The University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine has received a five-year $18.4 million grant to help develop the next generation of biomedical researchers by promoting the industry at various UH campuses, Chaminade University and Hawaii Pacific University.

The grant is part of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences’ IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence program and marks the second round of multi-year funding that JABSOM has received to boost biomedical research in Hawaii. (The first grant helped fund the development of facilities and support for entry-level researchers.)

The funding is distributed among public and private higher education institutions that have come together in an initiative known as the Hawaii Statewide Research and Education Partnership. The partners aim to capitalize on Hawaii’s marine and plant life and develop bio-medicines. They also hope to investigate health disparities within Hawaii’s diverse population. 

Photo: A UH Manoa student studies the biomedical sciences. (Courtesy of UHM)

— Alia Wong