The Medical University of South Carolina brought in more than $276.5 million in outside funding for biomedical research in fiscal 2018, a record for the school, the university announced Tuesday.
The previous record was more than $259 million, set in fiscal 2016, according to MUSC. The university said it remains the state’s leader in winning extramural funding, meaning money from outside the university, for biomedical research.
“Being the state’s leader in biomedical research funding year after year is a significant accomplishment, and we applaud the passion and expertise of our dedicated scientists and their teams,” MUSC President Dr. David Cole said in the announcement.
Cole added that “reaching another record-breaking number is not an end in itself,” and that the real measure is how research turns into new care and therapies.
Dr. Kathleen Brady, MUSC’s vice president for research, called the result outstanding at a time when winning research grants has become more competitive than ever, the university said. No other publicly assisted academic institution in South Carolina consistently brings in close to $250 million in research funding year after year, according to MUSC.
The university’s research covers cancer, community health, drug discovery, health disparities, inflammation and fibrosis, neuroscience, oral health, and stroke and spinal cord injury.
MUSC is the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, with nearly 14,000 employees, including about 1,500 faculty members, the university said. MUSC and its affiliates have combined annual budgets of more than $2.6 billion and an annual economic impact of more than $3.8 billion, according to the university.
