The Department of Medicine (DOM) continues its growth in research funding. It has increased its ranking of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding received from 27 to 21 place.  DOM researchers were awarded over $49 million in NIH awards during federal fiscal year 2005. This ranking includes all individual departments of internal medicine within the United States. These data are from the NIH Ranking List, which reflects fiscal year 2005 NIH Office of Extramural Awards. It is determined by calculating the number of NIH awards received and the total dollar amount of the grants awarded. The NIH Ranking List is based solely on NIH awards and does not include any grants received from other federal sources, private foundations/associations, or industry. However, the list serves as an accurate surrogate to predict if a department is receiving funding from other sources. It is assumed that if a program receives generous NIH awards, it also attracts generous contributions from the private sector.

The ranking is strictly an enumerative list; the results should not be interpreted as an indication of the quality of the research conducted by an institution. However, an increase in rank reflects more than just receiving grant money. According to Eric Boberg, Department of Medicine Director of Research Development, “An increased ranking provides added prestige to NU. It makes the institution more attractive to faculty we would like to recruit. It also increases the depth and breadth of funded investigators, leading to increased opportunities for collaboration and synergy.”

There are many factors that contribute to the increase, including a combination of increased productivity among existing faculty and the recruitment of new faculty who bring funding with them. The department also offers strong mechanisms to help researchers not only increase their submissions, but also create more effective proposals that increase their likelihood of receiving funding. The department assists researchers with locating funding opportunities, often finding grants that go overlooked. The department’s strong commitment to research is reflected in the training provided to the faculty. The department offers support for locating grants, submitting proposals, and managing materials. Says Dr. Larry Jameson, Chairman, Department of Medicine, “While I am enormously pleased with the increased grant support to our faculty, I am even more impressed by the quality of their research, its impact, and broad benefit for the scientific community and our patients.”

Looking ahead, the biggest roadblock for the future is the continued static NIH budget, which will create additional competition for existing money. To overcome this, the Department of Medicine has been aggressively recruiting mid-career and senior faculty who can bring research funding to the department. It also continues to build on its solid infrastructure for supporting scientific achievement. A strong mentoring program is in place to foster junior faculty in developing new projects and securing funding. Regarding the future, Dr. Jameson feels “Our strong tradition of interdisciplinary and translational research positions us well to continue building a robust research enterprise.” The department is confident that the upward trend will continue and that the Department of Medicine will strengthen its position as a top research institution.

                                                 Awards Data for the Department of Medicine in Fiscal Year 2005