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A stop to UW-Madison research in energy disciplines, including power generation and energy efficiency.
Quote:
Gov. Scott Walker wants to eliminate funding for a University of Wisconsin-Madison renewable energy research center that has played a key role in helping land one of its biggest government grants ever.
In his budget, Walker is proposing to eliminate $8.1 million over two years — a total of 35 positions — from a bioenergy program.
The reductions are separate from his proposal to cut $300 million from the University of Wisconsin System over the next two years.
Walker has, since his 2010 gubernatorial run, been a top recipient of campaign contributions from the Kochs, and a beneficiary of the “independent” campaigns of Koch-fueled groups such as Americans for Prosperity. The Koch-Walker connection runs deep. “We’re helping him, as we should. We’ve gotten pretty good at this over the years,” David Koch said when Walker faced a recall election in 2012. “We’ve spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We’re going to spend more.”
A more reasonable reason is that the FedGov is cutting what they are contributing.
Where has all the funding gone? Federal cuts threaten research at UW-Madison - Isthmus
But ongoing federal research funding cuts could turn the lights off in these university labs. The jeopardy is real because of the Budget Control Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2011.
..
Across-the-board federal spending cuts known as budget sequestration took effect March 1, 2013, and slashed 5%, or $1.55 billion, of the annual NIH budget alone. The NIH is the primary federal agency charged with conducting and supporting biomedical and behavioral research.
Similar cuts affected other funding agencies, and ongoing reductions of as-of-yet-unknown and varying amounts are targeted for budgets through 2023. Approximately 640 fewer competitive NIH research project grants were issued in 2013 to universities, medical schools and other research institutions across the nation as a result, and UW-Madison has taken its share of the pounding. In 2009-10 the campus received $798 million in federal research awards. In 2012-13 that amount had shrunk to $620.4 million.
I would have to know more: Is the state soley responsible for the salaries/retirement/medical costs of the staff as a condition of the grant? Has the grant and it's related facilities produced any research of benefit? Does the lab facilities associated with the grant take up space more suited to the education of students? I have seen over the years Governors of both parties reject large federal grants because the long term expense to the state was significantly larger than the grant, again, I would have to know more.
I posted an article detailing that the FedGov is cutting funding for research grants.
So that means states would have to pony up the difference and if they can't afford it ?
Well the states would have to cut wouldn't they ?
UW, like other universities, are receiving less Fed money each year for research. So they either increase taxes or make cuts.
It doesn't look like a Koch vendetta here but more like "we have no money" because Uncle Sam is closing his wallet.
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