GOVERNOR O’MALLEY CONTINUES “JOBS ACROSS MARYLAND” TOUR, VISITS NIH CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Continuing his “Jobs Across Maryland” tour, Governor Martin O’Malley joined National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and members of the Federal Facilities Advisory Board on a tour of the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, the largest clinical research hospital in the world, on the campus of the NIH headquarters in Bethesda. Governor O’Malley visited the Center’s Pediatric Unit, facilities for obesity research and the patient care areas that support clinical research. Following the tour, Governor O’Malley addressed the Federal Facilities Advisory Board, which he appointed earlier this year to develop a comprehensive assessment of how Maryland can best support and leverage the vast potential of its more than 50 federal facilities and help connect Maryland companies with federal opportunities to create jobs. The NIH employs more than 18,000 people and awarded more than $2 billion in procurement contracts and $1.2 billion in research grants within the state of Maryland in FY 2010.

“Maryland is proud to be the home of the NIH, a center of innovation, groundbreaking research and life-saving discoveries that help save the lives of millions around the globe,” said Governor O’Malley. “Through our Federal Facilities Advisory Board, we are working hard to strengthen our partnerships with federal facilities like the NIH and others, so that we can expand opportunities for federal contracting and procurement, create jobs and grow Maryland’s economy.”

“As the largest employer in Montgomery County, we are honored to have Governor O’Malley and his Federal Facilities Advisory Board visit the NIH campus,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “Maryland is a leader in life sciences research and NIH is an integral part of this important effort that has a positive impact on the entire country.”

The NIH is the nation’s medical research agency, conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research on diseases and disorders from rare and unusual illnesses to the common cold. A component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH comprises 27 institutes and centers. Annually, the NIH invests more than $31 billion in biomedical research, which has helped lower death rates from heart disease and stroke, increased the survival rate for childhood cancers, and protected millions from infectious diseases like rubella, whooping cough and pneumococcal pneumonia through vaccines. The NIH Clinical Research Center serves the needs of 17 NIH Institutes, focusing on rare diseases and research that sheds new light on common conditions. While the Center has more than 124,000 active patients from all over the globe, nearly 57,000 patients are Marylanders.

Governor O’Malley has made strengthening Maryland’s biotechnology and life sciences sector and increasing partnerships with the State’s federal facilities a key part of the State’s economic development plan. In 2009, the Governor launched BioMaryland 2020, a 10-year, $1.3 billion strategy for moving Maryland’s bioscience industry forward. To date, more than $100 million has been spent, or approved for spending, on BioMaryland initiatives, not including $70 million in science and technology related infrastructure at the State’s universities and community colleges. One of the first key deliverables was the opening of the Maryland Biotechnology Center in September 2009. Home to nearly 500 bioscience companies and 50 research-intense federal institutes and centers, Maryland is well positioned in the global bioscience industry and has been recognized by the Milken Institute as one of the top tier states highly specialized in overall bioscience development. Since the early 1990s, Maryland has focused on bioscience development and was one of the first states to develop a strategic plan for the industry.

Since January 2010, the Federal Facilities Advisory Board has been focused on developing a strategic plan to guide the State’s efforts in building sustainable partnerships with the federal community, comprised of 58 non-military and 18 military facilities. The Board developed a white paper supporting the creation of the National Cyber Security Center of Excellence, which received Senate Appropriations Committee approval earlier this year for $10 million to create the center. In addition, the Board is also creating a Team Maryland Network and Mentoring Program to teach Maryland small businesses best practices in federal contracting and provide teaming opportunities with experienced companies in federal procurement. In FY 2009, the federal government spent $92.2 billion in Maryland, up from $77.9 billion in FY 2008, with $34.3 billion in federal procurement contracts.

In the past year, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has implemented an aggressive agenda of new and expanded programs to create jobs, retain jobs and improve the conditions that allow businesses large and small to create and save jobs, including: 

·         Increasing the biotech tax credit to $8 million in fiscal year 2011;

·         Pioneering the Jobs Creation and Recovery Tax Credit;

·         Expanding the Small Business Loan Guaranty program to increase access to credit; and

·         Creating InvestMaryland, an administrative and legislative proposal designed to support the growth of the state’s knowledge based industries by stimulating investment in the Maryland Venture Fund.