SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEARLY $3 MILLION IN NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FUNDING FOR THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO TO STUDY THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Just Passed Schumer CHIPS & Science Bill Gives Historic Boost To NSF To Power More Critical And Cutting-Edge Research At Top Institutions Like UB
Schumer, Gillibrand: Western New York Scientists Are Powering Research In Our Fight Against Climate Change!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $2,945,234 in federal funding for the University at Buffalo to study the impacts of climate change through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Schumer said that this critical research is integral to understanding how rapid climatic shifts affects species, the environment, and broadening our understanding on the impacts of global warming.
“Buffalo is leading New York and our nation in the fight against climate change. I am proud to deliver this nearly $3 million federal investment to research the impacts of climate change on species, bolster local scientific education programs, and further boost Western New York’s research leadership,” said Senator Schumer. “From becoming a finalist in the EDA Regional Challenge to the cutting-edge work being done at the University at Buffalo, many are now recognizing what I have long known, Buffalo is becoming a scientific research and tech hub.”
“Top-tier research institutions like the University at Buffalo are leading the fight against climate change, and we need their innovative ideas and solutions now more than ever,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’ll keep working to support our New York academic institutions and fight climate change. I’m proud to have also passed the CHIPS Act and will continue to work in Congress to spur innovation and federal investments in New York State.”
“The University at Buffalo is deeply committed to addressing climate change and the ongoing sustainability crisis,” said UB President Satish K. Tripathi. “With this National Science Foundation award, our world-class scientists will be able to further climate science research, ultimately contributing to the understanding and mitigation of one of the preeminent issues facing our nation and world. I am proud of our entire UB team and grateful for Senator Schumer’s unwavering support for climate research and for the National Science Foundation’s recognition of the important role UB can play in combatting one of society’s most pressing problems.”
Schumer explained that this research will provide important insights into how rapid climatic shifts can serve as triggers for dramatic and irreversible downstream impacts on species. The assembled team of scholars, with cross-disciplinary expertise across the biological and geological sciences, will examine how Southeast Alaskan ecosystems responded to Ice-Age environmental change and use that to inform a new and general paradigm for understanding the impacts of climate change. The project will also invest in interdisciplinary STEM training and career-building to educate the next generation of multidisciplinary scientists, including training of postdocs and a cohort of graduate and undergraduate students spanning different disciplines. It will also offer interdisciplinary seminars, a 1-credit course, summer continuing education programs for science teachers in Buffalo City high schools, and an outreach program targeting K-12 students in Southeast Alaska.
A full project description can be found here.
Schumer also noted that his just passed CHIPS & Science bill which will be signed into law by the president next week also contains massive increased investment for National Science Foundation (NSF) Research and Development Programs, including through a new technology directorate as proposed in Schumer’s original bipartisan Endless Frontier Act, and STEM education and training programs. Schumer said the region’s top research schools like the University at Buffalo and technical training schools like Erie Community Colleges would be able to tap the increased investment for the NSF bolstering incredible research like this and investment in the local scientific and tech workforce.
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