The MSU Board of Trustees will vote Friday to establish an endowment that would provide support to departments focused on central nervous systems disorders in the College of Human Medicine.

The fund will support departments, such as neurology and ophthalmology but can be used to provide additional assistance in similar areas of research.

The initial amount put toward the fund to get the endowment started will be $832,642.

Plans to expand the MSU College of Human Medicine into Grand Rapids are another area of support the college received in recent months, but Trustee David Porteous said these recommendations to establish endowments are common at most meetings.

"These funds function as endowments that are very important to each separate college," he said.

"These proceeds go to paying for faculty salaries, grad students' salaries, scholarships for undergraduates and every month we deal with these requests.

"From my recollection, you find those in different colleges all over campuses. These funds are the gift that keep on giving."

The board will meet Friday at 9:30 a.m. in the Administration Building.