Science students can keep studying and local youths will still be smiling, thanks to new federal funding.
Both the planned Life Sciences Building, now under construction, and the PennSmiles Dental Van will receive much-needed funds from the government.
Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) announced last week that the federal spending bill, which provides funding across the United States, has finally been approved.
Part of the Fiscal Year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Bill allots federal money to projects throughout the area for economic and educational development, including hospitals, nonprofit organizations and schools.
"I am pleased my colleagues in the [House of Representatives] and Senate have provided this important funding to communities in Southeastern Pennsylvania," Specter said in a press release.
"This funding is going to have a tremendous impact upon the daily lives of residents throughout the state, whether it be for educational programs, hospital construction and equipment or for stabilizing hospital staffs to ensure the highest quality of patient care."
Under the new budget, $1 million went to the University's planned Life Sciences Building and $200,000 to the Penn School of Dental Medicine for its minority outreach oral health initiative.
The initiative seeks to help the community by running the PennSmiles Dental Van that offers free dental exams to local children in need. The program began three years ago and continues to expand to schools throughout the city.
"The University is very grateful to Senator Specter for his unfailing support," Provost Robert Barchi said. "The two projects are very worthwhile and deserving of support."
Although Barchi noted the funds do not compete with the peer-reviewed research dollars that also fund University projects, both endeavors were priorities to the administration.
The Life Sciences Building construction is part of a two-phase plan to create a new, multimillion-dollar life sciences complex behind the Leidy Laboratories and establish a center for research and teaching in the life sciences.
The federal money will go towards the construction in phase one, to be completed by September 2005. The construction was established as a high-priority project for the School of Arts and Sciences by the University's Strategic Plan.
"The life sciences are among the core academic initiatives in the University's latest Strategic Plan," Barchi said. "The Life Science Building will vastly improve the capacity for Penn researchers to work collaboratively across disciplines in the life sciences."
With all of the developments in technology during the last decade, the University wants to continue to make the life sciences departments an "important presence in the 21st century," School of Arts and Science Dean Samuel Preston said.
The school is still actively involved in fundraising for both phases of the project, although the plan for phase two is still several years away from completion.
