Welcome to the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine's Research Website! VCU is two years into an ambitious six-year Strategic Research Plan that will commit extensive University resources to the School of Medicine to increase research faculty size, increase graduate student enrollment and quality, build new research buildings to provide more research space and expand critical core facilities.

The first two years of the Plan has seen a 38.5% increase in the number of NIH grants submitted and an increase in awarded NIH grant dollars at a time when most research institutions are seeing a decrease in their NIH funding. The new Medical Sciences Building II is scheduled to open in late 2008 and, together with the Goodwin Research Building of the Massey Cancer Center, opened in May, 2006, will provide 185,000 sq. ft. of new research space. Both buildings are organized in an open lab format to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in specific program areas. Coupled with the creation of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research, the expansion of basic research should provide a foundation for increased translation of basic science into better treatments for patients.

Mission

The mission of the Office of the Associate Dean for Research is to:

• recruit outstanding research faculty and graduate students
• manage research space
• sponsor and mentor undergraduate and postdoctoral student research
• develop core research infrastructure
• assist in grant preparation and submission
• work with other Associate Deans on research curriculum development, faculty mentoring and research information technology.

The goal is to attract, support and empower the best possible research faculty and students.

I welcome you to our website. Please take some time to look around and see the many great opportunities that we have to offer.

Gordon L. Archer, M.D.
Associate Dean for Research
School of Medicine