October 28, 2003

Boise State BioMedical Researchers Benefit From $9.89 Million Grant

A new high-speed, fiber-based telecommunications system, funded with a $9.89 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, will provide Boise State’s biomedical researchers with powerful new tools to access the latest research studies via the Internet and collaborate in real time with their counterparts in six Western states. The new NIH grant funds the formation of a telecommunications network for biomedical researchers in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada. Called Lariat, the network will enable scientists and educators to take advantage of the wealth of remote research resources, collaborations, and expertise that are routinely available to scientists in more populated areas of the country. Boise State biology professor Julia Oxford, who coordinates the university’s Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN), says the NIH grant brings many benefits to Boise State’s growing biomedical research community, including the ability to access technology sites such as the San Diego Supercomputing Center. In addition, the new system will make communication much easier by enabling researchers at different institutions to meet “face to face” in virtual meetings in real time. This project will create two types of networks. One will upgrade the Internet connectivity of the six participating states. The other will be a research network composed of biomedical researchers whose productivity will be increased through collaboration, training and access to research tools The Lariat project is led by biomedical researchers at Montana State University and the University of Washington. The network is expected to take two to three years to complete an is intended to be a model for future projects elsewhere. -30- Contact Julia Oxford Biology 208 426-2395 Media contact Janelle Brown communications and marketing 208 426-1790