At its meeting in late September, the Arizona Board of Regents approved funding and development plans for biosciences projects at both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.
The board was also briefed on the latest developments regarding the UA College of Medicine’s proposed downtown Phoenix campus. The Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which will combine efforts of UA and ASU, is expected to begin classes in the summer of 2006. As yet, there is no accreditation, formal financing, or budget structure for the medical school in place.
In addition, UA received permission to request $20 million from the state Legislature to bolster its health-science and research programs in both Tucson and Phoenix. ASU gained approval on two $8 million requests. The first allows the university to launch a biomedical informatics department in preparation for collaborating with the UA College of Medicine downtown. The other $8 million will go toward building lab space intended to recruit top researchers to the university.
ABOR also approved a measure for the construction of the third in a series of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Buildings at ASU. This latest one, which is estimated to cost $12 million for construction, will be located at the ASU East campus in Mesa and will accommodate research needs for the Applied Biological Sciences, Applied Cognitive Science Institute, Healthy Lifestyles Institute, and elements of the Biodesign Institute.
ASU also petitioned the board to approve grant awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, one of which supports ASU’s endeavor to retain and recruit more minority science and mathematics undergraduate majors.
For more information:
“Arizona regents hear medical college plans,” Arizona Daily Star, 10/01/2004
“Regents OK 3 schools’ budgets for $1.3 billion,” Tucson Citizen, 10/02/2004
“East Building to house science programs in December 2005,” State Press, 10/06/2004
Arizona Board of Regents agenda, 09/30/2004-10/01/2004