Keep Scientists in New York, CUMC Testimony Encourages
When New York state provided funds to prevent a highly respected and productive Columbia researcher from accepting an out-of-state job, the ROI—return on investment, a frequently used term in science funding research circles—was profound.
That was the message in yesterday's testimony before a New York state legislative hearing on next year’s state budget. CUMC VP Ross A. Frommer testified about the importance of increased funding through the Empire State Development Faculty Development Program.
“No one better than Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Leibel demonstrates the wisdom of funding this program,” said Mr. Frommer, vice president of government & community affairs and associate dean at CUMC. Dr. Leibel, an internationally recognized leader in diabetes and obesity research and treatment, was approached in 2002 by a well-known, well-respected out-of-state medical school with significant resources. “This school made an effort to recruit Dr. Leibel away from Columbia and away from New York by making a very attractive offer to Dr. Leibel,” Mr. Frommer said.
Instead, a $750,000 grant from the Faculty Development Program within Empire State Development enticed Dr. Leibel to remain at Columbia. “Dr. Leibel used that money to hire additional staff and purchase equipment. My back-of-the-envelope calculations show that just the New York state income tax revenue alone from Dr. Leibel and his employees is north of a quarter million dollars every year,” added Mr. Frommer.
“Today, Dr. Leibel is directly responsible for more than 100 jobs. These are career positions in science and academic administration. They do not include general campus support jobs like maintenance, security, and animal care that his lab indirectly supports. These are jobs that not only offer a good salary, but also provide health insurance, retirement benefits, and educational support for employees and their families as well, i.e., the kind of jobs that allow families not only to support themselves, but also to move up the economic ladder and build strong communities.”
And, since 2002, Dr. Leibel has generated $80 million in federal grants and private-sector investment, according to figures provided by the state, a 107 to 1 ROI for New York. Since receiving the FDP grant, he and his colleagues have filed 13 invention disclosures and received 13 patents. He is the principal investigator in a strategic research collaboration between Columbia and AstraZeneca in the area of metabolically related diseases to develop novel therapeutics for type 2 diabetes and obesity. He also has relationships with Regeneron, Eli Lilly, and Glaxo Smith Kline.
The faculty development program has had enormous success in recruiting and retaining scientists in New York state, Mr. Frommer said in his testimony. “With the faculty development program, we saw a greater than 6.6 to 1 documented return on state investment. Without it, we are losing our top scientists, and all the grant money and economic activity they generate, to other states like California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Texas.”
“We want more scientists like Rudy Leibel coming to, not leaving, New York, and the FDP has a proven track record of making this happen,” said Mr. Frommer.
Mr. Frommer's testimony followed testimony by Janet Silver on behalf of Associated Medical Schools of New York.