North Dakota is in line to receive $7 million in federal funding for economic development and health care initiatives, according to North Dakota Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan.
The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2008 Labor and Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations bill, according to Conrad and Dorgan.
The bill goes next to a House-Senate conference committee, which will iron out the differences between the two chambers.
The bill includes $1.5 million for UND's proposed Center for Forensic Research. The money will be used to build a multifunctional building at UND that would be used to conduct post-mortem examinations that would help solve crimes and identify unknown health problems and public health hazards.
The facility would help reduce the workload on the State Medical Examiner's Office and provide a valuable educational opportunity for students at UND's School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Other funding will support projects across the state - from an energy technology training program at Bismarck State College, to a Job Corps management program in Minot, to a new vocational education program in Belcourt.
“I'm proud of the work we were able to do in this bill both to continue support for some projects that have proven to be important, and to start some new initiatives that will help move our state forward,” said Dorgan, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Bismarck State College has a world-class education program, and this will allow them to continue building their reputation as a training hub for power plant operators. And projects like the NDSU Telepharmacy Project help expand access to health care for small communities that struggle to maintain basic health care services.”
“The research conducted at our universities and colleges is resulting in significant advances, both in North Dakota and across the nation,” Conrad said. “By continuing to invest in technology and advanced sciences, we continue to enhance North Dakota's reputation as a hotbed for scientific research while growing our state's economy.”
Here is a list of the other projects included in the bill:
-- Bismarck State College National Energy Technology Training and Education Project, $1 million: This funding will be used to develop a new Instrumentation and Control component to BSC's electronics and telecommunications technology program. The program will enhance BSC's nationally known program to prepare students to run power plants.
-- Minot State University Job Corps Program, $750,000: The funding will be used to expand MSU's customized master's degree program for Job Corps management personnel. The school will add a multi-track program that allows students to earn a Master of Science in management or a Master of Science in information systems, and a graduate certificate in knowledge management.
-- North Dakota State University Telepharmacy Project, $1 million: The funding will be used to expand NDSU's groundbreaking program by providing remote rural hospitals access to 24/7 pharmacy service by connecting them to a central hub using videoconferencing technology. The telepharmacy project has provided pharmacy service to more than 50 rural communities in North Dakota and Minnesota, where residents would otherwise be forced to drive long distances to fill a prescription.
-- North Dakota State College of Science Center for Nanoscience Technology Training, $1 million: This funding will be used to support the North Dakota State College of Science Center for Nanoscience Technology Training in Wahpeton. The Center provides students training in advanced courses related to nanoscience. The program will graduate its first students in the spring of 2008.
-- Marketplace for Kids, $500,000: This funding will support a number of daylong regional events in North Dakota that helps students explore entrepreneurship and self-employment through the recognition and development of their inventive, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This year, more than 16,000 students participated in Marketplace for Kids.
-- Great Plains Autism Project, $500,000: This funding will be used to establish a program at Minot State University that provides training, research, diagnostic and treatment services for North Dakota children and youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
-- Turtle Mountain Career and Tech Ed Program, $750,000: This funding will be used to develop and implement a Career and Technical Education Program at Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt. The program will provide vocational and technical training to tribal residents and help boost the economy of the Turtle Mountain Reservation.
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