EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Plan

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The Oklahoma EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Award will build two new statewide research programs, the Oklahoma Functional Genomics Consortium and the Oklahoma Network for Nanostructured Materials (NanoNet). Both programs are based on existing strengths at State research universities and each addresses a field of current national priority. Functional genomics follows the completion of large-scale genome projects and enables biologists to explore how genes interact with each other and the environment in complex biological systems. Research in this field is vital not only for enhancing fundamental understanding of genetics, but also for improving both human health and the agricultural industry, which is critically important to the economy of both Oklahoma and the nation. Nanotechnology is based on the observation that nanostructured materials have electrical, optical, and chemical properties that are different from those of molecules and different from those of bulk materials. Future technology that exploits these new properties will have major impact on the economy of the State, the nation and the world. Development of nanotechnology research infrastructure will enable Oklahoma both to compete for major research funding and to grow industries that depend upon highly skilled workers. Oklahoma has developed a strong spirit of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration among its research-intensive campuses. The Oklahoma Network for Nanostructured Materials (NanoNet) and the Oklahoma Functional Genomics Consortium will be formed by investigators at Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma at Norman, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the University of Tulsa, and the nonprofit Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, in partnership with the private sector to implement the goal of attaining sustainable research infrastructure through nanotechnolgy and genomics.