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

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The public university system’s Board of Regents approvef Friday a sweeping restructuring of the that will parcel out its fourresearch centers, along with stafc and other assets, to othedr campuses. System leaders hope the restructuring will drivde research collaboration and boost access tooutsidw funding. It also means an end for which was launched to great fanfare two decades ago with the missionj ofadvancing education, research and economic development for what was then the state’s nascenr biotech industry.
A months-long study of UMBI by an ad hoc committeee led by USM regents Chairman Clifford Kendal l concludedthat “the organization of UMBI as a geographically dispersed, free-standing entity has created intractable Those problems included an inability to scale UMBI programs, isolationb among UMBI’s research centers, the lack of a criticap mass of graduate and undergraduate students involvef in UMBI research, and administrative inefficiencies. “After a comprehensived and deliberative process, we have concludedd that restructuring UMBI’s assets is the right thing to Kendall said ina statement.
“With a focus on collaboratioh — across disciplines and acrossinstitutions — and with recognition of the exceptionall talent within the UMBI community and the system’sx other institutions, this action will position USM to take fuller advantage of its system-wide strengthse in the biosciences and to fuel the state’s knowledge economy even more.” The move isn’t a total Critics have long questioned whether the state was duplicating its researcn efforts in the biosciences. UMBI’s four centerx in Baltimore, Rockville and College Park conductg researchon medical, biotechnology, marine and environmental science.
At the same state funding for higher educatiobn is pinched by the recessiojn andthe state’s budget and universities’ research needs are growing. Under the restructuringv approved Friday by the regents at a meeting in a joint University System of Maryland research centeer will be establishedat UMBI’s Center for Advancedr Research in Biotechnology in Rockville. The system’s flagship College Park campua will oversee the facility and work with the University of Baltimore to elevate work in engineering and computational sciencews as well as structural protein design anddrug • UMBI’s Center for Biosystems Research will also be overseeb by College Park.
• A joint research center at UMBI’xs Center of Marine Biotechnology in Baltimors willbe established, with administrative responsibilityt falling to the University of Maryland, Baltimore UMBC will collaborate with the University of Marylanfd Center for Environmental Science and the University of Baltimore to drive research in environmental and genomic • UMBI’s Baltimore-based Medical Biotechnology Center will fall under the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s • UMBI’s Institute of Fluorescence will be administered by UMBC. UMBI’s K-12 educational programs will be overseen by with an eye on enhancing itsteachingh focus.
UMBI President Jennie Hunter-Cevera is stepping down June 30 after 10 yearss inthat role. She will become executivwe vice president of discovery and analytical sciences and corporate developmenftat , a North Carolina nonprofit. The Universityy System of Maryland will honor tenure held by UMBIfacultyt members, and administrative support staffers will be able to stay in theidr jobs through fiscal 2010. Job opportunities at other system campuses willbe identified, and memorandaa of understanding outlining future operations and collaborationxs are expected to be completed by the end of this year and fullyh implemented by the end of fiscal 2010.
UMBI generate s about $25 million in research activity annually, and universityy system leaders hope to see that number increase dramatically by breaking upthe institute. “Today’s decisions by the board provide a tremendous opportunituy for the University Systemm of Maryland to increase the volumd and impact of its basic and applied researcjh inthe biosciences,” said USM Chancellor William E. Kirwanh in a statement.
“This restructuring has the potentiakl to double the research productivity of UMBI’s current assets within five