The agreement anticipates joint research projects, shared use of related facilities, adjunct faculty appointments, and opportunities for students to participate in research. Building on the strengths of both institutions, it is anticipated that the focus of the joint research projects will be in the areas of microbial, plant, and animal genomics and functional genomics, which have many applications to human health, agriculture, and biodefense.
"This agreement between a leading research university and a leading research organization supports Virginia's biotechnology initiative," said Virginia Governor Mark Warner.
"This is a natural partnership that will enhance the achievements of both the university's and the institute's researchers," said Brad Fenwick, vice president for research at Virginia Tech. "By partnering, we will be able to offer research sponsors more resources and capacity to produce knowledge in a cost-effective and timely fashion. And, of course, combining the excellent skills of these two institutions allows us to address today's complex problems in a way that is difficult to match worldwide."
President Steger said, "The partnership with TIGR also greatly expands opportunities for students to work on critical research applications in the life sciences. The success of graduate education program depends upon students having an array of research opportunities."
Founded in 1992, TIGR (www.tigr.org) is a not
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Contact: Mark Owczarski
maowczar@vt.edu
540-231-5223
Virginia Tech
7-Nov-2004