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The IDeA Program in Kentucky

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  • NIH Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) funding (FY10) to Kentucky = $21 million to biomedical researchers in 9 fields: women’s health, oral health, spinal cord injury, birth defects, disease prevention, cancer treatment, obesity & cardiovascular disease, diabetes & obesity and bioinformatics.
  • Kentucky’s IDeA funding (2000–2014) = $170 million, 2nd in the nation.
  • Kentucky’s IDeA funding outcomes to date:
    • Employment for 916 biomedical research staff: 515 students, 135 junior investigators, 140 faculty & post-docs, and 126 staff & technicians
    • Acquisition of $2.7 million of scientific research equipment for KY facilities
    • Publication of 1,679 scientific articles by recipients
    • Showcasing of KY research talent through 1,192 presentations by recipients to local, national & international audiences
    • The securing of an additional $280 million through 500 new extramural research grants

IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)

The goal of KY’s INBRE program (also known as KBRIN) is to expand biomedical research activities across the state. Through increased student training and career development in the primarily undergraduate universities (PUI)s, INBRE funding develops Kentucky IDeA network institutions KY’s next generation of biomedical researchers. Currently, the institutions in the network include: Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. In addition to scientific workforce development, the INBRE award also builds critically important bioinformatics infrastructure which helps researchers to quantify large volumes of data produced through genomic techniques.


INBRE impacts for the state include:

  • $41.6 million awarded to KY from 2001-2014
  • 37 junior faculty awarded R15 (AREA)grant awards from NIH
  • 3 postdoctoral level investigators promoted to assistant professor positions
  • 3 junior faculty received Career awards from NSF/NIH
  • First faculty in KY to receive NIH PECASE (Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers)
  • 186 out of 476 undergraduate students (39%) have entered graduate or professional degree programs
  • 289 articles published in peer-reviewed journals
  • WKU graduate student completes the DNA sequencing of a virus genome (41,538 base pairs ) for inclusion in Genbank, NIH’s genetic sequence database Kentucky Institutions with IDeA Awards

Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)

Eight of KY’s IDeA awards are for the establishment of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)’s. These awards are located at the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, the state’s two largest Research 1 institutions with full fledged medical centers. The COBRE’s have a twofold purpose: 1) to train junior medical investigators and assist them on their path to independent federal funding and 2) to build top notch research facilities. (See back page for highlights of each of the Centers listed below)

Centers at the University of Louisville:

Research Focus Award Total Yrs in Operation
Spinal Cord Injury $18.5 Million 2000 – 2010
Cancer Targets $21.0 Million 2003 – 2013
Birth Defects $11.6 Million 2002 – 2013
Diabetes & Obesity $ 8.1 Million 2008 – 2013

Centers at the University of Kentucky:

Research FocusAward TotalYrs in Operation
Oral Health$23.4 Million 2004 – 2014
Human Disease $21.8 Million 2004 – 2014
Women’s Health $21.1 Million 2000 – 2011
Obesity & Heart Disease $ 6.5 Million 2008 – 2013

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