The Ohio State College of Medicine has set a new research funding record, with a $56 million increase, which is a 13% increase from the $421.4 million funding total in 2023. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo
The Ohio State College of Medicine has set a new research-funding record, marking a $56 million, or 13%, increase from 2023.
Ohio State’s College of Medicine has secured a total of $477.3 million in research funding for the 2024 fiscal year, said Carol Bradford, dean of the College of Medicine. In addition, she said significant contributions come from the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and other federal and state grants.
The majority of the $447.3 million was received through grants that fund various research projects at the college, Bradford said. The NIH — the primary funder of biomedical research in the country — is responsible for funding over half of the research funds, or roughly $245 million, Bradford said.
The college’s research projects range from a $15 million NIH-funded study on molecular mechanisms to find solutions for long COVID to a $20 million grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to fund the State of Ohio Adversity and Resilience study, a multi-generational venture that investigates biological, psychological and social patterns associated with mental health conditions in families, Bradford said.
“We want to do life-saving and life-enhancing research so that we can improve the health of Ohioans and all Americans,” Bradford said.
Due to the highly competitive nature of grant funding, Bradford said she estimates only about 10% of grant proposals receive external financial support. The college works to help faculty and scientists become part of that 10% by demonstrating to grant funders like the NIH that their proposed research will have a positive impact on the community and provide new knowledge.
“We have really a diverse portfolio of grants,” Bradford said. “But regardless of whether it’s health services, research or clinical trials — or more foundational basic science research — the key is putting forward a really strong proposal.”
Daniel Jonas, director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the college and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, is part of the CATALYST Clinical Scholars Program, which received a five-year training grant in 2023 funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
With this grant, Jonas said the program can train postdoctoral fellows in health services research to equip them with skills to become academic faculty or pursue other types of health service research paths.
The members of the Clinical Scholars program taken at the end of the 2023-24 academic year featuring Daniel Jonas (front left). Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Jonas
Jonas also received a $2.5 million grant from AHRQ for a study comparing evidence-based interventions in primary care practices addressing substance use disorders, called “The STop UNhealthy — STUN — Substance Use Now Trial — STUN II.” This study was made possible through grant funding, Jonas said.
“If we didn’t get that grant, it just wouldn’t happen,” Jonas said. “There’s not enough other sources to fund that type of work, given the scope and scale and just how much it costs to work with 50 primary care practices roughly from all over the state.”
Though grant funding is difficult to obtain, faculty at the college have proven themselves to be strong candidates, which is why Bradford said she thinks achieving the record was achievable.
“Our National Institutes of Health Research awards have climbed every single year, as have our total research awards,” Bradford said. “That’s really due to great science, our existing faculty having the mentorship and support — and being so talented that they’re getting their work funding and providing support to recruiting new talent — and our existing faculty being really successful in their research funding.”
Jonas said the $477.3 million record likewise reflects high-quality leadership and mentorship within the college.
“[The record] is really exciting, and I think it’s a testament to the leadership, to Dean Bradford and her team, and in my department, Dr. Rama Mallampalli and his team — he’s our department chair — and just what they’ve done to support the right infrastructure and to encourage and mentor people in the right way,” Jonas said.
