The University is slated to receive a total of $8 million dollars for
brain function research and nanotechnology from the federal government, thanks to a Department of Defense appropriations bill passed July 22 and awaiting President Bush’s signature.
The bill includes a $3 million grant for the Brain, Biology and Machine Initiative (BBMI) and an additional $5 million for the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI). The passage of the bill will mark the sixth consecutive year that the BBMI has received federal funding.
University Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Rich Linton joined University President Dave Frohnmayer in characterizing the continued support as recognition of the University’s research prowess and as welcome publicity.
“The new funds will accelerate the pace and impact of the research, will deepen collaborative partnerships, will enhance the quality of the UO’s research facilities, and will help UO scientists garner additional grant
funding,” Linton said in a press release.
Frohnmayer said the grant was good news for the University and the state as well.
“Our researchers will be working on the development of new products and processes that could have broad applications in the lives of Oregonians,” Frohnmayer said in the release.
The BBMI program “integrates the UO’s internationally recognized strengths in cognitive neuroscience, molecular biology and medical imaging technologies to investigate fundamental processes of the human brain and mind,” according to a University press release. The new funds are marked for research learning, memory and behavior in subjects with average function, as well as brain disorders.
ONAMI is a consortium of
nanotech researchers that includes the University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and additional business partners.
ONAMI focuses on research at the micro and nano scale, with the goal to “position Oregon as a national leader in nanotechnology research and development,” according to www.onami.us.

— Steven R. Neuman