|
POCATELLO, Idaho–– Leadership from Idaho State University and Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine signed an agreement Friday solidifying and expanding a research partnership between the two institutions.
At an event Friday morning on Idaho State University’s Meridian campus, leaders said they welcomed the chance at further collaboration.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in the advancement of our shared mission to elevate health care related research,” said ICOM Assistant Dean of Research Sara Adams. “The agreement we are signing today lays the foundation for a dynamic partnership between Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine and Idaho State University—one that will foster innovative, collaborative research and open new avenues for securing external
funding.”
The agreement includes providing ISU affiliate faculty status to ICOM faculty to conduct research, and ICOM faculty status to ISU faculty as well. The result is both increased research and enhanced funding avenues, said ICOM President and CEO, Tracy Farnsworth.
Introducing the new research agreement to a crowd at the event, Farnsworth highlighted the long-standing collaboration between the two schools, such as dual degree program options and shared laboratory space and classrooms, benefiting students at both institutions.
“I’ve often said that ICOM’s affiliation with ISU, as established in 2016, was and is a model for public private partnership, and I’ve never been more proud or pleased of that affiliation than I am today,” Farnsworth added.
ISU President Robert Wagner pointed to the powerful impact that collaborative agreements like this can have in solving statewide issues related to workforce needs, and in bringing solutions to shortages of health care professionals in the state.
“ISU and ICOM enjoy a strong relationship as partners mutually invested in meeting the health care workforce needs of Idaho,” Wagner said. “ISU and ICOM are taking our collaboration and partnership to the next level, by deepening our ties to include medical research initiatives between our talented faculty. By expanding our partnership in this way, ISU and ICOM will be able to conduct research that solves real world problems to promote better health in our communities, and sharing faculty expertise across our institutions will help us tackle the demands of our state’s health care needs.”
Wagner said another benefit of the relationship is related to the students at both institutions.
“It is exciting to consider what this partnership will do for our students, and the ways that our students at both institutions will now be able to be engaged with talented faculty doing impactful research,” he said. “The students that will now be graduating from these two institutions will walk away with this deep, profound research experience and take it into their professional field or onto additional education, or perhaps becoming researchers or faculty themselves,” he added.
The agreement signed Friday marks the second MOU between ISU and ICOM in less than a year, and one of several that ISU has with partnering institutions focused on innovative solutions to bring health care education to Idaho and surrounding states.
| 
