Brooks Leads Bipartisan Effort to Protect Alabama Access to Research Grants

Press Release

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) forces the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other science-based federal agencies to disperse science and engineering research and education funding throughout the United States. Currently, because of EPSCoR, 25 states (including Alabama) receive at least 10% of National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. Without EPSCoR, research funding for these 25 states would likely shift to America's larger population states.

Today an amendment by Congressmen Bill Foster (D-IL) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ) sought to strip EPSCoR from the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill. Congressman Brooks (R-AL) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) joined forces to lead a bipartisan effort to save the EPSCoR program, and the research it supports in Alabama and other smaller population states. Brooks and Cicilline contacted other Congressmen and helped persuade them to vote against the Foster-Garrett Amendment that would have ended EPSCoR and shifted research funding from Alabama to more populated states. Brooks and Cicilline's bipartisan efforts helped cause the Foster-Garrett Amendment to fail on a 232 to 195 vote.

Last month, the House passed H.R. 1806, which included Brooks' language to prioritize NSF EPSCoR funding and its resulting scientific research programs. Since 2009, EPSCoR has funded $78.5 million in Alabama science research, thereby strengthening Alabama's research infrastructure and helping to train new generations of science researchers. Recipients of EPSCoR funding include the University of Alabama in Huntsville, J.F. Drake State Technical College, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, and many other institutions and researchers.

Congressman Brooks stated, "When it was originally authorized, the NSF was directed to avoid an "undue concentration' of research and educational funding in large population states. EPSCoR was a response to the NSF's failure to fairly distribute research moneys throughout the United States. Today, even with EPSCoR programs across the nation, the 25 eligible states receive only 10% of all NSF funding--despite the fact that these states account for 20% of the U.S. population. Without EPSCoR, those 25 eligible states would likely receive even less. I am thankful the House today understood and voted to protect the value of research grants being distributed throughout America, and not just in heavily populated metropolitan areas."

Brooks concluded, "Federal research and development dollars should not be concentrated in only a few states, rather, federal grants should engage researchers in a national research community. EPSCoR helps accomplish this by allowing researchers in historically underfunded states to improve their competitiveness for federal research funding. I'm pleased my colleagues, including the entire Alabama delegation, came together in a bipartisan fashion to fairly prioritize scientific research programs across America without increasing costs to America's taxpayers."

Source