Nebraska State Senators are considering completely eliminating $15 million dollars in biomedical research in the special session that started today. The cut is part of LB 2, introduced by Sen. Robert Clements, Chair of the Appropriations Committee. UNMC, Creighton, Boys Town National Research Hospital, UNL, UN), and UNK all receive this funding and have leveraged it to bring over $1.5 Billion in federal research dollars to Nebraska. Eliminating this state funding risks losing federal funding and creates a tremendous negative economic impact on our state.
The $15 million dollars comes from the Nebraska Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund, created after the 1998 legal settlement between tobacco companies and states. The biomedical research funding is intended to increase scientific knowledge, improve public health outcomes, and address critical health issues such as infectious diseases, cancer, obesity, and minority health disparities. This investment strengthens the overall biomedical research capabilities of Nebraska’s academic and research institutions.
Tell senators to oppose cutting biomedical research!
Institutions receiving money from the settlement fund with their 2022-23 allocations
University of Nebraska Medical Center – $ 7,885,471
University of Nebraska at Omaha – $ 351,324.44
University of Nebraska-Lincoln – $2,831,484
University of Nebraska at Kearny – $76,499.26
Creighton University – $2,396,941.52
Boys Town National Research Hospital – $1,443,288.59
Examples of Funded Projects
University of Nebraska Medical Center/University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has partnered with the University of Nebraska to develop drug therapies to protect military personnel from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) that could result from a nuclear accident or a nuclear weapons incident. The Nebraska Tobacco Settlement funds allow them to hire qualified teams to research and develop the medications. Pharmaceutical companies lack an interest in this type of drug development because of lower profitability through public sales.
Creighton University
Researchers at Creighton’s Lynch Cancer Research Center use funding to conduct research designed to prevent and treat skin cancer. The research aims to stop cancer cells from escaping destruction, which allows them to grow and spread.
Other Tobacco Settlement funded research examines Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Transmitted by ticks, Lyme disease can affect a person’s entire body and significantly reduce their quality of life. The researcher’s goal is to identify antimicrobials that can be used to treat Lyme disease.
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Boys Town National Research Hospital has launched a mobile research trailer equipped with advanced technology for hearing, speech, and hearing aid tests. The project’s goal is to improve the diagnosis of ear infections and middle ear problems in children. They also target diverse communities that experience challenges accessing care including children in rural areas.
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The Biomechanics Rehabilitation and Manufacturing Initiative (BRMI) focuses on improving the quality of life for people with upper extremity injuries or amputations. A licensed occupational therapist who specializes in hand and upper extremity therapy provides rehabilitation services and the creation of low-cost assistive devices for community members. This free upper extremity clinic has served over 160 patients from the area.
University of Nebraska at Kearney
UNK invested most of their Tobacco Settlement funds in grant writing workshops to assist participants in writing federal grant requests. Since the summer of 2021, grant writing workshop participants brought in almost $1.2 million from three National Institutes of Health grants. This dollar amount represents a 23-fold return on the state’s investment.
The rest of the funds were used to buy and maintain equipment and instruments needed to conduct medical research. This research includes developing medical products, assisting in chemical identification, supporting sports medicine, and improving how we assess and treat injuries and pain.
