# Biomedical and Obesity Research Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · 2024 · $563,048

## Abstract

The Nebraska Center for the Prevention of Obesity Diseases through Dietary Molecules (NPOD) leveraged
NIGMS Renovations and Alteration funds ($300,000) and institutional support to develop a new Research Core
(Biomedical and Obesity Research Core, BORC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) in Phase 1.
NPOD's unique niche in obesity research is the study of bioactive food compounds that prevent, treat, and cure
obesity and co-morbidities. BORC is a critical resource to enable this work in Nebraska and has expanded
considerably over the Center's first nine years. In Phases 1 and 2, NPOD leadership negotiated $470,092
renovation funds and 3,353 square feet in space and acquired equipment worth $3,311,369 through UNL
commitments, equipment donations, and four administrative supplements (equipment) from NIGMS. BORC is
now comprised of the Obesity and Nutrition Laboratory, Small Animal Research Laboratory, and Microbiome
Suite. Together, these provide access to equipment unique to core research facilities located in Nebraska and
support services that include consultation on experimental design, data acquisition, large data processing, and
biostatistical analysis. BORC works with NPOD's Administrative Core to coordinate services provided by NPOD's
biostatisticians and is networked to the Holland Computer Center, UNL's supercomputing facility. BORC has 94
accounts (principal investigators), representing 256 users (12 external), and numbers of samples analyzed and
service requests received have more than doubled from the end of Phase 1 (2019) to the end of Year 9 in Phase
2. BORC has analyzed a cumulative 151,163 samples through an annual average of 1,400 service requests
since 2014. BORC has generated $1,228,197 in service fees since it started charging fees in June 2017 and
has generated an average annual revenue of $266,335 since becoming a UNL-approved fee-for-service center
in June 2019. Users have expressed their satisfaction with the service through surveys, and UNL has recognized
the importance of BORC for biomedical research in Nebraska, committing $200,000 and 507 square feet of new
space to BORC in Phase 3, as well as $294,628 toward the director's salary and equipment upgrades in the
subsequent three years. BORC is on a strong trajectory for sustainability after Phase 3: BORC user fees
($266,335) cover 84% of BORC operating expenses, and any shortfall can be covered by F&A costs returned to
the Center ($173,444 in FY2022). This positions BORC for continued institutional support, as evaluated by
reasonable benchmarks such as decreasing subsidy rates to under 10% and supporting 50% of expenditures
through user fees. In Phase 3, the goal is to position BORC for sustainability and growth after end of NIGMs
funding relative to current levels. NPOD and BORC will seek to meet this goal through the following Specific
Aims. Specific Aim 1. Retain existing and recruit new users through acquiring state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Specific Aim 2. R...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10934439
- **Project number:** 1P30GM154608-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
- **Principal Investigator:** Jingjie Hao
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $563,048
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-15 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10934439

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10934439, Biomedical and Obesity Research Core (1P30GM154608-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-08-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10934439. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*