Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2067 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate matching funds for the National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grant application.

The University of Hawaii submitted testimony in favor of the measure.

Since joining the EPSCoR in 2000, the university has received numerous grants. EPSCoR is viewed as a "model" federal/state/university partnership that helps researchers and institutions improve their research capacity by helping to make them more competitive in obtaining grants from federal, state, and private sector agencies. In three years, Hawaii has received approximately $39 million in funding from the EPSCoR/Institutional Development Award program. Appropriating matching funds will continue the successful efforts of the university with EPSCoR.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2067 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.