Two Ohio State projects would benefit from funding bill

Columbus – The Ohio State University would receive funding for two projects as part of legislation approved yesterday (5/18) by the U.S House Appropriations Committee as part of the Fiscal Year 2006 House Energy and Water Development appropriation.

The funding proposals are the result of efforts by U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield), chair of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee. Ohio State was also supported by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington), chair of the House Republican Conference and member of the House Committee on Financial Services. The bill will now go to the full House for approval.

Ohio State University President Karen A. Holbrook expressed gratitude to the members for their support of the projects through their insertion into the funding bill. “Thanks to the hard work of these lawmakers, the university will be able to undertake these two significant initiatives that will contribute to a great future for all Ohioans,” she said.

Under the legislation, Ohio State would receive $2 million to establish the Ultra-Intense, Ultra-Short-Pulse Laser Institute (UULI) to educate undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in the field of ultra-high density energy physics (HEDP). HEDP involves the understanding of topics ranging from the origin of the cosmos to precision welding and manufacturing. The proposed UULI facility, which would be housed in an existing building along Ohio State’s SciTech Technology Transfer Corridor, would be a unique experimental facility that would train a highly specialized scientific workforce required for future technologic needs in security, energy and manufacturing. By investing in these students, Ohio State will be an indispensable contributor to the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and Defense Programs missions.

In addition, $1 million is included in the bill for construction of a new 4-H building that would be the first “green” building on the Ohio State campus. The founder of the 4-H program was Springfield native A.B. Graham.

The Ohio 4-H Center will be built west of the Schottenstein Center. As designed, the center is geared to meet specifications in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, a voluntary national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings that are healthful, environmentally responsible and energy efficient. The center will use a geothermal heating system and will recycle rainwater for irrigation. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

In all, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations provides a total of $58.76 million in funding for energy and water development projects in the Ohio.