Paul Ramsey, dean of the School of Medicine, informed the UW Board of Regents last week about a proposal to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that would help fund a new public health institute at the UW.

The proposed Health Metrics Institute would connect the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health and Community Medicine while allowing students to earn graduate degrees from the institute.

Led by Harvard professor Christopher J. L. Murray, the institute would study health care systems in poor and developing countries to determine how well those systems are performing.

Patricia Wahl, dean of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, believes Murray's experience and recognition of the need to develop a methodology in the area of global health makes him the perfect choice to lead the proposed institute.

"Dr. Murray has led the research in this area for a number of years, including a period of time at the World Health Organization," Wahl said.

Murray was originally pegged to head a similar institute at Harvard.

After Oracle Corporation CEO Larry Ellison retracted his estimated $115 million pledge to fund Harvard's Ellison Institute for World Health, Murray began working with the UW.

"We began working directly with professor Murray two months ago," Ramsey said. "He is in the process of submitting the proposal to the Gates Foundation."

The process is still in its beginning stages.

"Discussions are underway but [at this point] it is premature to make any other comments," said Murray in an e-mail.

Initial reports stated that the record-breaking gift from the Gates Foundation would exceed $100 million, but school officials say that number is not accurate.

"The formal proposal to the Gates Foundation has yet to be submitted, and we do not have a firm dollar amount," said Norm Arkans, Executive Director of Media Relations and Communications at the UW.

Many of the pieces to complete the proposal puzzle have not been put into place yet.

The Gates Foundation must approve the proposed grant, the Board of Regents must approve the proposal and the recruitment of Murray must be completed before any announcement will be made.

"The Gates Foundation will consider the proposal and have to make their decision," Arkans said. "Nothing yet has been decided, but we are hopeful the institute will receive funding."

Whether the proposal will win the necessary approval to move forward is still up in the air.

Administrators agree about the benefits the institute would provide.

"All institutions in the city will be able to utilize the methodology and measures being developed and collaborate with the Health Metrics faculty," Wahl said. "In addition, it is likely that the institute faculty will attract global health researchers from around the world."

Reach reporter Shaun Moore at news@thedaily.washington.edu.