(1) There is established within the Department of Health the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program. The purpose of the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program is to provide an annual and perpetual source of funding in order to support research initiatives that address the health care problems of Floridians in the areas of tobacco-related cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. The long-term goals of the program are to: (a) Improve the health of Floridians by researching better prevention, diagnoses, treatments, and cures for cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. (b) Expand the foundation of biomedical knowledge relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. (c) Improve the quality of the state’s academic health centers by bringing the advances of biomedical research into the training of physicians and other health care providers. (d) Increase the state’s per capita funding for research by undertaking new initiatives in public health and biomedical research that will attract additional funding from outside the state. (e) Stimulate economic activity in the state in areas related to biomedical research, such as the research and production of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.
(2) Funds appropriated for the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program shall be used exclusively for the award of grants and fellowships as established in this section; for research relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease; and for expenses incurred in the administration of this section. Priority shall be granted to research designed to prevent or cure disease.
(3) There is created within the Department of Health the Biomedical Research Advisory Council. (a) The council shall consist of 11 members, including: the chief executive officer of the Florida Division of the American Cancer Society, or a designee; the chief executive officer of the Greater Southeast Affiliate of the American Heart Association, or a designee; and the chief executive officer of the American Lung Association of Florida, or a designee. The remaining 8 members of the council shall be appointed as follows: 1. The Governor shall appoint four members, two members with expertise in the field of biomedical research, one member from a research university in the state, and one member representing the general population of the state. 2. The President of the Senate shall appoint two members, one member with expertise in the field of behavioral or social research and one representative from a cancer program approved by the American College of Surgeons. 3. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members, one member from a professional medical organization or from a comprehensive cardiovascular program with experience in biomedical research approved by the American College of Cardiology and one representative from a cancer program approved by the American College of Surgeons. In making these appointments, the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall select primarily, but not exclusively, Floridians with biomedical and lay expertise in the general areas of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. The appointments shall be for a 3-year term and shall reflect the diversity of the state’s population. An appointed member may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The first two appointments by the Governor and the first appointment by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on or after July 1, 2012, shall be for a term of 2 years. (b) The council shall adopt internal organizational procedures as necessary for its efficient organization. (c) The department shall provide such staff, information, and other assistance as is reasonably necessary to assist the council in carrying out its responsibilities. (d) Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may receive reimbursement as provided in s. 112.061 for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.
(4) The council shall advise the State Surgeon General as to the direction and scope of the biomedical research program. The responsibilities of the council may include, but are not limited to: (a) Providing advice on program priorities and emphases. (b) Providing advice on the overall program budget. (c) Participating in periodic program evaluation. (d) Assisting in the development of guidelines to ensure fairness, neutrality, and adherence to the principles of merit and quality in the conduct of the program. (e) Assisting in the development of appropriate linkages to nonacademic entities, such as voluntary organizations, health care delivery institutions, industry, government agencies, and public officials. (f) Developing criteria and standards for the award of research grants. (g) Developing guidelines relating to solicitation, review, and award of research grants and fellowships, to ensure an impartial, high-quality peer review system. (h) Reviewing reports of peer review panels and making recommendations for research grants and fellowships. (i) Developing and providing oversight regarding mechanisms for the dissemination of research results. (j) The council shall select, by majority vote, six members of the council who must combine with seven members of the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council to form a joint committee to develop performance measures, a rating system, a rating standard, and an application form for the Cancer Center of Excellence Award created in s. 381.925.
(5)(a) Applications for biomedical research funding under the program may be submitted from any university or established research institute in the state. All qualified investigators in the state, regardless of institution affiliation, shall have equal access and opportunity to compete for the research funding. (b) Grants and fellowships shall be awarded by the State Surgeon General, after consultation with the council, on the basis of scientific merit, as determined by the competitively open peer-reviewed process to ensure objectivity, consistency, and high quality. The following types of applications may be considered for funding: 1. Investigator-initiated research grants. 2. Institutional research grants. 3. Predoctoral and postdoctoral research fellowships.
(6) To ensure that all proposals for research funding are appropriate and are evaluated fairly on the basis of scientific merit, the Department of Health shall appoint peer review panels of independent, scientifically qualified individuals to review the scientific merit of each proposal and establish its scientific priority score. The priority scores shall be forwarded to the council and must be considered in determining which proposals shall be recommended for funding.
(7) The council and the peer review panels shall establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct and adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflict of interest. A member of the council or a panel may not participate in any discussion or decision of the council or a panel with respect to a research proposal by any firm, entity, or agency with which the member is associated as a member of the governing body or as an employee, or with which the member has entered into a contractual arrangement.
(8) The department may contract on a competitive-bid basis with an appropriate entity to administer the program. Administrative expenses may not exceed 15 percent of the total funds available to the program in any given year.
(9) The grant programs under the purview of the council are exempt from chapter 120.
(10) The council shall submit a fiscal-year progress report on the programs under its purview to the Governor, the State Surgeon General, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 15. The report must include: (a) For each research project supported by grants or fellowships awarded under the program: 1. A summary of the research project and results or expected results of the research. 2. The status of the research project, including whether it has concluded or the estimated date of completion. 3. The amount of the grant or fellowship awarded and the estimated or actual cost of the research project. 4. A list of principal investigators under the research project. 5. The title, citation, and summary of findings of a publication in a peer-reviewed journal resulting from the research. 6. The source and amount of any federal, state, or local government grants or donations or private grants or donations generated as a result of the research project. 7. The status of a patent, if any, generated from the research project and an economic analysis of the impact of the resulting patent. 8. A list of postsecondary educational institutions involved in the research project, a description of each postsecondary educational institution’s involvement in the research project, and the number of students receiving training or performing research under the research project. (b) The state ranking and total amount of biomedical research funding currently flowing into the state from the National Institutes of Health. (c) Progress towards programmatic goals, particularly in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. (d) Recommendations to further the mission of the programs.
(11) The council shall award grants for cancer research through the William G. “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research Program created in s. 381.922.
(12)(a) Each fiscal year, $25 million from the revenue deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund pursuant to ss. 210.011(9) and 210.276(7) shall be reserved for research of tobacco-related or cancer-related illnesses. Of the revenue deposited in the Health Care Trust Fund pursuant to this section, $25 million shall be transferred to the Biomedical Research Trust Fund within the Department of Health. Subject to annual appropriations in the General Appropriations Act, $5 million shall be appropriated to the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program, and $5 million shall be appropriated to the William G. “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research Program created under s. 381.922. (b) An entity that performs or is associated with cancer research or care that receives a specific appropriation for biomedical research, research-related functions, operations or other supportive functions, or expansion of operations in the General Appropriations Act without statutory reporting requirements for the receipt of those funds must submit an annual fiscal-year progress report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 15. The report must: 1. Describe the general use of the funds. 2. Summarize the research, if any, funded by the appropriation and provide the: a. Status of the research, including whether the research has concluded. b. Results or expected results of the research. c. Names of principal investigators performing the research. d. Title, citation, and summary of findings of a publication in a peer-reviewed journal resulting from the research. e. Status of a patent, if any, generated from the research and an economic analysis of the impact of the resulting patent. f. List of postsecondary educational institutions involved in the research, a description of each postsecondary educational institution’s involvement in the research, and the number of students receiving training or performing research. 3. Describe any fixed capital outlay project funded by the appropriation, the need for the project, how the project will be utilized, and the timeline for and status of the project, if applicable. 4. Identify any federal, state, or local government grants or donations or private grants or donations generated as a result of the appropriation or activities funded by the appropriation, if applicable and traceable.