The University of Kansas is receiving what its officials describe as the largest federal research grant ever made to the state.

The grant is worth $20.2 million over six years, and it's from the National Institutes of Health.

The university will join a network of institutions in searching for molecules that can help fight disease.

Medicinal chemistry professor Jeff Aube (AH'-bay) said the grant will put the university in the middle of some of the most forward-thinking medical research in the nation. He will lead the team of researchers.

The university expects to add 15 to 20 new positions because of the grant. It also plans to establish a special chemistry center on its campus.