our 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,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Senators Ossoff and Warnock and Representatives 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.”

Engineering solutions

UGA will receive $5 million as part of a project titled Expanding Engineering with Nature Installation Capacity, which was submitted by Rep. Buddy 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.

Poultry science

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 Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Sen. Raphael 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.

Community outreach

UGA’s Connected Resilient Communities program will receive $3 million from a project submitted by Rep. Lucy 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, workforce planning, downtown revitalization, cybersecurity analysis, and more.

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