Congress' defense bill grants more than $2 million to IU

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the final version of an appropriations bill earlier this week that will fund two life sciences projects on campus.\nThe bill calls for $1.35 million in funding for the Cyclotron Facility to develop a Free Electron Laser and an additional $1.17 million to go toward the Next Generation Threat Detection research project to be run by the chemistry department.\n"I am proud to help Indiana University further its cause in being one of the top scientific research schools in the nation," Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-9th, said in a statement. "Indiana University is a leading partner in securing our homeland by developing new technologies that help in our effort to detect potential threats before they arise."\nThe Free Electron Laser is different from conventional lasers in that it can transmit more energy at higher power levels, a news release said.\nIU's Next Generation Threat Detection project will allow chemists easy access to technology that will help quickly detect new chemical and biological threats.\n"Congressman Sodrel has been involved in procuring funds for IU the whole time he's been in Congress," Sodrel's press secretary Allison Aikele said. "Another reason he's been involved is the benefit to national security, and he thinks IU will play a key role as one of the premiere research spaces in the state."\nIn his state of academic affairs speech earlier this month, Provost Michael McRobbie cited the Cyclotron Facility as an example of one of the planned buildings that will increase the University's research abilities.\n"Lack of research space is the biggest impediment facing IU," he said in his Sept. 19 speech.\nFunding for the program was included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Defense Appropriation bill. Sodrel has already secured an additional $7 million for the Cyclotron facility, the release said.\nThe bill still has to go through the Senate and be signed by President Bush, but Aikele said that is basically a "formality."\n"It's not going to be a huge fight," she said.