Keck School receives nearly $150 million in funding

In the past year, the Keck School of Medicine of USC received more average funding per researcher from the National Institutes of Health than any other medical school in the nation, according to a press release.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research found that between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016, Keck received more than $140.8 million in NIH grants. The school ranked 30th nationally in total grants received, its highest position to date since the Blue Ridge Institute began its rankings in 2006.

According to the Keck School of Medicine, a total of 158 principal investigators, otherwise known as researchers, received an average grant of $891,000.

“The Keck School of Medicine of USC No. 1 ranking in NIH funds received per principal investigator demonstrates the strength of researchers that we attract at the Keck School,” Thomas Buchanan,  vice dean for research at Keck, said in a press release. “These competitive grants allow us to further innovate and support our mission to improve the quality of life for individuals and society by promoting health, preventing and curing disease, advancing biomedical research and educating tomorrow’s physicians and scientists.”

Furthermore, seven Keck School of Medicine departments ranked within the 20 highest NIH-funded departments in their respective categories, including the departments of microbiology, neurology, urology, otolaryngology, preventive medicine, ophthalmology and physiology. The school’s departments of ophthalmology and preventive medicine were both placed second nationally in the amount of funding received from NIH, receiving a total of $12,347,629 and $33,223,457, respectively.