Frequently Asked Questions: Research

What is medical genomics?

Genomic medicine pinpoints the normal and abnormal functions of individual genes and patterns of gene responses to different stresses and uses this information to diagnose and treat diseases. Genomic medicine allows diagnosis, treatment, and prevention therapies to be customized to each person.

What is biotechnology?

Biotechnology is a collection of technologies that capitalize on the attributes of cells, such as their manufacturing capabilities, and put biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, to work for us.

What areas of research will the partnership pursue?

One of the primary goals of the partnership is to improve lives. The partnership will fund only those research projects that the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota could not perform individually. The priority is to focus on research that advances the understanding of a disease, have a high expectation for success, and that will result in a successful National Institutes of Health grant application within two years. Areas we're most interested in pursuing include disease prevention, diagnosis, or therapeutics, and focus on priority disease areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or neurologic disease. The goal is to fully leverage novel applications of recent advances in biotechnology, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics to improve lives.

Will the research be public?

Yes. The research will be made public just as all other research is made public through peer-reviewed publication process and wider dissemination as appropriate.

What kind of interest have you seen from faculty in doing collaborative research?

An initial request for proposal (RFP) was sent to all faculty at the Mayo Clinic and at the University's Twin Cities and Duluth campuses. We were pleased to receive more than 30 collaborative research proposals that involved 128 University investigators representing 12 colleges and 121 Mayo Clinic investigators. A first review of the 34 research proposals showed an impressive range of research interests and a high level of quality. Those that are not funded through the partnership are being encouraged to submit their research proposals for potential federal funding.

Who will decide what research you pursue?

Researchers will decide where areas of collaboration exist. An internal review panel will make recommendations to narrow the field of research and an external panel will help to judge the scientific merits of the final proposals. The partnership is committed to those research proposals that place a priority on disease prevention, diagnosis, or therapeutics and focus and in priority disease areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or neurologic disease.

Will you accept state money if restrictions are placed on the kind of research you are allowed to pursue?

No. The University of Minnesota has a strong history of allowing the freedom of faculty to pursue areas of scientific inquiry. There is appropriate federal, state, and institutional oversight to ensure that the best scientific endeavors receive support. The decisions of what research interests should be pursued are a question of science.

How many will you fund in Phase One?

We are able to fund up to $3 million of the $21.8 million requested in the collaborative research proposals, or less than 15 percent of the total in research proposal requests received.

When using Mayo's extensive database of electronic medical records, how will patient confidentiality or consent be ensured in your research?

Leadership from Mayo Clinic and the University agree that ensuring patient confidentiality is a priority. Embedded in every aspect of the partnership are the principles that individual patient data will remain confidential, that all research will comply with all state and federal laws, and all research will be subject to University and Mayo Clinic review boards that protect patients who participate in clinical research as well as animals used for research. The Partnership also will adhere to all of federal government HIPAA regulations that also ensure the security and privacy of patient data.

What will you do with the proposals that do not receive funding?

We will encourage these collaborators to seek federal funding from the NIH or hold their research ideas in the hopes of Phase Two funding.

Who chooses the finalists to receive Phase One funding?

Final research proposals will be reviewed by a committee of distinguished scientists from outside the University and Mayo, and the awardees will be chosen and announced by February 1, 2004, at which time the two-year projects will commence.

Are you using any state money to lobby for this partnership?

No.