Prebys Foundation launches $7M emergency fund to safeguard biomedical research

San Diego State University is a recipient of exigency promotion from the Prebys Foundation Photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego Prebys Foundation the county s largest independent private foundation has informed a million emergency package to help San Diego s biomedical research sector amid considerable cuts to federal funding for diagnostic and life sciences research Federal grants historically covering nearly half of U S diagnostic research funding have fueled scientific progress and job rise in San Diego s leading biomedical hub which now faces mounting pressure according to the foundation Anonymous researchers speaking with the foundation described the problem starkly The suction of talent is real NIH and U S taxpayers have invested billions in training scientists and now we re losing them to countries like Sweden and China that have the infrastructure to promotion robust research programs Another added Limited grants have been awarded in the pipeline is dry and constricted To address the immediate need Prebys Foundation will award million each to seven anchor institutions La Jolla Institute for Immunology Rady Children s Hospital Foundation the Salk Institute San Diego State University Sanford Burnham Prebys Scripps Research and UC San Diego The grants will provide general operating endorsement aimed at retaining early and mid-career scientists at threat of being lost to the field as well as supporting key research programs San Diego s biomedical research institutions aren t just world-class in reputation they deliver real impact by tackling urgent problems and advancing the treatments and cures the world necessities disclosed Grant Oliphant CEO of the foundation While we can t match the scale of federal financing we can respond with urgency to help prevent the loss of extraordinary talent and critical momentum This is a defining moment and philanthropy must rise to meet it Oliphant declared