Proposal Boilerplate

 Your NIH and other research proposals may require a description of the research environment at OHSU—both a brief, general description and specific resources that you will be using in your proposed work. Below is some general language that describes the research environment at OHSU, including research resources, diversity initiatives, and general information about the institution. Keep in mind that the research environment section of your grant must be tailored to your individual project. If you plan on using one of OHSU's research cores and shared resources, be sure to contact them as you are writing your proposal. 

Useful documents:

Responsible Conduct of Research: Develop a plan for Responsible Conduct of Research training to use in your NIH proposals.

Submitting a Training Grant? Visit the OHSU T32 Administrators Group for table data and other resources related to training grants.

Please note: For precise application data including Tax ID#s and DUNS#, please refer to the Office of Proposal and Award Management's "Data for Applications" page.

General Description of the OHSU Research Environment

OHSU is one of over 100 academic health centers in the nation and the only one in Oregon. The institution comprises 4 primary schools—Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and the newly established School of Public Health. These schools, in combination with its research centers and institutes, create one of the leading academic health and research centers in the nation. OHSU has undergone rapid expansion in recent years. Oregon Health & Science University receives more than $350 million each year in outside funding for sponsored projects. Most of these funds are from the National Institutes of Health. In Fiscal Year 2016, OHSU's funding expenditures totaled $389,602,823, a sum that includes $234,320,764 overall from the NIH. In Fiscal Year 2015, the Knight Challenge, a program sponsored by $500 million from Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, $200 million in state money, and more matched by private donations—for a total of $1 billion—is allowing OHSU to expand both infrastructure and human resources in the fight against cancer. Construction on the new 320,000 square foot, $160 million Knight Cancer Institute research building began in July 2016 and is slated to be completed in July 2018. Emblematic of the expansion in research and collaboration at OHSU is the LEED Platinum Collaborative Life Sciences Building that brings together Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, and Portland State University in one location. The $295 million building is the first on this scale to combine the resources of multiple universities to offer the best education and research opportunities for students. Additional expansion on OHSU’s South Waterfront Campus includes the Center for Health & Healing South which will space for oncology clinical trials. Construction will be completed in 2018.

Computer resources: Both OHSU and PVAMC have computerized patient record systems. The Biomedical Information Communication Center (BICC) encompasses all traditional information services under one umbrella. These include the Library, Information Technology, and Medical Informatics and Outcomes Research. The Information Technology Group develops, implements, and maintains technology-based solutions enabling us to effectively manage information. This includes maintaining the OHSU network and web system, computer and software upgrades, e-mail, computerized systems for patient records and data, a campus computer and software purchasing and installation program, computer technical help including advice and set up of major new systems for OHSU's core research facilities and training of researchers in implementation of new computing systems. OHSU also counts the Advanced Computing Center among its core resources; it provides consulting, research data storage, secure servers, web portals, and a host of other services for OHSU researchers.

Other key features:
  • We have one of the only 12-Tesla imaging magnets for MRI in the world at our Advanced Imaging Research Center.
  • We have a leading shared resources program.
  • OHSU recently opened the Center for Radiochemistry Research.
  • We have approximately 1,250 principal investigators working on 2,240 research projects.
  • OHSU has a strong research, teaching, and clinical partnership with the Portland VA Medical Center (PVAMC).  In addition to active inpatient services, both the University and the VA Hospitals have extensive outpatient clinics.
  • OHSU and PVAMC have modern, fully accredited animal care facilities, with adequate space for housing animal colonies as well as procedural space.  Professional veterinary, surgical, and animal care services are provided. Transgenic and knockout mouse facilities are also available.
  • In addition, OHSU is home to the Oregon National Primate Research Center.
  • OHSU has leading research institutes and centers, including the Vollum Institute, the Knight Cancer Institute, and the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute.

**For specific details relating to current sponsored funding amounts by department or school, visit the Office of Proposal Award and Management's reports page.

Updated January 30, 2017