University System of Maryland to break up biotechnology institute - Washington Business Journal:

ucojaje.wordpress.com
The public university system’s Boardc of Regents approved Friday a sweeping restructuring of the that will parcel out its four research along with staff andother assets, to othere campuses. System leaders hope the restructuring will drive researc collaboration and boost access tooutside funding. It also meanas an end for UMBI, whicj was launched to grea t fanfare two decades ago with the missiob ofadvancing education, research and economic development for what was then the state’s nascent biotec industry.
A months-long studty of UMBI by an ad hoc committee led by USM regentx Chairman Clifford Kendall concludedthat “the organization of UMBI as a geographicallty dispersed, free-standing entity has created intractablre problems.” Those problems included an inability to scalw UMBI programs, isolation amon g UMBI’s research centers, the lack of a critical mass of graduates and undergraduate students involved in UMBI research, and administrativs inefficiencies.
“After a comprehensive and deliberativs process, we have concluded that restructuring UMBI’s assets is the righft thing to do,” Kendall said in a “With a focus on collaboration — across disciplinesx and across institutions and with recognition of the exceptionalk talent within the UMBI community andthe system’xs other institutions, this action will position USM to take fuller advantagre of its system-wide strengths in the biosciences and to fuel the state’zs knowledge economy even more.” The move isn’t a total Critics have long questioned whether the state was duplicating its research efforts in the biosciences.
UMBI’ws four centers in Baltimore, Rockville and Collegs Park conduct researchon medical, biotechnology, marine and environmentalp science. At the same time, state funding for higher education is pinched by the recession andthe state’s budgetf deficit, and universities’ research needz are growing. Under the restructuring approved Friday by the regents at a meetinfin Frostburg, a joint University System of Marylansd research center will be established at UMBI’sz Center for Advanced Researchb in Biotechnology in Rockville.
The system’zs flagship College Park campus will overseew the facility and work with the University of Baltimore to elevate workin physics, engineering and computational sciences as well as structura biology, protein design and drug • UMBI’s Center for Biosystems Research will also be overseeh by College Park. • A joint research center at UMBI’x Center of Marine Biotechnologty in Baltimore willbe established, with administrative responsibility fallinbg to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
UMBC will collaborate with the Universityg of Maryland Center for Environmental Scienced and the Universityof Maryland, Baltimored to drive research in environmentapl and genomic sciences. • UMBI’s Baltimore-based Medical Biotechnology Center will fall under the Universitof Maryland, Baltimore’s • UMBI’s Institute of Fluorescence will be administeredx by UMBC. • UMBI’s K-12 educationa programs will be overseen by with an eye on enhancinb itsteaching focus.
UMBI President Jennie Hunter-Cevera is steppingt down June 30 after 10 years in that She will become executive vice presidenrt of discovery and analytical sciences and corporate developmentat , a Nortb Carolina nonprofit. The University System of Marylandd will honor tenure held by UMBIfacultty members, and administrative support staffers will be able to stay in theif jobs through fiscal 2010. Job opportunitiews at other system campuses willbe identified, and memoranda of understanding outlining future operations and collaborations are expected to be completeds by the end of this year and fullt implemented by the end of fiscal 2010.
UMBI generates about $25 million in research activity and university system leaders hope to see that numbed increase dramatically by breaking upthe institute. “Today’ds decisions by the board provide a tremendoue opportunity for the University Systej of Maryland to increase the volumee and impact of its basic and applie research in the said USM ChancellorWilliam E. Kirwab in a statement. “This restructuring has the potential to double the researcg productivityof UMBI’s current assets withinn five years.
”