Center for Pharmaceutical Process Research - R&D Services

Center for Pharmaceutical Process Research
About CPPR
Mission Statement
The mission of the Center for Pharmaceutical Process Research is to foster an interdisciplinary approach to pharmaceutical processing-related research, to catalyze interaction between industrial and academic scientists, and to make the application of a basic science approach to formulation manufacture of drug products an integral part of pharmaceutical education.
Background
Nearly twenty-five years ago, the National Science Foundation established the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program to encourage cooperative research between academia and industry. The goal of the program was to establish research centers of excellence in critical areas of technology. These centers would be located at universities and staffed principally by faculty and student researchers, who would cooperate closely with scientists and engineers at partner companies and government agencies.
The idea behind the Center concept is simple. Industrial researchers provide guidance and feedback, funding, some cooperative research, and "real world" experience to help academic researchers. The university researchers contribute their time and resources, using primarily the research facilities of their university, to conduct investigations into topics that the companies and agencies are not able, or willing, to devote their internal resources toward. In addition, university researchers often have the opportunity to explore ideas that they otherwise might not be able to investigate.
The Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research is one of over fifty such Centers established by NSF, and the only one devoted to pharmaceutical processing research. It was founded in 1995. The Center is located at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Participating faculty include members of the Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, and Agricultural and Biological Engineering. We are currently pursuing the addition of other university partners.
Organizationally, the Center consists of a Center Director, and Industrial Advisory Board, a University Policy Board, and a Center Evaluator. The Center Director is the liaison between member companies and the university administration, and manages Center research activities. The Industrial Advisory Board, consisting of one member from each participating company, establishes research priorities and approves spending. The Industrial Advisory Board meets twice yearly. The University Policy Board assures that faculty development is not adversely affected by Center participation and that graduate student research is appropriate for the degree objective. The Center Evaluator reports to the Program Director at NSF and is responsible for the administration of several vehicles designed to measure the quality of the industry/university interaction.
For further information, contact Steven L. Nail, Center Director, or Dane O. Kildsig, Associate Director.
slnail@pharmacy.purdue.edu
dokildsig@pharmacy.purdue.edu