Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, put an exclamation point on his longstanding support for ̽̽ with the inclusion of $30 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) to support academic excellence at ̽̽ and an additional $50 million in Vermont-focused programmatic funding in the annual Appropriations Bills that fund the U.S. government. The bills were signed into law on Dec. 29.
̽̽ stands to receive $30M in CDS funding in the form of an endowment dedicated to enhancing the experience of its promising and ambitious students, especially through the university’s Honors College.
University researchers will compete for an additional $50M in funding from programs supported by Senator Leahy to address issues important to Vermont, and for which ̽̽ has a track record of research strength. These include US Government programs such as: $15 million for Institutes for Rural Partnerships, $13 million for Food Systems research on small and medium sized farms, $10 million for Rural Centers of Excellence on Addiction, $2 million for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research, and $4 million to establish a new Climate Impacts Center of Excellence.
The funding package also includes $750,000 of funding supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) for ̽̽ to partner with the Vermont EMS Academy to provide high-quality, financially and geographically accessible training to help rebuild the EMS workforce across the state.
“On behalf of everyone at ̽̽, I must express my deepest gratitude for everything we’ve received in this budget,” University President Suresh Garimella said. “It is critically important for the state of Vermont that our university continues to strengthen the richness and quality of our academic offerings and expand the impact of our research enterprise. This funding will help drive those efforts forward for years to come.”
Garimella said the funding would “develop signature programs, support research excellence and promote leadership and learning opportunities for our talented students,” particularly those in its respected Honors College. He praised Sen. Leahy’s commitment to the University as integral to its emergence as a premier research institution focused on sustainable solutions with local, national, and global applications and impact.
“Senator Leahy’s impact on the University is incalculable,” Garimella said. “So much of our success over the years can be attributed to his help in securing the necessary resources for our work here at ̽̽.”
Leahy’s office announced in late December that more than $212 million in CDS funding for 38 projects across Vermont was included in the 12 annual Appropriations Bills. Leahy was also able to secure formula funding increases and programmatic changes to support priorities across the state.
Garimella said the unflagging support of ̽̽ by Leahy and fellow Vermont delegates Sanders, Senator-Elect Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative-Elect Becca Balint (D-Vt.), remains centrally important to the success of its mission as the state’s premier public land-grant research university.
“We are so thankful that our incoming delegation has such faith in the University and will continue to help with securing funding in support of ̽̽ into the future,” Garimella said.
