UGA programs receive more than $12 million in federal funding

Carlton Fletcher, The Albany Herald, Ga.
·2 min read

Jan. 9—ATHENS — Four University of Georgia programs will receive federal support as part of the $1.7 trillion funding package signed into law in late December. These funds will support scientific research, engineering projects and outreach programs that benefit citizens living in Georgia and throughout the nation.

"I want to express my deep gratitude for the advocacy of our Georgia delegation in procuring these funds," UGA President Jere W. Morehead said. "Sens. (Jon) Ossoff and (Raphael) Warnock and Reps. Buddy Carter, David Scott and Lucy McBath are all helping Georgia's flagship university address the important priorities of our nation, state and local communities. We are grateful for their strong support."

UGA will receive $5 million as part of a project titled Expanding Engineering with Nature Installation Capacity, which was submitted by Carter (R-Savannah). The funding will help researchers develop and deploy new methods to protect Department of Defense facilities from extreme weather events and changing climate conditions.

The funding will build upon the Army Corps of Engineers Network for Engineering with Nature, or N-EWN, and it will allow the program to expand its reach to support a larger number of installations and communities.

Fort Valley State University and UGA will receive $4 million for a program titled Enhancing Georgia's Poultry Science Workforce through Education, Innovation, and Collaboration, which was submitted by Scott (D-Atlanta), Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Warnock (D-Ga.).

This funding will support Georgia's expansive poultry industry through new scholarships and the acquisition of advanced scientific equipment, which will be used to train the next generation of poultry scientists working in this multibillion-dollar industry.

UGA's Connected Resilient Communities program will receive $3 million from a project submitted by McBath (D-Marietta). Facilitated by the Archway Partnership, a UGA Public Service and Outreach unit, the Connected Resilient Communities initiative enables communities to leverage university resources to create sustainable change that enhances the perception of Georgia communities and increases economic opportunity and well-being.

The funding will help Georgia communities develop resources like resilient infrastructure, work force planning, downtown revitalization, cybersecurity analysis, and more.

A $100,000 project supporting UGA's Small Business Development Center also was submitted by Ossoff. These funds will support training programs for rural communities on how to improve e-commerce and digital marketing capabilities for small businesses.