Research enterprise reaches nearly $118M for fiscal 2024

Published on Tuesday, September 3, 2024

By: Danny Barrett Jr., dlbarrett@umc.edu

Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications

Researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center received funding for 369 projects for fiscal year 2024, garnering just shy of $118 million in grants, awards and contracts.

The total outpaces fiscal 2023 by more than $21 million, thanks to heightened funding at the federal level, said Dr. Lee Bidwell, associate vice chancellor for research.

“It’s the institution’s second-highest funding year on record,” Bidwell said, adding the jump was driven by a 37.5 percent increase in funding from the National Institutes of Health compared to last year. Funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration also increased above last year’s level, by $7.3 million, he said.

The total of $117.9 million in funds is behind only FY 2021’s $123.5 million, which was augmented by $26.9 million in funding from the CARES Act, which supported COVID-related projects.

“The robust extramural funding is a testament to the quality and motivation of our faculty and supported by the hard work of our staff in the research mission,” Bidwell said.

At $15.3 million, the Jackson Heart Study was the largest sponsored program for the fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The project’s total covers funding for both the field center and coordinating center.

The study is a collaboration among UMMC, Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, the Mississippi State Department of Health, the National Institutes of Health and residents in Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. Through research, education and community engagement, the project aims to understand and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease among African Americans.

“As the Jackson Heart Study enters its 25^th year, this is a testament to the dedication of our study participants,” said Dr. April Carson, director of the study. “Their steadfast commitment to research has allowed us to be at the forefront of scientific advances in hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease among African American adults.”

Rounding out the top five sponsored programs for the fiscal year were:

• ESSER Telehealth Services in Schools Grant, at $5,476,238
• Telehealth Center of Excellence, at $4,250,000
• Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research, at $3,977,878
• Value-Based Medical Student Education Training Program, at $3,973,000

Additional funds for telehealth at UMMC translated into reaching more students in more places this past year, said Dr. Saurabh Chandra, chief telehealth officer.  As of the midsummer start to fiscal 2025, the program for schools is now serving more than 190,000 students in 421 schools in 73 districts.

“We now have one of the largest school-based telehealth programs in the country,” Chandra said.

The Telehealth Center for Excellence funds support Mississippi centers and more than 20 telehealth programs nationwide, he said.

The list includes virtual nursing programs at UMMC, telecritical programs at Copiah County Medical Center and Greenwood Leflore Hospital, he said.

“All of these programs bridge the gap in access to health care in rural and underserved areas,” he said.