Bioscience infrastructure grants (new law)

State colleges and universities will be eligible for bioscience business infrastructure grants, under a new law.

Signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty May 6, and sponsored by Rep. Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul) and Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL-Mankato), the law will make the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system eligible to receive money under the state’s bioscience business development infrastructure program.

The program, run by the Department of Employment and Economic Development, allows state General Obligation bonds to be used for grants to cover capital costs for bioscience-related business facilities.

Currently only local governments are eligible for the grants. The change will address issues at Minnesota State University, Mankato and the University of Minnesota Morris. Both schools were authorized to receive funding for bioscience projects, only to learn they could not accept it because they were not technically eligible for the program.

In addition, the law specifies that local governments or institutions receiving grant money must pay for at least half of the cost of the completed project using non-state funds.

The law takes effect Aug. 1, 2009.

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