057-19 NSU TRED Annual Report FY2019_WEB

NSU TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1 At Nova Southeastern University, research is not only one of our Core Values, it is the foundation for inquiry at all levels. Much is expected of researchers due to the critical role they play in discovering new knowledge leading to novel findings in medicine, science, technology, education, and other disciplines. Whether one is investigating shark DNA forensics, getting technologies ready for commercialization—such as wound healing and skin rejuvenation—creating a new epinephrine tablet, or combatting opioid abuse, the needs are immediate and urgent. Hence, institutions of higher education are becoming increasingly more competitive in the pursuit of sponsored funding, which is why research at NSU is, and must continue to be, a priority across all domains. NSU’s sponsored funding trajectory for fiscal year 2019 showed growth and trended upward. The total cumulative active awards for FY 2019 were $119,415,179. In today’s biosphere, it is not enough to rise to the top: one must advance, sustain, and endure. Researchers must show evidence of integrity, character, intelligence, social responsibility, and purpose in their quest for the gold standard in sponsored funding. Equally important, researchers must collaborate more than ever as multidisciplinary teams to achieve together what is a challenge for one individual. The positive outcomes of such teamwork by research scientists working together are evidenced in the following passage. Earlier this year, NSU shared news worldwide about research involving the great white shark—whose entire genome has now been decoded in detail. Sequence changes were found tied to DNA repair, DNA damage response, and DNA damage tolerance—the exact opposite of which, genome instability, is well known to predispose humans to numerous cancers and age-related diseases. News outlets around the world broadcast this story, and NBC’s Today Show broadcast the story live from our Oceanographic Campus. By the end of February, more than 351 outlets shared this information, and NSU shark research traveled the globe thanks to research efforts of NSU researchers, such as Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D. In closing, in the words of Albert Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” Remarkably, one of the greatest researchers of all time understood the need to integrate science with vision and inspiration. Gary S. Margules, Sc.D. Vice President, Research and Technology Transfer VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE