APLU Applauds Introduction of RISE Act

Washington, DC – Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) President Peter McPherson today released the following statement on the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, which Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI) introduced today.

“APLU applauds Representatives DeGette and Upton for their bipartisan work to secure American scientific leadership through the RISE Act. We also thank House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) for cosponsoring the bill.

“Public universities are facing extraordinary challenges to their research enterprise from the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill will support graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and Principal Investigators to complete disrupted work by authorizing funding to federal research agencies to address these needs. The legislation will help ensure we don’t experience backsliding in U.S. innovation leadership at a time when our global competitors double down on their research investments.”