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Research
The increased space for basic science research and creation of the CCTR has enabled us to move more easily toward the translation of basic science discoveries into new and novel treatments for patients.
VCU School of Medicine uses the following resources to conduct research
Information about our core laboratories
For information about our core laboratories, please see the VCU Office of Research website.
Additional resources for clinical research are available within the SOM Clinical Research Administration group as well as the Center for Clinical and Translational Research website.Learn more
Bricks and Mortar: The most recent additions to research space include the Goodwin Research Building, opened in 2005 to support research in the Massey Cancer Center, the Molecular Medicine Research Building (opened in 2009), the Pauley Heart Center (on the seventh floor of Sanger Hall, completed in fall 2012), the Massey Cancer Center vivarium (completed in fall 2012) and the expansion of space for our Structural Biology Core in the basement of the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center (completed in fall 2013). All new labs are organized in an open lab format to encourage research collaboration. The receipt of an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award in 2010 led to the creation of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), located in the old Richmond Academy of Medicine Building. The increased space for basic science research and creation of the CCTR has enabled us to move more easily toward the translation of basic science discoveries into new and novel treatments for patients.
The VCU School of Medicine’s Research Space Guidelines serve to document the criteria that guide the School’s Dean in the distribution of research space
The VCU School of Medicine’s Research Space Guidelines serve to document the criteria that guide the School’s Dean in the distribution of wet bench research space within the School of Medicine (SOM). These guidelines will be reviewed and revised periodically to ensure that research space is utilized effectively and in accordance with changing goals, priorities and funding levels. These guidelines refer to wet bench research only.
Unassigned research space will be recorded in the Dean’s Office room inventory until assigned. Common support space for equipment and freezers will be assigned to faculty in open format lab configurations in proportion to their assigned bench space, as detailed below.
Research award dollars per square foot of research and research-related space will be used as the primary criterion for evaluating research space utilization. Square footage will be based on actual laboratory dimensions in locations with “closed labs,” including selected labs in KMSB , McGuire Hall and McGuire Annex, Smith Building, and Sanger Hall floors that have not undergone renovation. In buildings (Goodwin, Molecular Medicine) and on floors of Sanger Hall where labs are in the open format (currently floors 2, 3 and 7 Pauley Heart) we have converted square feet to research modules. The calculation is described below.
Calculation of $ per square foot
Individual faculty must submit requests for additional space by filling out the form available at the SOM Research website and sending it to Beth Kiser (elizabeth.kiser@vcuhealth.org). Requests for additional space will be evaluated by the Space Committee (Beth Kiser, Keith Hayes, Gordon Archer and Amy Sebring) and recommendations will be submitted to the Dean for final approval. All new and competing grant proposals that anticipate needing additional space if the proposal is funded should include plans for space expansion in their internal routing form at the time of grant submission.
Department chairs may submit a written appeal to the Dean within two weeks of the Dean’s decision if he/she can provide additional justification for the requested action.