At a time when news of  shrinking budgets might get us down, it helps to remember the significant research gains USF health has achieved in a relatively short time.  Two recent events drove that home for me.  First, the USF College of Nursing broke into the top 25  nursing schools nationally that attract highly competitive National Institutues of Health funding. That’s no small feat, particularly considering the college ranked 66th in 2008.  Kudos to the strategic leadership of Dean Dianne Morrison-Beedy and company, and to the creativity, persistence and teamwork of faculty members who create strong interdisciplinary grant proposals that appeal to NIH. Second, the 22nd Annual USF Health Research Day was the biggest ever, with 340 presenters compared to last year’s record of 260.  Students, residents, faculty and staff from throughout USF Health, as well as across campus, packed the Marshall Center and adjoining rooms were needed to accommodate all the posters.  The enthusiasm, quality and interdisciplinary strength of the presentations impressed keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Liggett of the University of Maryland, who called USF’s  “a top-tier” Research Day…You can tell research is a priority here.”  Now, that’s something to feel good about.