(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Defense Subcommittee announced that she has included critical funding for Eastern Washington companies in the Fiscal Year 2011 Defense Appropriations bill.  The funding will create jobs and help Washington state remain at the forefront of technology, research, and innovation.

The key job-creating bill passed through the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee today, and will now move to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration.

“This investment in companies right here in Washington state will help create family-wage jobs while supporting our national defense,” said Senator Murray. “This is about bringing Washington state tax dollars back to companies in our own backyard. And the plain truth is that if I’m not fighting for these job investments to be made here in our state, they will go to other states like Texas and California. Our state’s innovative companies deserve their fair share of federal funding so they can hire, expand and provide our service members with tools to keep them safe. I’m proud to have secured this support for local companies to help them create jobs.”

Eastern Washington projects are listed below:

Project Title:  Fuel and Energy Laboratory at the Institute for Shock Physics/Applied Sciences Laboratory at WSU
Recipient:       Washington State University - Spokane/ReliOn
Amount:         $1,000,000
Location:        Spokane, WA

This investment would help establish a Fuel and Energy Laboratory at WSU’s Institute for Shock Physics/Applied Research Laboratory.  This Lab would apply leading edge surface chemistry, catalysis, and material science to develop alternative energy sources for sustainable energy and transportation systems for the Navy. This would develop new ways of providing energy for the military and help the Navy meet its renewable energy requirements.

Project Title:  Positron Capture and Storage
Recipient:       Washington State University
Amount:         $3,000,000
Location:        Pullman, WA

This investment would expand Army research into positrons, a high-density, highly-concentrated non-nuclear energy source. This would advance cutting-edge research with potential applications in fields ranging from space travel to medical diagnostics.

Project Title: afterdeployment.org Virtual Agent Technology Pilot Program
Recipient:       Next IT Corporation
Amount:         $1,500,000
Location:        Spokane, WA

This investment would expand the ability of servicemembers, veterans and their families to obtain information about the psychological and emotional effects of deployment by implementing virtual agent technology on the afterdeployment.org website. The program will improve access for servicemembers, veterans and their families to tools that will help them readjust to life after deployment.