posted September 26, 2008
The University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga (UTCOMC), a campus of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, announced that it has received notice of receiving its first federal grant for the National Childrenʼs Study.
The National Institutes of Health sent official notice to Emory University this week that UTCOMCʼs proposal to doresearch for the study in Bradley County was approved.
Emory University will subcontract with UTCOMC for approximately $2.5 million to accomplish the goals of the grant for a five-year period.
The National Childrenʼs Study is the first study of its kind in the United States. The goal is to study 100,000 children nationally from pre-conception to age 21. Researchers will specifically examine environmental issues related to childhealth.
UTCOMC will work with Bradley County residents, so that 1,000 Bradley County children are enrolled over the5 years. Bradley County was named as one of 105 potential, national study sites by National Childrenʼs Study officials.
The county is the only currently awarded site within Tennessee.The Bradley County community has been very supportive of this study coming to the area, officials said.
Local organizations, such as SkyRidge Medical Center, The United Way of Bradley County, the Bradley County Health Council, Lee University, theKiwanis Club of Bradley County, and local politicians and health department officials have been working with UTCOMC during the grant application process. All see the study as a means for residents to work to understand and to improve childrenʼs health, it was stated.
Both Congressman Zach Wamp and Sen. Bob Corker wrote letters of support for the project.
Principal Investigators on the project include local perinatologist Dr. David Adair and local pediatrician Dr. Marvin Hall.
Drs. Greg Heath (UTCOMCʼs Director of Research and Professor and Department Head for the University of Tennessee Chattanoogaʼs Department of Health and Human Performance) and Sean Richards (University of Tennessee Chattanoogaʼs Associate Professor of Environmental Toxicology) will serve as co-investigators.
UTCOMCʼs grant writer, Kristi Strode, will serve as a community liaison within the county. Sylvia Friedl, UTCOMCʼs corporate compliance officer, will provide research compliance oversight for the project.
UTCOMCʼs Dean Dr. David Seaberg said, “This is wonderful news for this campus. Receiving this level of national attention will allow our faculty and residents the opportunity to apply for more federal grants. UTCOMCʼs foot is now in the door for federal grants, and we are grateful for Emory Universityʼs efforts to subcontract with us and mentor usthrough this process. We anticipate this is the beginning of a fruitful relationship with the National Institutes of Health.”
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