|
|
 |
NEW FUNDING WARRANTED
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
April 27, 2005
Florida lawmakers have a proposal before them that would simultaneously fund higher education
and boost investment in technology businesses. That's a two-for-one special they shouldn't pass up.
They should support a call for $50 million in renewed funding for the Centers of Excellence program.
Centers of Excellence were created by the Legislature in 2002 when lawmakers passed the Technology
Development Act. The TDA set up a process where Tallahassee subsequently awarded $30 million worth of
"Centers of Excellence" grants to a trio of university science and technology research projects.
The recipients were Florida Atlantic University's Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology,
the University of Florida's Center for Regenerative Health Biotechnology, and the University of Central
Florida's Florida Photonics Center. They each got $10 million in 2003, and the projects' track records show
the money was wisely invested.
For starters, the three centers ably leveraged the state money to procure
another $43 million in federal and private funds to support their efforts. Since then, the centers have produced
five new businesses, plus over a dozen patents and technology licenses and a slew of jobs.
At the same time,
the Florida Research Consortium, which developed the criteria for grants, said the competition for those grants
was pretty stiff. In fact, the Consortium said another 13 proposals were worthy applicants for the money. That's
a good sign because it shows Florida has a stable of projects that could succeed just as well.
So, three years
later, advocates for the program say it's time to fund another round of Centers of Excellence. They are asking
lawmakers to fund the program to the tune of $50 million.
Tallahassee ought to comply.
The Centers of Excellence
funding request is not a drain on the state budget. The experience from the 2002 appropriation shows that it succeeds
in helping university research attract more money from other sources.
Most importantly, it's dollars that bolster
the development of technology and science businesses across the state. Florida's economy could use more higher-paying
tech and science jobs.
The initial Centers of Excellence funding produced solid results. The past experience suggests
there are plenty of other worthy research programs that could produce results that are just as good if given a chance.
Tallahassee ought to give them that opportunity.
|
|
