HB 77 -- Spinal Cord Injuries Research Projects

Co-Sponsors:  Reinhart, Ridgeway

This bill requires the Board of Curators of the University of
Missouri to request an annual appropriation of at least $200,000
adjusted for inflation, plus limited funds for administrative
overhead, for the purpose of awarding funds to investigators for
original research on spinal cord injuries.  Individual awards
are limited to a maximum of $50,000 per year for no more than 2
years.  Project overhead costs are not allowed, and the research
must be conducted in Missouri.  Investigators must be employees
or staff of educational, health care, or research institutions
or be voluntary health associations.  A nine-member advisory
board is established, comprised of physicians, researchers,
persons active in spinal cord injury associations, a
representative from the Board of Curators, and a member of the
General Assembly.  Advisory board members serve 3-year terms and
are appointed by the Board of Curators.  The advisory board is
to solicit and select proposals for research projects using
procedures approved by the Board of Curators.  The procedures
must rely on established peer review practices in order to
evaluate the ability of the investigator and the merits of the
proposed research project.  The advisory board's evaluation is
not an open record; the final awards and all of the other
proceedings of the advisory board are open to the public.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:00 pm