Appropriations
I am pleased to work with state, county and local officials, universities, and not-for-profit organizations to request funding for economic development, historic preservation, university programs and local infrastructure.
The federal appropriations process includes limited "earmarks" that allow members to request funds for local entities. These dollars are not additional federal dollars; they are dollars already in the federal budget that members ask agencies to direct to specific local projects. My office seeks to use taxpayer dollars wisely, considering cost-benefit analyses and community support. The process is a lengthy one. All requests submitted to the Appropriations Committee are vetted by the Committee's staff and the respective federal agency. Not all are included in the final bill.
Below you will find a list of the projects I have been asked to submit to the Appropriations Committee for consideration in the FY 2011 bill. Submission to the Committee is only the first step and in no way assures funding.
Agriculture
Horse Science Center Equipment. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($250,000): Funding would be used to purchase needed state-of-the-art equipment for the equine training and education labs at MTSU. The horse science program is one of the nation's top undergraduate degree programs for equine science and its graduates support the growing equine industry in Tennessee and surrounding states.
Improving Food Safety by Controlling Pathogenic Bacteria. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($777,000): Funds will be used to study the interaction of bacteria associated with food-borne illnesses and microbes such as other bacteria, protozoa, and amoeba. Synergistic relationships between these microbes will be explored as a means to decrease the virulence or inhibit the growth of the pathogenic bacteria. This project will provide economic benefits to agriculture producers and health benefits to the broader public.
Agriscience Education. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($100,000): Funding will be used to strengthen the MTSU Agribusiness and Agriscience department's role as the leader in equine and dairy training; develop curriculum to address the latest developments in agriculture such as alternative fuels, food safety, organic foods, animal health and welfare, and the use of biotechnology in animal and crop production; and develop a business plan to maximize the Miller Coliseum for the benefit of students and the public.
Commerce, Science, Justice
Forensic Investigations. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($661,000): Funding would be used to develop education courses and workshops to enhance MTSU as a regional center for standardized education & training for law enforcement & forensic personnel. Forensic science is a broad and rapidly changing field that requires continuous updates on new scientific techniques and judicial standards for evidence, yet no systematic changes in the training of law enforcement and forensic personnel have been made in response to the NRC recommendations. The Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) at MTSU proposes to standardize of forensic practices and the effectiveness of Scientific Working Groups.
STEM Innovation Through Digital Manufacturing. Tennessee Technological University, 1000 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville ($200,000): Funds will be used to purchase two pieces of digital manufacturing equipment to engage the next generation of STEM students: the Stratasys FORTUS 400mc System and the Creaform 3D Laser Scanner. Digital manufacturing experiences are needed at the college level to help students in the region understand in greater depth what future workforce opportunities exist in STEM disciplines.
Future Aerospace Scientists in Tennessee. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($358,939): Funds will be used to conduct two-week summer day camps for underrepresented 9th and 10th grade students to teach STEM concepts using an aerospace theme. A concurrent workshop for high school teachers from high needs rural and urban districts will extend the impact of the project. STEM education is critical for continued U.S. competitiveness and innovation.
Aviation Safety and Human Factors Research Using Emerging Technologies. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($400,000): Funding will be used to continue research on best practices for safe implementation of emerging technologies included in aircraft and air traffic control systems for general aviation airports. As one of the top five aerospace programs in the nation, MTSU’s program continues to grow and meet the increasing needs of our transportation system. Funding for the program would provide safety training for pilots and air traffic controllers using advanced technologies and reduce the human and financial risk of transitioning to new general aviation airport air traffic controller technology.
Defense
Advanced Portable Power Institute. Tennessee Technological University, 1000 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville ($550,000): Funds will be used to apply breakthrough materials developed in FY10 to extend the life and durability of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell squad-level portable battery charger for extending the mission duration and extended life flights for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Cognitive Radio Institute. Tennessee Technological University, 1000 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville ($1,650,000): Funding will be used to allow the Cognitive Radio Institute to design radio experimental models and system test-beds resistant to conventional jamming techniques. This is an extension of TTU’s Ultrawideband test-bed prototyping that has received prior funding from the Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office and the National Science Foundation. Intellectual property generated could lead to small business spin-offs.
Energy & Water
Operation of High Voltage Transmission Lines at Overloads. Tennessee Technological University, 1000 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville ($1,000,000): Funding will be used to continue research on transmission lines and transformers, modeling dynamic loads of voltage stability analysis to protect power system from future cascading voltage collapse events. When completed, U.S. electricity consumers will benefit from increased grid reliability resulting from this research.
J. Percy Priest Greenway. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Nashville District, P.O. Box 1070, Nashville ($5,743,000): Funding will be used to continue authorized plans and specifications and keep the construction of additional portions of the Greenway on track. This portion will run Walter Hill Park to the Coleman Farm.
Computational Modeling of Drug-Resistant Bacteria. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($915,000): Funding will continue to be used to find antibiotics to treat methicillin-resistant bacteria. This project was funded for FY10 by the Department of Energy Office of Science. The project will develop computational models to understand how deadly infectious bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. These techniques can provide pathways for discovery of new classes of powerful antibiotics and help find methods to restore the effectiveness of previously successful drugs. The evolution of antibiotic-resistant mutants among bacteria (‘superbugs’) that cannot be treated with currently available antibiotics is a persistent and growing threat to public health.
Interior
Study of Groundwater and Biodiversity in Karst Landscapes. U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. Reston, VA 20192 ($395,532): Funds will be used to carry out investigations of groundwater and biodiversity in association with Middle Tennessee State University to promote sustainable development in the karst landscapes of Middle Tennessee. Karst-related environmental problems are widespread in Tennessee and other parts of the Southeast. For example, sinkhole flooding periodically inundates parts of Murfreesboro, Cookeville, and many other Tennessee communities. Scientists working with the Tennessee Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State of Tennessee, and Tennessee universities have discovered many solutions to karst-related problems, and this study would build upon that work in the wake of significant flooding in Middle Tennessee.
Stones River National Battlefield Property Acquisition. Stones River National Battlefield, 3501 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro ($750,000): Funds would be used to acquire critical, highly visible property in-holdings in the park's two main units, Nashville Pike Unit and McFadden Farm Unit. This will protect areas of the core battlefield that are currently inaccessible to the visiting public.
Labor, Health & Human Services, Education
Promotion of Physical Activity and Health in Youth. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro ($400,000): Funds will be used to continue expansion of MTSU's multimedia campaign to promote physical activity in children and adolescents, including expanding opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in sports and fitness programs. While the clinical endpoints of major health problems such as coronary heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis are usually manifested during adulthood, mounting evidence suggests that the genesis of these health conditions occurs early in life. Public health efforts aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles in children, therefore, can be viewed as a logical and cost-effective means of reducing the incidence of premature ill health and death.
Upper Cumberland Institute for Rural Health Care Child and Family Health Studies Program. Tennessee Technological University ($525,000): Funds will be used to study obesity in children residing in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland area, conduct training seminars aimed at reducing negative behaviors, and develop practical research projects to reduce child obesity rates. If the obesity rates in the U.S. population continue unabated, health care costs of dealing with this issue will further burden the delivery of medical services. Funds spent to curb childhood obesity will dramatically reduce long-term health care costs to obese adults, and will positively impact and influence quality of life issues.
Developing the Biotechnology Workforce. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St., Murfreesboro ($561,000): Funds would be used to provide support for faculty to establish international biotechnology partnerships, fund internship stipends and supplies for graduate students and high school teachers, and develop biotechnology-related curriculum in the Molecular Bioscience Ph.D. program at MTSU. In order to create technologically skilled jobs with high salaries to replace rapidly disappearing manufacturing jobs, it is essential to support this business-friendly climate with a highly skilled workforce. Biotechnology industry is a high growth area globally, and this is reflected in the developing biotechnology/biomedical industry in middle Tennessee.
STEM Eagle Mobile Classrooms. Tennessee Technological University, 1000 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville ($1,050,000): Funds would be used to purchase and equip two classroom trailers serving the STEM education needs of students and teachers in the rural counties in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. Investment in STEM education is critical to the future of U.S. competitiveness and innovation. This project will help familiarize students with tools and equipment used in science, technology, engineering and math careers and demonstrate the real-world application of learned skills.
MTSU STEM Education Center. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St., Murfreesboro ($6,200,000): Funds will be used to purchase and install equipment to provide programmatic support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Once equipped, the space will house the STEM Center in a prominent campus location to provide state-of-the-art spaces for interdisciplinary STEM education activities, outreach to the regional K-12 community, and to promote synergies between existing and future STEM education programs. The need for enhancements to STEM education programs has been identified as a significant national problem – potentially affecting our ability to remain in a leadership position in science and technology.
Transportation, Housing & Urban Development
Middle Tennessee Boulevard. City of Murfreesboro, 111 W. Vine St, Murfreesboro ($2,500,000): Funds would be used to widen Middle Tennessee Boulevard from Main Street to Greenland Drive to five eleven-foot traffic lanes (including shared shoulders & bicycle lanes on both sides). The project will correct geometric deficiencies while mitigating congestion, improving air quality and enhancing pedestrian safety.
Gateway Drive Extension. City of Gallatin, 132 W. Main St., Gallatin ($1,888,000): Funds will be used to build out Phase II of the Gallatin Industrial Center, including the construction of a main artery road through the middle of the property. When completed, this project will spur economic development in Gallatin, bringing businesses and jobs to the area.
Healthy Homes Tennessee. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St., Murfreesboro ($676,900): Funds will be used to improve the health and safety of families in at-risk homes in Tennessee. The Partnership for Healthy Homes will provide interventions, education, and training to address indoor air quality, prevent unintended injuries, lower medical costs, and encourage healthy and safe behaviors in the home. The project will impact at-risk families in Tennessee by reducing the prevalence of asthma; decreasing the incidence of unintended home injuries; and decreasing hospitalizations, emergency doctor visits, and lost school and work days due to asthma and unintended home injuries.
Extending Effective Runway Length at General Aviation Airports. MTSU, 1301 E. Main St., Murfreesboro ($485,000): Funds will be used to construct and test engineered material arresting systems (EMAS) designed for general aviation airports. A test track will be designed and built in coordination with MTSU Aerospace program, Murfreesboro Airport and Smyrna Airport. Funds will also be used to develop the concrete mixtures formulated to handle loads from various aircraft, perform simulated crash testing of the materials, optimize EMAS based on test results, and carry out an economic analysis. The only EMAS approved by the FAA is costly and designed for large aircraft at commercial airports. This project will allow smaller airports to install EMAS, furthering economic growth in smaller communities.
Stones River National Battlefield Auto Tour Road Expansion and Rehabilitation. Stones River National Battlefield, 3501 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro ($5,100,000): Funds would be used to rehabilitate and expand auto tour road, waysides and trails and construct new park entry roads at the Stones' River National Battlefield. This infrastructure was built in 1961 and is in need of an upgrade. Project work will improve the overall visitor/interpretive experience by developing better visitor access to the park and better visitor access to the park and enhancing visitor circulation to key sites within the park.
Appropriations for FY 2010 are available here.
