Legislature approves biological science funding

The state Legislature on May 7 approved a $1.5 million plan to fund new faculty in UW–Madison’s biological sciences.

The plan, which cleared the Joint Finance Committee April 30, is part of Gov. Tommy Thompson’s midterm budget adjustment bill. Thompson touted the plan as a way to build on UW–Madison’s national strengths in biology fields. It is the first in a larger-scale commitment that will include remodeling teaching and research laboratories, he said.

Funding will cover as many as eight new positions in a wide variety of fields. UW–Madison Provost John Wiley said the new positions will be a catalyst for new biological science companies based in Wisconsin. More than a dozen biotechnology companies in the state have stemmed from UW–Madison developments in the past decade.