The Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Regional Economic Alliance, Greater Iowa City and Quad Cities Chamber are a few of more than 70 chambers of commerce and business organizations in over 30 states to relaunch the Business for Federal Research Funding Coalition.

“The Alliance is proud to once again join the Business for Federal Research Coalition in our national public policy efforts,” Dan Culhane, president and CEO of the Alliance, stated in a press release. “Our communities, businesses, and educational institutions receive funding for a variety of important research and development projects that help make our region the cutting edge of innovation in not just the nation but the world. We will continue to help our partners advocate for such support.”

The coalition, which originally launched in 2017 and is now relaunching, advocates for federal research funding, which it says leads to breakthroughs, new technologies, medical treatments and millions of jobs.

According to the coalition, more than 30 federal agencies supported research and development in fiscal year 2021 and the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health, are the largest supporters of basic research in the U.S.

In April, Iowa State University was awarded more than $2 million from the USDA to carry out six research projects that will help prevent and combat animal disease outbreaks.