2024 State of Research Address highlights growth and achievements amid obstacles
Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are overcoming obstacles, diversifying funding, and driving biomedical discoveries across a multitude of fields and disciplines. That was the main message of the 2024 State of Research address, presented by Vice Chancellor for Research Thomas Flaig, MD, on Dec. 10.
Flaig gave an overview of some of the key challenges that researchers across the country are facing, including flat federal funding levels, a highly complex regulatory landscape, rising costs and declining operating margins at academic medical centers. Despite these challenges, CU Anschutz achieved remarkable success this year, with numerous scientific and funding accomplishments to celebrate.
Vice Chancellor for Research Thomas Flaig, MD, delivers the 2024 State of Research Address.
The campus garnered more than $756 million in sponsored research funding in FY24 - a record high - including more than $420 million in federal funds.
"We had a very strong year from a funding perspective," Flaig said. "We need to continue to focus on our internal assets so that we can take advantage of key external funding opportunities and keep the momentum going."
Flaig mentioned the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as one example of a new funding opportunity that yielded impactful results this year. By fostering diverse "team science" collaborations, CU Anschutz was able to secure up to $68 million from this new federal funding agency. Flaig shared a video highlighting a recent ARPA-H award of up to $46 million, supporting a CU Anschutz-led team that's advancing new cures for blindness.
Watch the 2024 State of Research Address
In addition, Flaig highlighted the role of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research in supporting scientific discovery across campus. By offering centralized resources and expertise, the office helps research teams to navigate everything from grants and contracts to laboratory protocols and compliance support. As an example, Flaig shared a video showcasing the Investigational New Drug and Device Office, which plays a pivotal role in facilitating FDA approvals for new therapies being developed on campus.
"We established this new office in 2023," Flaig said. "Since then our team has provided guidance and counsel to dozens of investigators with their submissions to the Food and Drug Administration."
Flaig also acknowledged several new leaders appointed to key research roles across campus, including John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA, who was named dean of the CU School of Medicine and vice chancellor for health affairs this year.
The presentation included an in-person and online audience Q&A for Flaig and other campus research leaders.
Other faculty members recognized for their outstanding research achievements this year included:
- Katrina Claw, PhD, associate professor of biomedical informatics at the CU School of Medicine, was one of three recipients of the U.S. National Science Foundation's 2024 Alan T. Waterman Award.
- Tracy Bale, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry, was named to the National Academy of Medicine.
- Ralph Altiere, PhD, dean and professor at the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences won the International Pharmaceutical Federation's inaugural Exceptional Leadership Award.
"One of the most enjoyable things about being in this role is interacting with so many different types of researchers - from basic, clinical and translational scientists to population-level research teams," Flaig said. "We have a tremendously productive faculty, and I am proud to be a part of our thriving research community."
