Governor Andrew Cuomo traveled to the University at Buffalo's Amherst campus Tuesday to announce the approval of the UB2020 application.
The State has awarded $35 million to UB under the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant program. Governor Cuomo signed the challenge grant at the North campus late Tuesday morning. The $375 million dollar plan is designed to create more than 3,000 jobs while helping to revitalize Buffalo's economy.
"UB 2020 will create jobs, facilitate private investment and help turn the University of Buffalo into a national leader amongst public research universities," Governor Cuomo said
Under the plan, the University of Buffalo will hire new faculty, expand its academic offerings and facilities and relocate the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
"This is a real investment in revitalizing economic development in Western New York. I look forward to seeing how this plan transforms the region and I commend the Western New York legislative delegation for helping to turn this project into a reality," said the Governor.
“We are very thankful to Gov. Cuomo, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, and the state legislature for their continued support over the past year,” said UB President Satish K. Tripathi. “This funding will have a historic impact on our university—one that will transform the depth and scope of UB’s academic and research enterprise while significantly expanding our role in improving the quality of life in Western New York.”
With the funding provided by the Challenge Grant, and additional funding provided through NYSUNY 2020 legislation, UB will be able to do the following:
- Hire 300 new faculty in strategic areas to increase the university’s research output and the economic impact of UB research
- Replace 300 faculty who will leave the university over the next five years with 400 faculty to strengthen university programs in all academic disciplines
- Improve academic support facilities to provide state-of-the-art educational and research environments for faculty and students
- Move forward with the first phases of a $375 million plan to relocate the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, where the UB school will be in close proximity to UB’s other assets on the medical campus: a new Clinical and Translational Research Center and Educational Opportunity Center now under construction; the new UB Downtown Gateway (former M. Wile building); and the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences
"Imagine what our community will look like when we realize this next phase of UB 2020," said Tripathi.
Next month, UB will begin contracting for design of a new medical school. Site selection is expected to be completed in the spring and building designs completed in April 2013. Construction is anticipated to begin in September 2013 and be completed in the fall of 2016.
