2008 Key Federal Legislative Priorities

Faculty, staff, students, and alumni are encouraged to contact their respective United States Senate and United States House of Representatives members to inform them how the key legislative priorities will further the academic and health care missions of VCU and the VCU Health System.  For your convenience, click here for a link to contact information for your elected representatives.  For a reminder of guidelines for taking public policy positions or offering public comments, please click here.

Massey Cancer Center Research Vivarium. Funding is sought for the renovation of a proposed 7500 sq. ft animal research facility to provide the proper state-of-the-art space to accommodate the current and planned pre-clinical and translational cancer research activities.  Animal research is a vital link between branch research and clinical trials – translating science into improved care of cancer patients.   Specifically, the goal of this project is to achieve rapid deployment of advancements in cancer research from laboratory to patients; and the development of clinical protocols to advance cancer treatment in underrepresented minorities.

Atlantic Rivers Institute.  The Atlantic Rivers Institute is a collaboration of VCU, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), and Charles City County, Virginia.  The Institute will formally coordinate and advance river-related research, education, conservation, management, public health, as well as historical and cultural activities with respect to Atlantic coast rivers.  Located in Charles City County, Virginia, the Institute will build upon an existing array of land assets, infrastructure and personnel, including VCU’s Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences; the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery, the Presquile National Wildlife Refuge, and the James River National Wildlife Refuge of the USFWS; the Region 1 office of the VDGIF; and the Lawrence Lewis Park of Charles City County. 

Veterans Center. To date, approximately 600,000 men and women have been deployed in either Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom, of which approximately 5 percent list Virginia as their “home of record.”  The total number of veterans living in Virginia is 740,000, which is nearly 10 percent of Virginia’s population.  VCU will seek funding to establish a Veterans Center.  The Center will have a statewide scope.  The Center, working with the Department of Veteran Services, will gather information which will identify those essential services needed to assist veterans’ family and relationship issues as well as employment as they re-assimilate into society.  Information gathered will be used to develop initiatives that state and federal agencies can implement to assist these individuals.

Center for Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (CANN).  Research activity in the field of nanotechnology has increased dramatically over the past few years.  This is expected to translated into significant global markets or products derived from nonstructured materials.  These products cover diverse areas ranging from catalytic materials to nanocomposities, electronic and magnetic systems, drug delivery, sensors and detectors.  The VCU CANN will advance the experimental and theoretical control of the synthesis and characterization of materials at the nanoscale level that have unique practical applications. 

Multi-Functional Oxide Materials Applications and Devices. We propose a $1 million federal budget request for the Office of Naval Research’s University Research initiatives. This request will seek second year funding of an initiative involving the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University) and the State of Ohio (Ohio State University) to perform research on multi functional oxide materials and their applications to electronic devices (MFMA). Virginia Commonwealth University will use $1M for capital equipment and research expenditures for the purpose of conducting research in nanoscale multifunctional materials of significance to the Department of Defense.

If you have questions, contact Don Gehring (dcgehrin@vcu.edu) or Mark Smith (mesmith@vcu.edu). Our office phone number is: 804-828-1235.