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Hospital-university group is awarded $8.6 million of $23 million it requested
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Wednesday, May 21, 2008
A joint effort among Northeast Ohio hospitals and universities to transform the region into an international orthopedic research leader is getting an $8.6 million boost from the state.
The Ohio Third Frontier Commission on Tuesday awarded the money to a regional proposal led by the University of Akron.
The funds will be used to recruit top researchers for two endowed research positions — one at the University of Akron and the other at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM), according to the Third Frontier Commission.
The goal is that research breakthroughs at these institutions and others in the areas of bone, joint and connective tissue problems ultimately can translate into new products offered by local startup companies, said project executive director Dr. Walter E. Horton, NEOUCOM's vice president for research.
''This is really an unqualified win,'' Horton said. '' . . . There are many discussions going on with different potential funding agencies, private donors and corporate donors to make all this as big as possible.''
The university and its partners had been seeking nearly $23 million to help attract high-profile scholars and support staff for a new Orthopaedic Research Cluster of Northeast Ohio.
The cluster will bring together physicians
and orthopedic and polymer researchers from UA, NEOUCOM, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, Akron General Health System, Akron Children's Hospital and Summa Health System.
The state funding is contingent on UA and NEOUCOM developing a management plan for the the regional initiative, Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut said.
The grant also requires the university to secure additional funds, as well as firm commitments from the partners.
''This has been a developing project,'' Fingerhut said. ''It's a high priority for the University of Akron, NEOUCOM and the hospitals in the area, and we have encouraged it. However, it is still an evolving project. While we think it has potential, there were issues we feel need to be further resolved. . . .
''When they are met, then we will release the funds.''
The winning Northeast Ohio proposal was among 10 projects to secure part of $143 million offered by the state's Department of Development and the Ohio Board of Regents to increase ''clusters of research excellence'' across the state.
All the new Ohio Research Scholars Program awards are contingent on State Controlling Board approval.
Partners pleased
Even though the orthopedic request wasn't fully funded, the partners still see the state's multimillion dollar award as a huge victory, Horton said.
''Having the state funding is going to make additionalfundraising that much easier,'' he said. ''It really is validation from the state that this is something worth doing.''
The research cluster is a piece of a larger economic development initiative to create a multimillion-dollar research facility within Akron's biomedical corridor, which stretches from Akron General Medical Center, around downtown to Summa's Akron City Hospital.
City and county officials have been working with UA, NEOUCOM and the Akron hospitals to identify possible sites for the proposed Orthopaedic Research Institute of Northeastern Ohio.
Related effort
The institute could be part of a related plan to bring the five regional partners together to form an Akron Academic Health Center to boost medical research, education and job creation.
Akron City Council on Monday agreed to contribute $50,000 toward the $881,200 cost to develop a business plan for the academic health center.
Summit County previously agreed to kick in $50,000, while the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is paying half the business plan's development cost. The other partners also have agreed to contribute.
The state grant is ''a huge win'' for the community that will help build momentum for the academic health center proposal, said Summa spokesman Mike Bernstein, representing the partners for the academic health center initiative.
''We see [Tuesday's] announcement as an important first step in moving towards our eventual goal of creating an academic health center,'' Bernstein said. ''When taking into consideration the significant impact that biopolymers and orthopedics currently have in our community and the expected role they'll play as we continue development of an academic health center, the Third Frontier grant will undoubtedly continue the great momentum already under way between our organizations.''
Competition for the state grants was tough. Twenty-three applicants were seeking a combined $626 million.
Awards were capped at $50 million per project, and matching funds were required.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
A joint effort among Northeast Ohio hospitals and universities to transform the region into an international orthopedic research leader is getting an $8.6 million boost from the state.
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