Charter of the Gulf Coast Consortium for Bioinformatics

Major advances in the biological sciences have traditionally occurred when new tools and techniques become available, allowing researchers to ask new questions, or probe more deeply into the answers to existing ones. While the use of numerical and computational techniques has always been a part of such research, the difficulty and cost of acquiring data of sufficient quantity and quality has historically limited the range of techniques in use. The steady progression in computer and automation technologies means that today, biological research is no longer limited by what data can be collected at the bench, but rather by how that data can be analyzed. The kinds of data now available, as well as their volume and complexity, make the application and further development of advanced and novel algorithmic and analytical techniques from the computer and information sciences practicable. In addition, the complexity of the biological systems that are now amenable to experimentation means that careful modeling is necessary to enable the biological researcher to accurately plan and predict the results of new experimental procedures.

Mission

The Gulf Coast Consortium for Bioinformatics consists of six member institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas - Health Science Center, University of Texas - Medical Branch, and The University of Houston.

The purpose of the GCCB is to foster excellent cross-disciplinary research and education in the field of bioinformatics, particularly in the Houston/Galveston geographical area. The GCCB will serve as a means of building and maintaining a community of interest among researchers at member institutions in the biological, information, and computer sciences, as well as affiliated industrial partners.

The GCCB seeks to fulfill this mission through activities in three areas: education, communication, and research funding. The consortium coordinates a cross institutional curriculum in bioinformatics, and will certify the completion of this curriculum by students at both the bachelor's and graduate levels. By combining the strongest instructional offerings by each of the member educational institutions, we are able to provide a program that is competitive with any at a national level.

Post graduate training, for both the new and established researcher, will be facilitated by the consortium through seminars, workshops, and regional research conferences, both directly sponsored and organized, as well as jointly with other research organizations in the area. Support of infrastructure to simplify communication and collaboration among consortium members is also a critical part of the GCCB mission, as well as serving as a secondary research focus.

The GCCB currently assists member researchers in establishing new research collaborations and seeking outside funding for them. In the future, provision of graduate and postgraduate fellowships in bioinformatics, as well as direct funding of selected pilot projects, is a consortium goal.