FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Aug. 17, 2015 
Contact: Leah Payne, Director of Public Affairs, Schools of Medicine & Pharmacy, 304-691-1713

Marshall University and West Virginia University partner for three-year, $1.5 million health care and research funding program
Each institution pledges $250,000 annually to effort

ROANOKE, W.Va. – West Virginia’s two largest universities are coming together to support collaborative research and health care projects addressing the Mountain State’s health issues.

Marshall University and West Virginia University have each pledged $250,000 annually for a three-year combined effort to support innovative clinical projects and translational research that ultimately will help faculty members at both schools attract future external funding.

The program will accept applications for awards of up to $50,000 for initiatives that include project leaders from both WVU and Marshall.

To kick off the partnership, leaders from both institutions are gathering today at Stonewall Jackson Resort in Roanoke, W.Va., to discuss the program. Deans and department chairs from health sciences disciplines as well as clinical leadership will discuss targeted research and clinical care areas to address West Virginia’s biggest health concerns.

“This collaborative effort will provide foundational support and structure for our physicians and scientists to advance health and wellness in West Virginia,” said Joseph I. Shapiro, M.D., dean of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “By strengthening our connections, West Virginians and others in the Appalachian region will benefit.”

“There is no higher obligation for either of our universities than to address the health issues of West Virginia,” said Clay Marsh, M.D., vice president and executive dean for health sciences at WVU. “We share a vision of a healthier state and are united in this effort, and many others, to make that a reality.”

Both universities will also maintain their commitments to ongoing statewide health improvement collaborations and look forward to extending partnerships with other entities throughout the state to continue to address health disparities.

Investigators will work together over the coming months to prepare their proposals by the Nov. 6 submission deadline. Awards will be announced in December and projects will begin Jan. 1, 2016.  For more information, visit http://www.wvumarshallhealthgrants.org/

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Date Posted: Monday, August 17, 2015