Two Huntsville research institutions will receive a combined $4.1 million in state grants for projects ranging from cancer research and crop production to aerospace engineering and human performance.
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday that HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and The University of Alabama in Huntsville are among five Alabama institutions sharing $8.1 million through the Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Fund.
HudsonAlpha will receive more than $2 million across three projects, including research aimed at improving cancer screening and treatments. The Huntsville-based institute will also work on technology to help organizations manage genetic data and research intended to speed up the production of plants for modern agriculture.
One grant of $763,470 will support cancer research with the goal of developing new screening tools and treatments to improve patient outcomes. Another $524,488 will fund a shared digital storage system that uses artificial intelligence to help Alabama organizations track biological information and conduct large-scale genetic analysis.
The institute’s largest award, $798,233, will go toward research aimed at accelerating the production of genetically uniform plants, which can be useful in modern agricultural operations.
UAH will receive $2 million for two projects tied to engineering and biology.
The university’s largest award is $1.5 million for a project focused on expanding digital engineering. The work will include developing a 3D model designed to teach students and members of Alabama’s aerospace and engineering industries.
A separate $500,000 grant will support research into the role of molecular biology in human performance.
Together, the five grants for HudsonAlpha and UAH account for slightly more than half of the funding announced by Ivey. The remaining awards will support research at Auburn University, the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The 20 grants cover a range of research areas, including medicine, agriculture, construction, energy efficiency and materials recycling.
The Alabama Legislature established the research and development fund in 2019 as part of the Alabama Innovation Act, which Ivey signed into law. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the program, which supports research projects intended to encourage innovation and create new employment opportunities in the state.
Zachary Austin is a writer for 256 Today. You can contact him at [email protected].
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