SCHUMER ANNOUNCES SENATE APPROPRIATIONS BILL INCLUDES $174M IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR BROOKHAVEN’S ION COLLIDER & $125M FOR NATIONAL SYNCHROTRON LIGHT SOURCE II; BNL’S COLLIDER IS ONLY REMAINING ATOM SMASHER IN THE COUNTRY
Schumer Has Long Fought to Secure Increased Federal Funds for BNL– Funding Helps The U.S. Remain On The Forefront of Nuclear Research
Last Year, Senate Bill Included $165M for Ion Collider & $115M for NSLS-II; This Year’s Senate Bill Provides Millions More in Federal Funds
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Senate version of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for FY2016 will include an increase in federal funding for Brookhaven National Lab’s (BNL) Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). This year, the Senate Appropriations committee provided $174.953 million for RHIC, an increase of over $8 million from Fiscal Year 2015. Last year’s Senate bill included $165 million in funding, and the final version of the appropriations bill provided $166.072 million in funding for RHIC.
Additionally, the Senate Appropriations committee approved $110 million for the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) and $15.5 million for the light source’s experimental tools. Last year, the Senate version of the bill allocated $165 million for NSLS-II, and $22.5 million for experimental tools. Eventually, the final version of the bill provided $105 million for the NSLS-II and $22.5 million for experimental tools.
“Securing adequate funding for Brookhaven National Lab’s ion collider and the National Synchrotron Light Source will keep BNL and our nation at the forefront of innovation and boost Long Island’s economy,” said Senator Schumer. “I will work hard to make sure the final version of the Appropriations bill includes increases in federal funding for Brookhaven’s Ion Collider and NSLS-II.”
Brookhaven National Lab’s collider currently supports 800 jobs and is the only remaining ion collider of its kind in the country. BNL’s National Synchrotron Light Source is a next-generation X-ray light source scientific user facility that is poised to foster breakthroughs in fields such as advanced materials, biology and medicine, and chemical, geo-, nano-, and environmental science. NSLS II serves over 2400 university, industry, and government-sponsored scientists.
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