On Wednesday budget writers in the state House of Representatives released their proposed capital budget and presented their proposed supplemental operating budget, which provides funding for WSU’s top legislative priority.
As in the state Senate’s proposed operating budget, the House proposal would allocate $750,000 to WSU to provide a state match for grant funding WSU will receive as part of its recent designation by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuel and the Environment. Of the $750,000 appropriation, $500,000 would be ongoing annual funding.
You can find the House proposed operating budget here.
Securing the matching funds is the university’s highest legislative priority because of the federal and private research funds they would leverage. WSU, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will lead the center and 14 other universities across the United States will collaborate in the center’s research. More than 50 public and private stakeholder partners, ranging from aircraft manufactures to national laboratories, will help identify the industry needs that will shape the center’s research priorities.
Two additional priority budget requests for WSU did not make it into the House or Senate proposals. The university is seeking $1 million in the operating budget to add academic programs in software engineering and agricultural and food safety at the University Center of North Puget Sound. WSU is also seeking $5.3 million for predesign funding for a new Washington Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory, also known as Phase II for the Global Animal Health Complex, to be physically attached as the second wing of the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health.
The House proposed capital budget can be found here.