U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor highlighted today the jobs and research accomplishments at USF Health, partly spurred on with investments made at USF and Moffitt Cancer Center through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Castor participated in USF Health’s “Research Means Hope: News from the Front Lines,” an event to explore the research contributions made by USF Health scientists.
“USF researchers are at the forefront of innovation,” Castor said. “From studying Alzheimer’s disease to juvenile diabetes, the work done by USF’s outstanding scientists is making a difference in people’s lives. They are finding the cures and working to prevent disease.”
In fiscal year 2009-10, USF received more than $125 million in NIH money. (USF researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center received about $50 million of that.) Moffitt has been awarded more than $25 million from the Recovery Act, supporting more than 420 jobs in our area.
Earlier this year, Castor was instrumental in helping USF Health secure $6 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for its PaperFree Florida initiative. PaperFree Florida is bringing electronic prescribing to the Tampa Bay area while creating jobs in the health care and information technology sectors. This initiative has been estimated to support about 100 jobs. In total, USF has received over $24 million from the Recovery Act.
“USF and Moffitt are creating and supporting the high-tech, good-paying jobs of the 21st Century,” Castor said. “They are vital economic drivers.”
USF Health’s event today was part of the university’s ResearchOne, the school’s annual celebration of science, innovation and creativity. Castor also highlighted the outstanding work of the College of Marine Sciences on the BP oil disaster. Their work, she said, has garnered national and international attention by their peers and the media.
“We pressed hard to get BP to invest $10 million to allow Florida researchers to continue their work, and we are working hard to secure additional long term research dollars,” Castor said. “Our researchers are helping us understand the short-term and long-term impact of the oil pollution from the disaster. BP must continue funding their work.”
