With the help of U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s profile and prestige is continuing to grow on the national stage.
UAB, an R1 research intensive university and leading academic medical center, is also the largest employer in Alabama with more than 35,000 employees.
When asked for comment about an April 30 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing — Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation, at which U.S. Senator Katie Britt introduced UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., to give testimony about the national impact of UAB’s research efforts — UAB Vice President for Research Chris Brown, Ph.D., thanked Britt for her critical leadership in securing the opportunity for Sleckman to testify about UAB’s life-saving work.
“Senator Britt’s remarks at the hearing and her ongoing support of federal research funding underscore her deep understanding of what we do and the importance of institutions like ours in fighting and curing deadly diseases,” Brown said.
He added, “Desperately needed discoveries are happening every day, and we appreciate Senator Britt’s efforts to continue that momentum and to promote understanding of the critical partnership between the federal government and UAB’s research enterprise as we tackle the most significant health challenges of our time.”
UAB was also referenced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a May 14 Senate hearing and then again in a May 20 Senate hearing. Kennedy highlighted UAB last week as a top example of a university that has been a judicious and responsible steward of federal research dollars.
On Tuesday, he also stressed he knows UAB “badly need(s)” research funding from the federal government.
“They’re doing cutting-edge research, and they need that money that was going through indirect costs,” Kennedy affirmed.
Later in the same hearing, Britt thanked Kennedy for his praise of UAB and followed up on the topic. Alabama’s Senator outlined that she and Kennedy have engaged in “continued dialogue” about NIH research funding.
Kennedy committed to continuing those discussions with Britt and revealed that her input has made a significant impact.
“And based upon some of our conversations and conversation I’ve continued to have expressing your concerns, particularly for the state schools that do not (large) endowments, that really need lab support … and all the things that you need to do first-class science, we want to be paying for that,” Kennedy said.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
