Sanford Burnham officials
CEO to staff: UF handoff would benefit state, scientists
say they are in conversations with the governor’s office about their potential move away from Central Florida, saying the action will actually benefit the region over time as more research comes to UF operations here.
Sanford Burnham officials said on Monday that they’re “in active conversations with the Gov. Rick Scott’s office,” about their potential move from Lake Nona and handing over the operations to the University of Florida.
This comes after the Governor’s office said Friday that it’s in early stages of reviewing the possibility of the move. His office said that it found out about the proposal last week.
The institute said that the proposal will benefit the city, county and state by keeping jobs in Orlando and expanding research over time. “We also believe it will benefit the state and the rest of the nation with translatable discoveries and a critical mass of scientists. We will continue discussions with all of our government partners before we move forward,” said the institute’s spokeswoman, Deborah Robison, in a statement.
In a letter obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, Sanford Burnham CEO Dr. Perry Nisen explained the circumstances to the staff on Monday in an effort, he said, to correct some of the misconception he attributed to media speculations.
Nisen said that although the institute has received millions of dollars in NIH grants and published hundreds of papers during its stay in Lake Nona, the original projections for federal grants and philanthropic support have fallen short because of recession and federal budget cuts. “And Florida state incentive funds expired this year,” he said.
He added that the current funding can continue to support Lake Nona for the next few years, but “under the direction of Board of Trustees,” the institute’s leadership commissioned an external advisory group, whose top recommendation was “to explore integration of SBP Lake Nona with the University of Florida.”
Nisen added that due to involvement of multiple government and stakeholders, “confidentiality has been paramount … This is deeply frustrating for all of us and media speculation is not helpful.”
Americans for Prosperity-
Florida, which is part of a conservative advocacy group founded by the billionaire businessmen Koch brothers, issued a statement Monday questioning the business practices at Enterprise Florida. “When government picks winners and losers, taxpayers are on the hook for the inevitable losses these failed programs have produced,” state director Chris Hudson said in a statement.
Scott’s office questioned the deal Friday in a sharply worded letter to Sanford Burnham and UF.
“Please detail how the proposed transfer is a good deal for the state,” the letter from Scott budget director Cynthia Kelly states. “… Please explain how is it a good deal … to add new state employees as the end result of the state’s $155 million investment?”
The letter said the state expected answers in a meeting scheduled for May 31.
Records show that the institution’s research funding from the federal government for its Orlando and La Jolla, Calif., operations has declined steadily from $112 million in 2012 to $98 million in 2015. Robison said the institute is solvent but uncertain.
Some experts say that Sanford Burnham’s move could be a setback for the area as it’s trying to establish a national profile in life sciences. But Sanford Burnham officials think otherwise.
“The proposal ensures that state funds will continue to be used for the purpose for which they were intended — to continue to expand biomedical research in the State of Florida. Having the Lake Nona campus remain operational and under the management of the University of Florida will ensure its long term sustainability,” Robison said in the statement.