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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Annual research funding at the University of Kansas Medical Center for the first time has surpassed $100 million, officials said today.

Private, state and federal research grants totaled $100.7 million during fiscal year 2010, which ended June 30.

Officials said the medical center's research funding grew by more than $10 million in the course of the year, outpacing the $89.5 million in grants or awards received in fiscal 2009.

Awards from the National Institutes of Health were up 13.5 percent, an all-time high of $64.1 million for the medical center.

KUMC officials attributed part of the increase to money funneled through the 2009 federal economic stimulus law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

KU scientists received $15.9 million in federal stimulus money for research projects in Kansas City and Wichita, officials said. The stimulus grants sparked an increase in overall research grant proposals to private as well as federal sources, officials said

“Our faculty was excited by the possibility of funding through ARRA and submitted an extraordinary number of high-quality grant proposals,” Dr. Barbara Atkinson, executive vice chancellor, said in a prepared statement. “We are continuing to submit increasingly cutting-edge research proposals. And private foundations as well as the National Institutes of Health are obviously enthusiastic about funding our important efforts.”

The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s drive for National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation also contributed to the total, officials said. Cancer researchers on the Kansas City and Lawrence campuses have been awarded $11.4 million so far this year.

“As a result of the increased activity, our base portfolio has gone up compared to the year before, even in the absence of ARRA dollars,” said Paul Terranova, vice chancellor for research. “What we are really excited about is the increased number of applications. Our faculty members submitted 851 applications in 2010. That’s more than 70 applications a month, more than two a day,” Terranova said. “Thanks to that hard work, in 2010 we crossed over the half-billion mark, with $554 million requested – that’s up from $482 million the year before.”