Government spending bill funds major research initiatives at UW–Madison

The House passed a 2022 spending plan on Wednesday evening, which will fund the federal government through September. The $1.5 trillion-dollar bipartisan appropriations package provides significant funding for University of Wisconsin–Madison initiatives and includes other provisions to boost college affordability and federally funded research. The bill will now be sent to the Senate, where it is expected to pass soon.

“This legislation provides crucial funding for cutting-edge university research and projects, and will improve health, drive innovation and create a more prosperous Wisconsin,” said UW–Madison Chancellor Rebecca M. Blank.

“We applaud Wisconsin’s congressional leaders for their commitment to funding research and programs that invest in the future of our state and university. Congressman Mark Pocan and Senator Tammy Baldwin, both members of the Appropriations Committee, were particularly instrumental in crafting this legislation and championing priorities for UW–Madison and the state of Wisconsin.”

UW-Madison programs received more than $80 million in the spending bill. Some of the funded initiatives include:

• $39.7 million: To build the new Plant Germplasm Facility
• $15 million: Center on Exposome Studies in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
• $10 million: Institute for Rural Partnership
• $5 million: Center of Excellence for Extreme Events in Structurally Evolving Materials
• $5 million: Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Propulsion
• $5 million: PANTHER—a biomedical research program addressing traumatic brain injuries
• $2 million: Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative
• $1.2 million: Next Generation Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S- HIS)
• $1 million: Retirement and Disability Research Consortium
• $500,000: Odyssey Project
• $174,000: Small Business Accounting Projections Clinic
• Up to $10 million for research and development on 2 stroke opposed piston engines

UW–Madison’s Office of Federal Relations – located in the university’s Washington D.C. office – worked closely with campus stakeholders and Rep. Pocan and Sen. Baldwin to secure support for these critical new investments.