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Top 3 among private institutions
for grant research funding
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of for half of a post-doctoral position if a faculty member
Pharmacy (COP) is ranked No. 3 among private writes the other half of the funding into the grant
application.
colleges in obtaining grant research funding, “It’s a nice incentive,” he said. “Most of our funded faculty
according to a recently-released report from the have a postdoc who can work unencumbered and spend
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy most of their energy on research. They’re not part of a
(AACP). training program. They really are scientists helping to
increase the productivity in the lab.” WesternU provides
support for research through tuition remission and stipend
COP reported about $1.9 million in grants for the
government’s fiscal calendar ending Sept. 30, 2014, ranking support, and Dean Robinson is a national leader in
it third among private colleges of pharmacy in the U.S., supporting pharmacy research, said Stephen O’Barr, PhD,
behind only the University of Southern California and Chair of COP’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Northeastern University. There are 135 schools and colleges “Dean Robinson is 100 percent behind our research efforts,”
of pharmacy, including 69 private institutions and 66 O’Barr said. “He’s been able to provide us the resources
publicly-supported institutions. required to become nationally competitive.”
“Research is an important part of faculty activities, so it’s Research funding levels from government and non-
always been our goal to increase research productivity. We’ve government agencies are decreasing, and simply maintaining
invested in this program and it’s really paying off,” said COP funding levels is becoming more difficult, even on the largest
Dean Daniel Robinson, PharmD, FASHP. “Our faculty have research campuses, O’Barr said.
been very successful at submitting competitive grants. It’s “To show sustained increases in funding is significant for an
really very gratifying to see how much energy and effort goes academic unit in the current environment,” he said.
into our research programs.” COP set a goal in its strategic “Underlying this success is our department’s commitment to
plan in 2007 to reach the top 10 in research funding for interprofessional collaborations within, and outside of, the
private universities, Robinson said. The college has university.”
consistently climbed the ranks in recent years, from No. 17
in 2011 to No. 10 in 2012 to No. 7 in 2013. In the past two years, the department’s grant expenditures
have increased 90 percent, along with steady increases in the
COP has increased the size of its Master of Science in number of its publications and abstracts.
Pharmaceutical Sciences program, which supports faculty
research efforts. Now faculty members have the equivalent of “The College of Pharmacy’s transition to gaining a national
1.5 graduate students. Each year they have someone either reputation for research will continue to attract high-quality
completing the program or starting the program, so there is students and faculty,” O’Barr said.
overlap where a more seasoned student can help train a
newer student. Robinson also offered for the college to pay
“To show sustained increases in funding is significant for an academic
unit in the current environment. Underlying this success is our
department’s commitment to interprofessional collaborations within,
and outside of, the university.”
12 WesternU, College of Pharmacy
for grant research funding
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of for half of a post-doctoral position if a faculty member
Pharmacy (COP) is ranked No. 3 among private writes the other half of the funding into the grant
application.
colleges in obtaining grant research funding, “It’s a nice incentive,” he said. “Most of our funded faculty
according to a recently-released report from the have a postdoc who can work unencumbered and spend
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy most of their energy on research. They’re not part of a
(AACP). training program. They really are scientists helping to
increase the productivity in the lab.” WesternU provides
support for research through tuition remission and stipend
COP reported about $1.9 million in grants for the
government’s fiscal calendar ending Sept. 30, 2014, ranking support, and Dean Robinson is a national leader in
it third among private colleges of pharmacy in the U.S., supporting pharmacy research, said Stephen O’Barr, PhD,
behind only the University of Southern California and Chair of COP’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Northeastern University. There are 135 schools and colleges “Dean Robinson is 100 percent behind our research efforts,”
of pharmacy, including 69 private institutions and 66 O’Barr said. “He’s been able to provide us the resources
publicly-supported institutions. required to become nationally competitive.”
“Research is an important part of faculty activities, so it’s Research funding levels from government and non-
always been our goal to increase research productivity. We’ve government agencies are decreasing, and simply maintaining
invested in this program and it’s really paying off,” said COP funding levels is becoming more difficult, even on the largest
Dean Daniel Robinson, PharmD, FASHP. “Our faculty have research campuses, O’Barr said.
been very successful at submitting competitive grants. It’s “To show sustained increases in funding is significant for an
really very gratifying to see how much energy and effort goes academic unit in the current environment,” he said.
into our research programs.” COP set a goal in its strategic “Underlying this success is our department’s commitment to
plan in 2007 to reach the top 10 in research funding for interprofessional collaborations within, and outside of, the
private universities, Robinson said. The college has university.”
consistently climbed the ranks in recent years, from No. 17
in 2011 to No. 10 in 2012 to No. 7 in 2013. In the past two years, the department’s grant expenditures
have increased 90 percent, along with steady increases in the
COP has increased the size of its Master of Science in number of its publications and abstracts.
Pharmaceutical Sciences program, which supports faculty
research efforts. Now faculty members have the equivalent of “The College of Pharmacy’s transition to gaining a national
1.5 graduate students. Each year they have someone either reputation for research will continue to attract high-quality
completing the program or starting the program, so there is students and faculty,” O’Barr said.
overlap where a more seasoned student can help train a
newer student. Robinson also offered for the college to pay
“To show sustained increases in funding is significant for an academic
unit in the current environment. Underlying this success is our
department’s commitment to interprofessional collaborations within,
and outside of, the university.”
12 WesternU, College of Pharmacy
