Cantwell Secures $7M For 5 Projects Dedicated to Science Research Facilities & Equipment at WA Universities

Cantwell Secures $7M For 5 Projects Dedicated to Science Research Facilities & Equipment at WA Universities

UW, WSU, WWU, and Gonzaga all receive funding in annual budget passed yesterday by the Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, announced that the second FY 2026 minibus appropriations bill that passed the Senate yesterday includes five grants she supported to fund science research at universities in the State of Washington. The bill now goes to the White House for President Trump's signature.

In total, Sen. Cantwell helped secure $7,062,000 to equip scientific research facilities at four of our state's universities.

The University of Washington will receive a total of $3,031,000 from two separate grants. One grant provides $2,000,000 to buy equipment for the school's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which serves as the hub home for undergraduate engineering students and includes hands-on learning through engineering teaching laboratories.

"This $2 million grant will help the University of Washington purchase new equipment for their Interdisciplinary Engineering Building's teaching laboratories - giving undergraduate students the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment and helping prepare the next generation of engineers," Sen. Cantwell said.

The other provides $1,031,000 to buy equipment for the UW College of the Environment's new Cold Lab, which will enhance UW's capabilities for polar and high-altitude ice core research and high-altitude atmospheric research programs, enabling cutting edge research related to climate and atmospheric systems. The UW Cold Lab grant was also requested by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07).

"The effects of climate change are here, and are felt most rapidly in high-altitude and high-latitude environments - affecting sea levels, ocean currents, temperatures, and other natural processes. This $1 million grant will help the University of Washington equip a new state-of-the-art Cold Lab facility on their Seattle campus to further enhance their climate science research and education," Sen. Cantwell said.

Washington State University will receive $2,000,000 to buy equipment for crystal growth at the school's Institute of Materials Research. The proposed equipment establishes a distinctive national research capability to domestically produce ultra-high-purity and specialty semiconductor crystals not yet commercially available. This positions Washington as a national hub for early-stage semiconductor materials research, attracting new federal, industry, and national-laboratory partnerships to the state. The center supports the foundations of all advanced chip classes, including next-generation wafers, infrared and specialty detectors, and wide-bandgap and radiation-hard semiconductors used across microelectronics, defense, energy, and medical technologies. It will not manufacture commercial chips but instead enables the research and workforce training that make future chips possible, a role uniquely suited to a university setting.

"WSU is unique in maintaining a 30-year sustained academic capability to grow high-purity, custom semiconductor crystals and prepare research-grade wafers in-house - expertise that exists at very few U.S. universities and is increasingly unavailable domestically. This $2 million investment will provide new equipment for crystal growth at the Institute of Materials Research, enabling WSU to continue training the next generation of crystal growers to fill vital positions and strengthen this critical domestic supply chain," Sen. Cantwell said.

Western Washington University will receive $1,031,000 to support the acquisition of a new scientific research vessel for the school's Shannon Point Marine Center. The new vessel will expand on-the-water research and education opportunities for students, researchers, and others working to promote the health of the Salish Sea. WWU's research vessel fleet provides regular service to regional research partners, including state agencies, local governments, and tribes. Rep. Rick Larsen (D, WA-02) also submitted a request for this project.

"Between warmer waters, pollution, and habitat loss, scientific research and STEM education in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea is needed more than ever. This over $1 million grant will support Western Washington University acquiring a new research vessel for the Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes, improving and expanding the ability of WWU and regional partners to conduct cutting edge marine research and expect hands-on educational opportunities to train the next generation of marine scientists," Sen. Cantwell said.

Gonzaga University will receive $1,000,000 to purchase equipment for the school's new Center for Materials Research. In 2023, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) designated the Advanced Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center (AAMMC) as a Regional Tech Hub. The AAMMC, based in the greater Spokane region, is a consortium of nearly 50 institutions co-led by Gonzaga University (Gonzaga) focused on establishing a word-class testbed for high-rate manufacturing techniques for next generation aerospace materials and parts in the Inland Northwest. This funding will help Gonzaga expand its facilities and equipment to make sure it has the resources it needs to conduct these research activities and train the next generation of aerospace engineers. The new equipment will enable Gonzaga to expand its research and teaching capabilities in the area of materials science, especially with respect to composite materials and in support of the Tech Hub.

"Gonzaga University and the Spokane region are leading the way as an innovation testbed for high-rate aerospace materials manufacturing as a part of the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub. This $1 million grant will allow Gonzaga to purchase equipment for their new Center for Materials Research and bolster their participation in this important R&D mission that will help ensure our nation's future aerospace leadership."

Sen. Cantwell is the Senate's leading champion for U.S. science and technology research. In July 2022, she spearheaded passage of the CHIPS & Science Act, a $250 billion package that represented the biggest-ever investment in U.S. tech innovation.