photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center, salutes the crowd on July 7, 2022 as part of a ceremony announcing that the center has become one of the 53 top-designated cancer centers in the country. Also pictured, from left, are Executive Vice Chancellor for the KU Medical Center Robert Simari, KU Chancellor Douglas Girod and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran.

The University of Kansas’ plans for a new cancer center building at its medical campus in Kansas City have received a $43 million boost from the federal government.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., announced Thursday that he had successfully lobbied that $43 million in federal funding for the project be included in the omnibus budget bill that the Senate approved as part of Congress’ end-of-year efforts to keep the federal government funded.

KU officials have publicly been talking about building a major new cancer research building at the KU Medical Center since June, when KU received a federal designation as a “comprehensive cancer center,” making it one of just 53 such centers in the country.

“The funding provided in this omnibus package will enable the KU Cancer Center to enhance its work in research and patient care while fulfilling its duty to provide public education and outreach programs, especially to underserved and high-risk populations,” KU Chancellor Douglas Girod said in a release. “More broadly, by strengthening the KU Cancer Center, this funding elevates the entire university and strengthens KU’s position as a leading national research institution and proud member of the Association of American Universities.”

KU is one of just 65 universities in North America to be part of the AAU, which is generally regarded as the group of North America’s most accomplished research universities. KU has watched while nearby public universities, including Nebraska and Iowa State, have had to leave the group as their research dollars either weren’t large enough in size or weren’t of the type that AAU leaders prioritize. Girod, who serves on the AAU board, has said KU needs to improve its research portfolio to solidly remain in the group, and he said research dollars generated by the cancer center would go a long way in that goal.

Moran has been a strong supporter of KU gaining status as a national cancer center, saying it will improve both the health care in the region and also the number of high-tech, high-paying jobs available to Kansans in the future. Moran is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and last year was successful in getting $16 million in federal funding for the center.

“With the new center, even more Kansans will have the opportunity to receive care and treatment for cancer close to home,” Moran said in a release. “It has long been my priority for Kansas to be a place that not only recruits the top talent in the world to our state, but also keeps our students, their knowledge and intellect in Kansas.”

KU officials haven’t yet said how much they need to raise to build the new cancer center research facility, but a KU Cancer Center leader gave a brief update to the Kansas Board of Regents earlier this month.

“In terms of our future plans, we are looking at how we can develop a signature cancer center building on the medical center campus,” Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center, told the board.

He said the project likely would have to be completed in phases, and might take five to 15 years to fully complete.

“The funding will significantly bolster The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s research infrastructure and collaborative culture, leading to a broader portfolio of practice-changing clinical trials that we offer,” Jensen said in a press release on Thursday. “It will also foster significant economic growth and further position our region as a hub for innovative biomedical research.”