This
request is designed to address the Priorities of Government discussed
above and heighten the impact of the Research Universities’ on the
State’s economy in three critical ways. First, it will be used
to attract outstanding faculty to the state, equip their laboratories,
provide critical infrastructure through the Center for Integrated Biotechnology,
and provide matching funds needed to attract significant federal, corporate
and private funds. Next,UW TechTransfer and the WSU Office of Research
will coordinate a set of activities to enhance technology transfer and
support future competitiveness of the knowledge based economy. Finally,
the fledgling, UW/WSU Policy Consensus Center, which provides a framework
for the resolution of divisive issues, will be strengthened.
Component 1 – Research
to Enhance Health
| |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2005-07
Biennium |
| General Fund-State |
2,500,000 |
3,500,000 |
6,000,000 |
Increased
state investment is needed in university-based life science research that
will enable Washington's citizens
to capture the benefits of improved human health while assuring much brighter
state economic health. The WSU portion of this coordinated budget request
will ut ilize and build new technologies for health and job creation by creating state-funded interdisciplinary
research teams in:
(1)
Biomedical
genomic sciences
(2)
Health-related
bioproducts
(3)
Infectious
diseases and pests;
(4)
Healthy,
sustainable food systems.
This
program will be accomplished by attracting world class researchers, of National Academy stature, to lead four research
teams in each of the above areas. Funds will be used for salaries and to
equip the laboratories, provide critical infrastructure through the Center
for Integrated Biotechnology, and provide matching funds needed to make these
research programs successful. These researchers, who will be selected not
only because they are world-class researchers but also because they are world
class innovators and inventors, will then be able to leverage the state’s
funds to attract significant federal research programs and to enable the development
of spin-off companies. Moreover, because of the quality of the researchers
who will be attracted, we anticipate that technology-based companies in related
areas will be attracted, enabling effective interaction with these researchers.
State investment will be leveraged to attract
matching federal capital and operating dollars that can provide associated
undergraduate and graduate student, high technology equipment, and technical
support. The teams or “clusters” will work on fundamental and applied problems,
developing solutions uniquely needed by the state of Washington
that will enhance human health.
With
investment in these targeted university research areas, Washington's citizens
will benefit from new plants that produce new drugs and other high value products,
such as insulin or serum albumin; better control of infectious diseases, including
diseases that are transferred between species (e.g. BSE, Avian Influenza);
a more complete understanding of the metabolism of individuals; and more healthful
foods produced in more sustainable systems, with less or no dependence on
pesticides.
Moreover,
these same studies will enable improvements in the health of crops and livestock,
enhancement in the nutritional value and other health benefits of plants and
animals,
and reduction of threats from new invasive diseases and pests such as sudden
oak death. Critical shared resources
will be provided through the Center for Integrated Biotechnology that will
enable the success of these research programs.
The research initiative
not only implements WSU-specific priorities of government, but also directly
impacts POG results 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9. These results lead to enhanced education,
preparation of a workforce which can lead the state into the future, enhanced
technology transfer opportunities, including improved markets for Washington’s
products, improved health, and sound science leading to good public policy.
Through
these combined research efforts at WSU and UW, new technologies will be developed
and transferred to stimulate new industries and enhance the success of existing
industries, leading to a variety of high paying jobs within the state.
Biomedical
Genome Sciences
Expanded
state research will focus on topics such as cytogenetics to identify causal
factors in human disease, the biochemistry and molecular biology of DNA and
its repair, the molecular identification of causal factors for diseases such
as cancer, endocrine diseases and reproductive disorders, and an understanding
of individual metabolism (metabolomics), which will, in turn, lead to enhanced
drug efficacy with reduced drug-drug interactions and to the improved control
of diseases such as obesity.
The understanding of the molecular
or “genomic” basis of disease has led to major breakthroughs in medicine and
in understanding human health and well-being, with the near-term potential
for personalized medicine. Similarly, the availability of complete sequences
of genomes from plants, animals and microorganisms is opening the way for
major new technologies that will improve human health. The challenge we face
is to be able to assemble and benefit more fully from the enormous amount
of information that the modern life-science research efforts have produced.
Expanding complimentary research conducted at WSU and the UW will meet this
challenge.
Bioproducts
to enhance health
For centuries, mankind
has known that plants have medicinal properties. With the advent of modern
genomic techniques, plants can now be used as factories to produce medically
important proteins for treatment of a wide array of genetic, chronic, and
previously untreatable diseases. These plants also hold the potential to
produce and deliver vaccines against viral diseases, to produce new classes
of pain relievers, and to be used for the production of DNA-based diagnostic
systems. The emergence of these new products is based largely on the knowledge
of the genes and the products of genes that either keep us healthy
or predispose us to disease.
The discovery and production of these biomedically
active proteins are part of the current biotechnology revolution in medicine
that began with the manufacture of human insulin with a microbe genetically
modified to express a copy of a human insulin production gene. Just as the
same gene used to produce insulin in yeast can be used to produce insulin
in plants – insulin that can be extracted, purified and meet quality and safety
assurances required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S Department
of Agriculture – plants can be used to produce a wide spectrum of other high
value proteins.
In fact, hundreds of medically important proteins,
which depend on gene expression in a living system for their manufacture,
could potentially be produced in plants. The advantages of producing these
proteins in plants (so-called biopharming) over the current use of bioreactors
include lower capital costs, ease of storage, and ability to meet the growing
demand in medicine. Washington State University,
the University of Washington, and Washington agriculture are ideally positioned
scientifically, technically, and environmentally to lead this emerging industry
and capture this added value of health-related bio-products. Through this
research, new high value crops will be developed for Washington’s
farmers and new products will be developed and commercialized within the State.
Systems employed in this work will also enhance the WSU/Battelle collaborative
work designed to produce fuels and commodity chemicals from biologically based
materials. As such, this research has the potential to dramatically stimulate
broad spectrums of the economy.
Infectious
Diseases and Pests
Infectious diseases and pests, whether newly emergent
(SARS, Monkeypox, West Nile Virus, sudden oak death), accidentally (BSE, i.e.
Mad Cow Disease, Foot and Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza, cereal leaf beetle),
or intentionally (Anthrax) introduced have posed unprecedented and unexpected
challenges to public health over the last two decades.
Because over 70% of all known animal infectious
disease agents can be transferred to humans, such “zoonotic” diseases have
the potential to dramatically adversely impact human health and economically
devastate the agricultural animal industry within the state.
Researchers at WSU and the UW have been at the
forefront in the collaborative development of technologies that substantially
enhanced our capability for early recognition and characterization of infectious
diseases, response to those diseases, and development of prevention measures.
Capitalizing on the genomics revolution, this research initiative builds on
that success to understand how emerging infectious agents evolve in and adapt
to their normal habitats, whether in soil or water sources, biofilms, vectors,
or some other niche (microbial ecology); how that habitat can be modified
to reduce or eliminate these agents (biocontrol); what factors govern their
emergence from a natural environment into pathogens that cause human and animal
disease or that are resistant to antibiotics (virulence factors); how disease
emergence can be predicted (predictive epidemiology) and either prevented
or recognized very early (genomics based vaccines, molecular diagnostics and
disease surveillance); and what integrative methods can be developed to rapidly
control emergent disease outbreaks (vertical, team-based response). In so
doing, this research will facilitate the development of new industries focused
on providing solutions to such infectious disease agents and on minimizing
the adverse economic impacts of these diseases on trade, infrastructure costs,
and consumer confidence.
Healthy,
Sustainable Food Systems
Washington agriculture, valued at
about $30 billion annually, produces some of the highest quality food in the
world, both fresh and processed for local, national, and export markets.
Nevertheless, because of natural contaminants and the use of pesticides, questions
continue to be raised as to the safety of the food products. Moreover, for
a state in which a significant fraction of the population is overweight or
obese, some 350,000 resident have diabetes, and hundreds suffer from diseases
that are best managed or even prevented through improved nutrition, healthy,
sustainable foods will improve the health and help reduce health care costs.
Research at the frontiers of genomics and metabolomics
has the potential to improve the safety and nutritional value of foods and
provide a deeper understanding of human nutrition—improving health and providing
new opportunities for businesses and employment for the people of Washington.
These studies will also facilitate the development
of a growing industry within the state – the production of food without the use of pesticides. When pest/plant
interactions are understood, the plants can be bred or natural predators introduced
to further enable this already developing industry to flourish within the
State.Through genomic understanding of these systems,
protein content in potatoes can be increased by 2- to 3-fold, gluten intolerance,
a condition that affects 3 million people nationwide, can be eliminated, antioxidant
and other health benefits of apples can be enhanced, and more rapid and sensitive
molecular methods for detection of food borne pathogens can be detected. These and other potential improvements in food
and human nutrition offer unlimited opportunities for creating new technologies
and new markets for Washington agricultural products while reducing health care costs.
Component 2 – Coordinated Technology
Transfer
| |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2005-07
Biennium |
| General Fund-State |
350,000 |
350,000 |
700,000 |
WSU and UW foster economic development by promoting
the transition of research from the laboratory to the marketplace. While
this is only one aspect of the larger research mission, nonetheless it is
an important one upon which we are increasingly judged, and upon which we
regularly leverage our other missions. In an unprecedented step, the UW and
WSU will coordinate UW TechTransfer and WSU Office of Research activities
to enhance the transfer of university-based discoveries to benefit Washington’s economy.
The coordinated technology
transfer program directly implements components of Priority of Government
results 2, 3 and 6 by providing mechanisms to enhance the employment rates
and earning potentials of Washington’s residents, increasing the value of
post-secondary education, and enhancing the state’s economic vitality through
new markets, increased productivity, and improved coordination, all of which
will lead to economic development.
Both WSU and UW have established programs that
facilitate the movement of new discoveries into established or newly created
businesses. The results of these efforts have resulted in products and services
that have improved healthcare, and improved crops produced in agribusiness,
played a major role in deciphering the human genome, and fostered a cluster
of medical device companies. Furthermore, these partnerships with industry
have created significant employment in the state. Specific, directed programs
are proposed to enhance the ability of both universities
to market inventions more effectively to businesses within the state and further enhance the commercial impact
of the state’s research universities.
Enhance the transfer of new discoveries to companies based
in the state of Washington.
Several coordinated approaches will be employed to more effectively connect
companies in state with new discoveries made at the state’s research universities.
UW and WSU will organize and host events to market discoveries to companies
in the state. Companies will be invited to learn about new discoveries in
their area of business and to discuss opportunities for additional collaborative
research or licensing. In addition, we propose the development and maintenance
of a database of companies in the state to use for the marketing of discoveries.
Both activities will be supported by a coordinator for in-state marketing
and technology licensing within UW TechTransfer and WSU Office of Intellectual
Property Administration. These programs will result in a more rapid distribution
of knowledge about discoveries made at the universities and more rapidly move
these discoveries into local businesses for development and commercialization.
Prototype Fund: Establish a Prototype Fund, jointly administered
by the Office of Research at WSU and by UW TechTransfer, to enhance the commercial
potential of early-stage university discoveries. Most discoveries and innovations
that are made in university research programs occur at a very early stage
in the commercialization continuum, and rarely lend themselves to immediate
commercialization. Moreover, our industry partners are often not in a position
to invest in them without further "proof-of-concept" or other additional
development work. Unfortunately, funds for development projects like this
are rarely available from granting agencies. Many promising technologies
languish or simply die in this gap because they are too applied for further
academic research funding, but not yet developed enough to attract industry
investment. The Prototype Fund will address this problem by providing targeted
funds for further development to a competitively selected group of innovations.
The Fund will focus on discrete projects of relatively short duration (6 to
12 months) that have significant commercial potential but require additional
commercially directed research. An external panel will be employed to review
projects and provide advice on the feasibility and commercial
value of projects supported by the Fund.
Company Creation: New companies can result from university-based
discoveries. While both UW and WSU have an impressive history of company
starts from their research programs, the potential exists to facilitate more
of these ventures. Several coordinated activities will be employed to facilitate
company creation. One limiting factor to company creation is identifying
and attracting experienced managers and entrepreneurs to participate in company
starts. Most professional venture capitalists will not invest in a start-up
that is run by a faculty member, so it is important to employ company structures
and form management teams that are attractive for investment. One key feature
of the proposed initiative is a program to identify and attract experienced
managers and entrepreneurs to start-up opportunities from research institutions.
Another feature of the program is support for mentoring services for start-ups
– management, financial, business plan development, HR issues. We envision
this to be a service provided by the Office of Intellectual Property Administration
at WSU and UW TechTransfer that will provide assistance, advice, and a clear,
consistent roadmap to entrepreneurs and faculty who wish to establish companies
based on research at the universities. Two other important components to
facilitate company creation are the creation of a seed fund for university-based
start-ups, and the establishment of start-up incubator facilities on both
the WSU and UW campuses. These initiatives will provide initial support and
space to allow nascent companies to mature until they can attract significant
outside investment.
Component 3 – Policy Consensus Center
| |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2005-07
Biennium |
| General Fund-State |
350,000 |
350,000 |
700,000 |
Public policy problems in the Northwest are more
complex and numerous than ever. Included in the list of problems are those associated
with the environment, concerns the value of new technologies, the appropriate
expenditure of public funds and inter- jurisdictional conflict. Moreover,
among stakeholders, resolution of these problems is becoming increasingly
intense and polarized in nature. The result is most conflicts end up in lengthy
litigation.
The Policy Consensus Center
directly implements Priority of Government 11 and enhances the impact of other
state programs on POG 9.
To provide assistance in finding other ways to
resolve public policy conflicts. Washington State University (WSU) and
the University of Washington (UW) are joining forces to develop the Policy
Consensus Center (PCC). The universities have been urged by community, appointed
and elected leaders to establish the Center. The PCC s mission will
be to act as a neutral source of expertise to improve the availability and
quality of voluntary collaborative approaches to policy development and multi-party
disputes. The Center will be dedicated to providing assistance to government,
tribal, business, agricultural, environmental, and other community leaders.
The founding board for the Center has been appointed and several pilot projects
are underway.
The PCC will provide four core services:
1)
assessment
of conflict situations and access to knowledgeable, experienced neutral experts
or other resources to assistance in multi-party public disputes;
2)
education
programs and other resources to assist community leaders, public agencies,
stakeholder groups, and individuals in acquiring the capacity to undertake
collaborative problem solving to avoid disputes, manage disputes, and engage
in constructive dispute resolution;
3)
applied
research to identify and document promising approaches to conflict resolution.
The Center will:
a.
act
as a gateway to research on collaborative problem solving and dispute resolution
and
b.
if
requested by stakeholders in multi-party public disputes, undertake research
on specific issues that can contribute to collaborative problem solving.
4)
provide
neutral forums wherein stakeholders can explore resolution to emerging public
policy issues.
The partnership between the University
of Washington and Washington State University
gives the PCC a statewide reach and a broad resource base. With offices on
both campuses, the PCC will act as a conduit between Washington’s premier
research universities and citizens/ policy makers dealing with significant
public policy concerns. In turn, the PCC will bring real-world policy issues
to the campuses, helping advance the university’s research, teaching, and
public service missions.
Performance
Measures
If fully funded, this decision package will increase
WSU’s extramurual funding, the number of jobs directly and indirectly supported
by research funding and the number of graduate degrees conferred each year.
The state investment leverages funds from federal,
local, industrial, and private sources that enhance the education of undergraduate
and graduate students, and that provide fundamental and applied knowledge
that advances the state’s economy. Because WSU is successfully attracting
funding from a diverse sponsor portfolio, we anticipate that we will continue
to successfully grow these expenditures. Additional state investment,
as requested by WSU, will accelerate this growth.
The leveraged research investment also requires
that WSU employ faculty, technicians, administrative staff, and students within
the State. These employees, in turn, spend money in the state, producing
indirect benefits. Furthermore, while not counted in these numbers,
other entities, including the Federal government, employ many within the state
to be close to and able to collaborate with WSU researchers.
Graduate students employed on research funds are
a direct consequence of WSU research programs. As research expenditures
grow, the number of graduate students educated at WSU also grows. Upon
graduation, these students often locate in the State, providing highly creative
personnel for the State’s employers and serving as entrepreneurs for new industries
within the state.
