Sixteen Ames and Iowa State-based projects this year will be funded in part from federal dollars secured by Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa.

Latham has secured more than $51.5 million in funding for research and technology projects in Ames and at Iowa State for the current fiscal year, according to a statement released by the Congressman.

“We have a tremendous opportunity here with Iowa State University, an unbelievable research university, to transfer the knowledge that’s learned here into the private sector,” Latham said.

Latham said he has high goals for Ames and for Iowa State.

“We have such a great opportunity to make this the research triangle [similar to that in North Carolina]” he said. “We’re just getting started.”

David Baldwin, center director for the Midwest Forensics Resource Center, based at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Lab, said this is the second year the center has received $3 million in federal funds. He said the money will be spent on ongoing projects in the center.

“For the past four years we’ve been working with crime laboratories in nine states on a four-part program,” he said.

Baldwin said the four areas in which federal dollars are spent are criminal casework assistance, law enforcement training, education and research.

Paul Flakoll, director for the Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition, said the $732,000 secured by Latham will be spent in research.

“Basically the focus of these things is to look at foods that will improve human health,” he said. The Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition is part of the Plant Sciences Institute at Iowa State and is administered by the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Flakoll said money is spent to find health food alternatives.

“[One example is] going to the animal side, looking at how beef cattle may be genetically selected for a lower proportion of fatty acids,” he said.

Latham is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

“These funds are an important resource to continuing the development of Ames, Iowa State University and the State of Iowa,” he said.

Latham has also secured money for Iowa law enforcement, the Iowa National Guard, transportation projects, agriculture, environmental and public education initiatives, health care, community, economic and small business development.