UW VP Gern to Serve on Prestigious Advisory Council

Bill Gern, the University of Wyoming’s vice president for research and economic development, has been appointed to the Advisory Council for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).

NIGMS is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and supports fundamental research that leads to increased understanding of biological processes and advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. NIGMS also provides national leadership in training the next generation of scientists, enhancing diversity in the scientific workforce and developing the nation’s research capacity.

NIGMS funds investigations into how living systems function at various levels of scales and complexities -- for example, from molecules and cells to tissues, whole organisms and populations.

Ann Hagan, NIGMS associate director for extramural activities, says being selected for the council is a great honor. According to Hagan, the NIGMS council is “composed of leaders in the biological and medical sciences, education, health care and public affairs.”

Gern’s four-year term starts this month, and his inaugural council meeting is Jan. 26-27. The council’s roles are to perform the second level of peer review for research and research training grant applications assigned to NIGMS; offer advice and recommendations on policy, program development, implementation and evaluation; and advise on other matters of significance to the NIGMS.

For the past five years, Gern has served in another prominent role as chair of the EPSCoR/IDeA Coalition. To avoid any conflicts of interest in his new role, Gern has resigned his position as chair of the EPSCoR Coalition. EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) and IDeA (Institutional Development Award) are congressionally funded programs to strengthen scientific research and its economic impacts in smaller states and jurisdictions.

During Gern’s tenure as vice president for research and economic development, UW has secured over $100 million in EPSCoR/IDeA funding.

Stu Van Scoyok, representative for the EPSCoR Coalition, says Gern “has led the coalition to new heights, as the programs are set to receive the highest level of funding ever this year.”