The University will compete against 55 other organizations for as much as $10 billion in contracts from the Department of Defense in order to develop healthcare innovations to benefit both wounded warriors and civilians over the next five years. 

The project is led by School of Medicine professor Ron Poropatich and professor of surgery William Wagner. The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which is directed by Wagner, and the Center for Military Medicine Research will guide the project. 

According to Pitt spokesperson Chuck Finder, a “significant portion” of the funding will come to Pitt and the Pittsburgh area. Pitt will lead 8 academic and 64 industry partners and small businesses, according to Pittwire. Finder said Pitt’s partners in this arrangement include ALung, Interphase Materials, LifeX Labs, Lifeware Labs and Noctem Health. 

Finder said Wake Forest University is the only other university competing for the funding, among the 56 competitors.

The efforts to pursue these contracts have spread across the University, including the School of Pharmacy’s Program Evaluation Research Unit, the Schools of Health Sciences and the Swanson School of Engineering. Pitt also plans to collaborate with other universities, such as Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University and North Carolina A&T State University.