The data on the  comes from the Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT) from the NIH.

David Scott, PhD, associate dean for Research and Enterprise at ULSD, says continued growth of the school’s research program stems in part from the Research Challenge Trust Fund, which is also known as Bucks for Brains. This program, which was first enacted by the Kentucky legislature in 1997, committed additional funds for research at universities.

“Bucks for Brains allowed ULSD to invest in clinical and PhD scientists and to steadily improve our research capabilities and successes,” he said.

This research has an impact far beyond Kentucky, he adds.

“ULSD’s research helps to identify problems related to dentistry. By seeking insight into these problems, we can ultimately find ways and means to improve and prevent dental diseases, conditions and their systemic consequences around the world,” Scott said.

The research at ULSD focuses on three areas in particular: craniofacial developmental biology, oral microbiology and oral immunology.ĚýHowever, Scott notes that the school’s research presence is growing in other areas due to recent investments in tenure-track faculty. Those areas are oral imaging, clinical periodontics, behavioral sciences and dental materials.

Scott says collaboration with others at the University of Louisville has also contributed to the dental school’s research success.Ěý

“Within UofL, our collaborations include, but are not limited to, projects developed alongside individuals in the Speed School of Engineering, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,” Scott said. “Such bridge-building has facilitated success in federal research training grants designed to maximize opportunities for the next generation of dental scientists.”

This story was written by Paige Moore and originally appeared on the .Ěý

“This is great news for our community and those touched by UofL’s research in medicine, education, engineering, art and countless other disciplines,” said Dr. Robert S. Keynton, UofL’s interim executive vice president for research and innovation. “Our faculty work tirelessly to secure the funding needed to explore, test and translate that research, so it can change, improve and even save lives.”

Preliminary numbers from Keynton’s office show UofL faculty received more than $152 million in competitive awards last fiscal year, an increase of $14 million over the previous year.

Among the projects receiving grants:

• $18.1 million/5 years from the National Institutes of Health for a biomedical research center. Professor Nigel Cooper in Anatomical Science/Neurobiology runs the center which includes building a capacity for bioinformatics to serve the needs of genomics researchers at universities across the state.
• $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation to develop a small additive manufacturing platform using microrobots and 3D printing. Speed School of Engineering professor Dan Popa secured the grant. Popa directs the Next Generation Systems robotics lab.
• $1.5 million from the Kentucky Department of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą to support systems for improving students’ academic and behavioral (disciplinary) outcomes in every Kentucky school district. College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development faculty Terry Scott received the grant.

UofL faculty received a preliminary total of 950 grants from federal and state government as well as private sources in 2018-19.