University System of Md. to break up biotechnology institute - Memphis Business Journal:

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The public university system’s Boardc of Regents approved Friday a sweepingf restructuring of the that will parcel out its fourresearchn centers, along with staff and otheer assets, to other campuses. System leaders hope the restructuringt will drive research collaboratioh and boost access tooutside funding. It also meanes an end for UMBI, which was launchedd to great fanfare two decades ago with the missiom ofadvancing education, research and economivc development for what was then the state’sx nascent biotech industry.
A months-long study of UMBI by an ad hoc committese led by USM regents Chairman Clifford Kendall concludedfthat “the organization of UMBI as a geographically dispersed, free-standing entity has created intractable problems.” Those problemds included an inability to scale UMBI programs, isolatiohn among UMBI’s research centers, the lack of a criticalk mass of graduate and undergraduate students involved in UMBI research, and administrative inefficiencies.
“After a comprehensivre and deliberative process, we have concluded that restructuring UMBI’s assets is the right thing to Kendall said in a “With a focus on collaboration — acros s disciplines and across institutions — and with recognition of the exceptionapl talent within the UMBI communitty and the system’s other institutions, this action will positiobn USM to take fuller advantage of its system-wide strengthx in the biosciences and to fuel the state’s knowledgr economy even more.” The move isn’tf a total surprise. Critics have long questione whether the state was duplicatinvg its research efforts inthe biosciences.
UMBI’s four centeres in Baltimore, Rockville and College Park conduct researcjhon medical, biotechnology, marine and environmental At the same time, stater funding for higher education is pinchedf by the recession and the state’es budget deficit, and universities’ research needs are growing. Undet the restructuring approved Friday by the regents at a meeting in a joint University System of Maryland research center will be establishedat UMBI’a Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology in The system’s flagship College Park campus will overse the facility and work with the University of Maryland, Baltimore to elevate work in physics, engineeringv and computational sciences as well as structural biology, protei design and drug discovery.
• UMBI’as Center for Biosystems Research will also be overseej byCollege Park. • A joint researcgh center at UMBI’s Center of Marine Biotechnology in Baltimore willbe established, with administrativs responsibility falling to the University of Baltimore County. UMBC will collaborate with the Universitty of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the Universityof Maryland, Baltimore to drive researcj in environmental and genomic • UMBI’s Baltimore-based Medical Biotechnolog Center will fall under the University of Baltimore’s purview. • UMBI’s Institute of Fluorescence will be administeredxby UMBC.
• UMBI’s K-12 educational programs will be overseeb by with an eye on enhancingg itsteaching focus. UMBI President Jennie Hunter-Cevera is steppinhg down June 30 aftert 10 years in that She will become executive vice president of discoverh and analytical sciences and corporate developmentat , a North Carolinwa nonprofit. The University System of Marylancd will honor tenure held by UMBIfacultyy members, and administrative support staffersw will be able to stay in theier jobs through fiscal 2010.
Job opportunitiesx at other system campuses willbe identified, and memorandw of understanding outlining future operations and collaborations are expecterd to be completed by the end of this year and fullyt implemented by the end of fiscal 2010. UMBI generates about $25 million in research activity annually, and universitgy system leaders hope to see that number increase dramaticallyh by breaking upthe institute. “Today’s decisiona by the board provide a tremendousx opportunity for the University System of Marylandd to increase the volume and impactr of its basic and applied research in the said USM ChancellorWilliam E.
Kirwan in a “This restructuring has the potential to double the researchj productivityof UMBI’s current assets within five years.”