November 10, 2005
Money for growth
A project to renovate existing quarters and increase the amount of research laboratory space in the Department of Biological Structure has been awarded $4 million in Research Facilities Improvement Program funds from the National Center for Research Resources, part of the National Institutes of Health.
A preliminary plan has been drawn up and now the final design phase is expected to take about 18 months. Construction work is expected to begin early in 2007.
“About 90 percent of our department’s space will be modernized in this project to improve productivity and efficiency of the scientific programs in Biological Structure,” said Marcia Knipher, the department administrator.
Biological Structure occupies parts of the F, G and H wings in the Health Sciences Building, all on the fifth floor.
The NCRR funds will be used for approximately 20,500 sq. ft. of multidisciplinary research space and to expand opportunities for recruitment of new faculty in developmental biology, neurobiology, vision sciences, structural informatics and molecular structure.
These research programs complement educational programs in the medical, dental and nursing schools and in allied health care.
The UW project is one of 10 around the nation to be funded this year, with a total NCRR investment of almost $30 million to improve the infrastructure for critical research.
“These investments in research facilities are vital to our nation’s ability to conduct state-of-the-art biomedical and behavioral research,” said Dr. Barbara Alving, acting director of NCRR.
