Iowa State benefited from millions of dollars in Congressionally-earmarked funds for research during the 1994-1995 fiscal year, according to last week’s Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Congress ‘earmarked’ the money either in spending bills or accompanying legislative reports that explained the bills,” the article said.

Before they can receive any funds, universities are required to submit proposals for the research which Congress has allocated money.

Stuart Hadley, ISU associate director of governmental relations, said Congressionally earmarked funds are an alternative to competitive awards, which can be difficult to come by.

One such area of research is the National Swine Research Center. It received Congressionally-directed funds because there was no alternative, Hadley said.

But there is some resistance over the amount of money Congress allocated last year for the National Swine Research Center from groups who question the merit of the research, Hadley said.

Hadley said the congressional funds are designated on a need basis, or the individual merits of research projects.

Congress earmarked a total of $600 million in 1995, down $51 million from 1994, an 8 percent drop, the article said.

According to the article, during 1994-95 fiscal year, Iowa State was allocated $6.259 million from the Agriculture Department for the National Swine Research Center; $2 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for economic development activities related to distance learning; $622,643 from the Agriculture Department for the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development; $556,119 from the Agriculture Department for research on Midwest agricultural products; and $444,331 from the Agriculture Department for nutrition research.

Also, $397,362 to be shared with a private research institute, from the Agriculture Department for the Midwest Feeds Consortium; $350,000 from the Agriculture Department for calf-resource management; $260,211 to be used in cooperation with the University of Puerto Rico, from the Agriculture Department for research on soybean bio-processing; $199,000 to be shared with seven other universities, from the Agriculture Department for research on generic-commodity promotion; $188,818 from the Agriculture Department for beef-fat research; $188,818 from the Agriculture Department for food-irradiation research.

If ISU receives its requested $26 million for this fiscal year, 1995-96, plans include building a farm southwest of the university where laboratory experiments can be tested by ISU researchers.