Arizona Biotech News - Non-profit aids bioscience Bolstering research, attracting firms are goals
Kerry Fehr-Snyder The Arizona Republic Feb. 17, 2006 12:00 AM Business leaders this week formed a non-profit corporation to boost Arizona's bioscience industry and are trying to recruit an internationally known leader to head the organization. Science Foundation Arizona is being created to attract private and public funding for biotech and biosciences, distribute the funds to key research efforts and lure new companies. Its precise projects have yet to be decided, but they could range from recruiting a pharmaceutical operation to funding expansion of the Translational Genomics Research Institute or the University of Arizona College of Medicine in downtown Phoenix, one official said. advertisement "We're in the final stages of examining what it would take to stand on the shoulders of what exists now and be among the best in the world," said Don Budinger, one of Science Foundation Arizona's organizers and director of the Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona. The group's overall mission is "to build and strengthen medical, scientific and engineering research programs and infrastructure in the areas of greatest strategic value to Arizona's competitiveness in the global bioscience economy," Budinger said. He helped lure computer wafermaker Sumitomo, now called Sitix, to Phoenix in the 1990s. Budinger was one of four men who filed papers with the state on Wednesday to incorporate the science foundation as a 501c(3) non- profit. The others were John Murphy of the Flinn Foundation, Tom Browning of Greater Phoenix Leadership and Steven W. Lynn of Uni- source Energy, parent company of Tucson Electric Power. Science Foundation Arizona is modeled in part after Science Foundation Ireland. The Ireland group is led by William Harris, former director of the Biosphere 2 Center in Oracle, near Tucson. Harris is reportedly Arizona's top choice to lead Science Foundation Arizona, although he apparently is weighing several offers despite the state's efforts to court him since early December. He is a consultant for Arizona's bioscience efforts. His contract with Science Foundation Ireland is set to expire at the end of March. "Bill Harris is the man who led the effort to reform Ireland's economy and would be a great asset to Arizona," Gov. Janet Napolitano said through a spokeswoman. More here: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0217scifoundation.html http://www.arizonabiotech.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/ http://www.arizonabiotech.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/ http://www.arizonaentrepreneurs.com/ http://www.azhttp.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
