75 YEARS OF VISION: THE LASTING GIFT
O
n September 30, 1990, a monumental scientific undertaking called the Human
Genome Project (HGP) officially began. It was considered the molecular biology equivalent of landing a man on the moon. Advances in gene sequencing and other recent discoveries had made it possible to imagine the project. But it was the promise of uncovering the genetic basis of disease that gave the idea an unstoppable momentum. Researchers from around the world agreed that deciphering the human genome would serve as the foundation upon
“ [ Locating...the gene related to a disease
which to build the science, medicine and health care of the 21st century. The scope of the project was enormous — estimated to take 15 years and cost as much as $3 billion. The National Institutes of Health
is like] trying to find a burned-out light bulb in a house located somewhere between the East and West Coasts without knowing the state, much less the town or street, the house is on.”
(NIH) and the Department of Energy’s Office
Francis S. Collins, MD
Leader, U.S. Human Genome Project
of Biological and Environmental Research were prepared to provide funding. Twenty of the world’s most prestigious biomedical research laboratories would ultimately be invited to contribute.
“ The Human Genome will be the
foundation of biology for decades, centuries or millennia to come.” Sir John Sulston, FRS
UT Southwestern was one of 12 from the
Leader, UK Human Genome Project
United States.
I
n the late 1980s, federal support for biomedical research began to fall. By 1991,
although 94.7% of grant applications were recommend for approval, just over 25% were funded — down from a funding level of almost 40% four years earlier. A similar trend was occurring at the state level. The state of Texas was now providing less than 2% of UT Southwestern’s overall research budget. For fiscal year 1991– 92, support dropped to $1.7 million from $2.4 million the year earlier.
40%
25%
of approved federal grant applications funded
of approved federal grant applications funded
1988
1991
The percentage of federal grants being funded fell from roughly 40% in 1988 to 25% in 1991.
The medical school leadership determined that to continue to remain competitive with the best biomedical research facilities in the country, an additional $150 million was needed beyond the recent $100 million overall appropriation from the UT System. It was a bold decision — at the time, it
was the largest fundraising campaign for research ever undertaken by an American medical school and the largest private donor campaign of any kind ever attempted in Dallas. S O U T H W E S T E R N M E D I C A L P E R S P E C T I V E S . F A L L 2 015
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