MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $2.27 million under a new program designed to encourage and continue research that will improve the lives of Alabamians.

The grants were awarded to Auburn University and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville through the Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Fund. The state funded program was created in 2019 under the Alabama Innovation Act which was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ivey.

“This fund will enable our universities, hospitals, research institutions and others to develop and bring to fruition ideas that will improve lives and create jobs,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am tremendously encouraged by this program and its potential in Alabama. I am pleased to award these grants to Auburn University and HudsonAlpha.” The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants.

“Gov. Ivey is partial to home-grown innovation especially when it results in jobs for Alabamians,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased and honored to be a partner in this program that can have such a meaningful impact on our state.”

Those awarded grants, grant amounts and a brief description of the projects are:

HudsonAlpha - $969,409 to improve personal health care through shared use among medical professionals of a patient’s genetic profile.

Auburn University - $245,865 to develop an advanced biosensor using forest and agricultural products that will have a wide variety of uses dealing with contaminant detection, like determining if pesticides are present in water.

Auburn University - $868,145 to develop a lightweight material that blocks mosquito bites yet retains its ability to retain coolness in hot weather.

Auburn University - $193,960 to develop a filtering process to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances from water and landfill runoff. The manmade substances are used in food packaging, stain repellants, cookware and firefighting foam and do not readily break down.

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

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