ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
biotechnology research;
appropriation
Purpose
Appropriates $500,000 in FY
2002-2003 from the health research account for a biotechnology medical research
foundation.
According to the Health
Sciences Center at the University of Arizona (UofA), biomedical research is the
fastest growing economic and fiscal sector of the U.S. industry – doubling to
$47 billion between 1993 and 1999 while biomedical patents increased ten fold
to 10,000 per year between 1985 and 1998.
Following the complete sequencing of the human genome in 2000,
biomedical researchers have been working to convert the genome sequence into
medical breakthroughs. In particular, a
group of 18 universities and medical research groups formed the International
Genomics Consortium (IGC) to investigate cures for diseases based on human
genome research. Some of this research
was performed in Arizona.
Recently, the UofA, Arizona
State University and Northern Arizona University agreed to form the Arizona
Biomedical Bioscience Institutes (ABBI) with the intent to pool resources,
recruit faculty and build biotechnology research laboratories to create
academic and research programs that develop new genome-based diagnostic and
therapeutic products. The ABBI is a
collaborative effort that includes the Arizona Board of Regents, the Mayo
Clinic, Barrow Neurological Institute, Scottsdale Healthcare, the Flinn
Foundation and the City of Phoenix.
The IGC is looking at
different locations around the country to move its headquarters. The universities believe the IGC and ABBI
can increase the amount of federal research monies coming into Arizona, bring
new biomedical-related industry to this State and attract new faculty to
Arizona. S.B. 1270 appropriates
$500,000 in FY 2002-2003 from the health research account to the Arizona Board
of Regents to provide a grant to a biotechnology medical research foundation.
1. Appropriates $500,000 in FY 2002-2003 from the health research account to the Arizona Board of Regents for a grant to a nonprofit medical research foundation specializing in biotechnology research.
2. Requires dollar-for-dollar matching monies for the grant.
3. Exempts the grant from the procurement code requirements.
4. Requires the medical research foundation to commission an audit and evaluation of the expenditure of the monies and submit a copy of the audit and evaluation to the Arizona Board of Regents by December 31, 2001.
5. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
February 8, 2002