Tobacco taxes to benefit research institutionsSouth Florida Business Journal - by Bill Frogameni

UM’s Dr. Eckhard Podack may receive money from the state tobacco tax for his research.
What’s bad for tobacco companies could be great for South Florida’s biomedical researchers. The new state budget, passed in early May, appropriates up to $50 million to study smoking-related illnesses. The money comes from a new tax on tobacco products.

The fund will be administered by the Florida Department of Health, which will rely on the opinions of the state’s Biomedical Research Advisory Council to vet research proposals. Dr. Richard Bookman, who chairs the council and is also the University of Miami’s vice provost for research, said that the tobacco money will allow the council to make a special call for applications for Florida researchers seeking funds. Projects will need to be focused broadly on smoking-related diseases.

“It’s cancer, lung disease, heart disease or stroke,” Bookman said.

Come August, the Biomedical Research Advisory Council is hoping to put out a call for proposals, Bookman said. After proposals go through an out-of-state peer review process, the council will do a “blind” review to prevent conflicts of interest and then it will forward recommendations to the State Department of Health.

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