When the University Board of Regents adopted a proposal to create the Life Sciences Institute in May, it was well aware of the extent of the project. The Life Sciences Institute is fundemental to the University's continued growth.
A report prepared for the regents stated that the goal of the institute, "Simply stated ... is to place Michigan at the forefront, in a position of leadership, for research and education in the life sciences."
The final cost of the complex that will house the LSI is $200 million. Portions of state funds ($50 million split annually among University of Michigan, Wayne State and Michigan State University) will also enable the construction of the facility. To help fund the project, Parke-Davis recently donated $5 million to support a bioinformatics program in the new institute.
This form of fundraising is an outstanding way to augment the development of the LSI, as well as other future University ventures. The University should actively seek out more donators to facilitate such works.
But this does not mean selling advertising space on every inch of University grounds. Rather, the University should remain on the lookout for philanthropists or companies seeking public admiration for furthering education in sciences such as bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics is an expanding field within the life sciences that the University cannot afford to ignore. The field involves microbiological data that can be stored and analyzed using computer technology. A chief project, entitled the Human Genome Project, expects to determine the sequence of DNA in the human genome, and is on pace to be completed by 2003 - the same year in which the University intends to complete the LSI.
With the information gathered from the Human Genome Project, huge medical breakthroughs are expected. Such cutting edge progress is the reason why so many students and staff devote their time and money to the life sciences. With further funding and an elite staff, the University could be a worldwide leader in research and education in the field within a few years.
Naturally, some may claim that private grants could negatively influence research. This is a legitimate complaint and the University should prevent private interests from guiding or manipulating research.
In this specific case there appears to be no plan by Parke-Davis to interfere with research. In fact, the company, with one facility in Ann Arbor and another in Holland, Mich., has previously donated money to University projects, and no such problems have arisen. As long as the donors remain impartial to research conducted at the LSI, no conflicts should materialize.
Alumni, current students and staff have many reasons to take pride in University facilities. By adapting to the times, there can be many more reasons to be proud. Ignoring valuable sources of money for significant undertakings is an option, but not one that should be considered.
09-24-99
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