Overview
Funds for the NFGC's second year were released in March 2004 for the period of performance from 10/1/04 – 9/30/05. Funding was provided per the FY'03 Defense Appropriation.
Some pilot projects initiated during year one were completed during year two, while others were still ongoing.
The NFGC founding proposal states we will establish collaborations with other centers, producing benefits directly applicable to the military and homeland security. The NFGC established a collaborative effort with the ongoing research at the University of South Florida's Center for Biological Defense, and worked closely with them to support their genomics research needs. The NFGC provided funds to support this effort mainly by providing access to the NFGC's microarray and proteomics core facilities.
In September of 2004 the Second Annual External Advisory Board meeting was held in St. Petersburg, Florida. As in the previous year, the board was presented with an update of the progress of the NFGC, including the establishment of a Business Office. The Business Office facilitates the collaboration of various NFGC affiliates and seeks new business partners for the consortium. The Business Office also assists the NFGC with one of its most important goals – financial independence.
In addition to continuing to support the shared resources facilities at Moffitt that are essential to conducting functional genomics research, the NFGC also funded the establishment of a High Throughput Drug Screening Core at Moffitt.