany Medical Center for their hard work and dedication to serving our community.”

“Investing in research and development during this economic turndown is not only smart for the future, but will create jobs in the present,” said U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, who attended the event. “This grant will create dozens of new jobs while helping keep Albany Medical Center on the cutting edge of treatment and research. I congratulate Albany Med and will continue to work to move upstate New York forward.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer stated, “Competition for awards from the prestigious National Institutes of Health—especially for funding through NIH’s facilities improvement grant program—remains fierce. The fact that Albany Med was selected to receive this funding constitutes a salute to the institution’s outstanding biomedical research programs and its leadership team’s vision of providing even better medical treatments in the future—not just for area residents but for patients throughout the nation thanks to the advances that will be made in this exciting new research facility.”

“It is critical that we invest in the research being done at our world class medical facilities in the Capital Region like Albany Medical College,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “These are true economic engines for our region.  By securing federal funding through the stimulus program we can support cutting-edge, life-saving research that will advance biomedical progress and promote economic growth for our community. This project will not only create jobs, but will solidify our reputation as a center for biomedical research and support long term economic growth.”

Expanded funding for NIH research included in the stimulus legislation already had resulted in awards of more than $8 million for research at Albany Medical College.  The grant announced today brings total stimulus funding awarded to Albany Medical College through the NIH to $17.2 million.  The additional resources will enable Albany Medical College to significantly expand its efforts in its four main interdisciplinary research areas: cardiovascular sciences, cell biology and cancer research, immunology and microbial disease, and neuropharmacology and neuroscience.

Currently, biomedical research is confined to two buildings that were originally constructed in 1963 and 1971 respectively. Albany Medical College based its grant application on the fact that its ability to expand research by recruiting new faculty members with research programs was limited by limitations in the existing 80,000 square feet of research space in these buildings.

The new building, adjacent to these two older structures, will also house a new Regional Clinical Competency and Patient Safety Center for training medical students, physicians and other health care professionals.

In 2009, Albany Medical College researchers utilized $18.4 million in total research funding from both public and private sources, and secured $24.1 million in new research grant funding.

The expansion of research at Albany Medical College could lead to a variety of new opportunities for additional scientific collaboration with other area research entities such as the Wadsworth Laboratories, RPI, and the University at Albany.

“The additional research space will be designed to provide efficiency and flexibility for new research projects based on changing programmatic and scientific needs, as well as funding opportunities,” said Vincent P. Verdile, dean of Albany Medical College and executive vice president for health affairs of Albany Medical Center.  “This will provide us with the ability to grow new and existing research programs—including collaborations with other research institutes,” he continued. 

Each floor will be designed with open labs consisting of a combination of fixed benches and fully modular space, as well as supporting space for personnel including offices for faculty and fellows and conference rooms for meetings.

“The NIH Extramural Research Facilities Improvement Program has received the most applications of all programs approved by Governor Paterson’s Stimulus Cabinet under the state’s Innovative Matching Grant program,” stated Edward Reinfurt, executive director of the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). “There were 35 proposals from 21 New York institutions seeking an award. Albany Med’s success is a testament to the excellence of its application. New York State is proud to have played a part in its success through the supplemental 10% match commitment,” he added.

State Sen. Neil Breslin noted, “It is critical that we support the innovative research being done at the medical facilities in the Capital Region. I commend Albany Medical Center’s leadership in the field of biomedical research both on a local and national level. This grant is essential to supporting Albany Medical Center’s growth in medical research while also providing an economic boost in the Capital Region through the creation of jobs.”

At Albany Medical College, one of the nation’s oldest medical schools, basic research scientists work to facilitate discoveries that translate into medical innovations at patients’ bedsides. NIH-funded scientists are conducting research in many exciting areas including infectious disease, addiction, cancer, pain and more.

Albany Medical Center consists of one of the state's largest teaching hospitals, the Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany Medical College, and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc.
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