EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The investigators request $1,147,298 to complete 19,954 sq. ft. of research laboratory and office space in WMU's new CHHS building. The WMU and the State have dedicated 75 percent of matching funds for this project. The faculty are committed to excellence in research, training future generations of biomedical and allied health scholars, and providing a scientifically competent biomedical workforce to serve the health care and rehabilitation needs of Kalamazoo, MI and the rural areas of southwest Michigan. The college currently is scattered across three campuses and housed in seven buildings constructed between 1939 and 1969 for non-research uses. The 195,000 sq. ft. building will advance research by providing updated facilities. This will facilitate scholarly interactions, sparking greater productivity and collaboration. The requested funds will be used to complete the fourth floor, which will house research and research training in sensory, motor, and communication sciences. Research conducted on this floor is aimed at meeting the Healthy People 2010 goals of improving quality of life and increasing equitable access to healthy futures for all, including people with disabilities. The projects are supported by $1,927,867 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 awards along with $2,595,274 in additional awards. The facilities will replace inadequate research spaces (in the case of blind rehabilitation, no research space exists). The researchers have documented how current facilities limit their research efforts, and how the quality and quantity of their research output will be enhanced by the requested facilities.