[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6659926,"mediaKeyId","2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0","parentId",2439740,"title","U of M outlines MNDRIVE research portfolio, robotics growth and Natural Resources Research Institute investments","audioSeconds",2144,"startMs",1767000,"endMs",3911000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0&start=1767&end=3911","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0/thumbnail_1767000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6659926/Minnesota/U-of-M-outlines-MNDRIVE-research-portfolio-robotics-growth-and-Natural-Resources-Research-Institute-investments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659926-21204b33b24df01edce0042cc4ddb825/orig.mp4?Expires=1775411398&Signature=O7szX7z0FsPByJKWFB1RY8Kvw6R-fVyli4n5LHWyJNz-TPC2zgRAEU1ZiMyVzc3SEP6f~ViGyTa8fx7krf4q8NLyNXyWkxeZx~PsauENjMsXHqX4v6pxGkHESqqA4p9nPoD88Pn5HeDESycUAB3RktgrGiODQasUFUvyDQlfQIAVjdGj8n9kpiqGRpfGvOdCMBQZHbkjIrhTl5mg2O6Enk~mTcbRSwgekQaGSyRNfJQk8P3sVe6orE4Ca3SVdSBUlnF6MEADHk7qgdeRmLC1XuFiWkuDvNp~TEIDzSWtkPd5x~Hr9gD94mzBaf8HKIcRonnfGcZEr-bF9zI7FYxYDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-02-28T00:55:00.23Z","article","University research leaders briefed the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee on the University of Minnesota’s research portfolio, MNDRIVE‑related initiatives and several state special appropriations that support university research and outreach.

Shashank Priya, vice president for research and innovation, said the Twin Cities campus research portfolio was about $1.32 billion in FY23 and the system‑wide research expenditures were about $1.35 billion. Priya described MNDRIVE as an umbrella of state‑supported initiatives in areas such as robotics, brain conditions, global food and environment; he said many MNDRIVE areas have since been incorporated into the university’s operations and maintenance base, while cancer was funded in the most recent rider.

Nikos Papanikolopoulos, director of the Minnesota Robotics Institute, described rapid growth in robotics research and workforce development supported by state funds and private philanthropy. He said a $10,000,000 private gift and MNDRIVE investments helped build a new facility, enabled hiring of 15 robotics faculty, and supported a master’s program in robotics (roughly 35 students currently enrolled, 60 graduates). He said robotics research attracted significant federal grants (including an NSF/NIFA AI institute that brought roughly $20,000,000) and supported industry partnerships in medical devices, precision agriculture and manufacturing.

Rolf Weber, executive director of the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), described NRRI’s mission and how recurring and nonrecurring state special appropriations support applied research in northeastern Minnesota. Weber said NRRI’s recurring state special funding (line listed in committee materials) supports personnel and operational readiness and that the 2023 one‑time appropriation was used to address facility needs at aging sites; he said NRRI’s overall operations brought the organization close to $25,000,000 in annual revenue in the most recent year, much of it from federal grants and contracts.

Julie Tonneson, the university’s budget director, clarified how MNDRIVE funding is structured: many MNDRIVE themes are now part of the university’s O&M base; the $8,000,000 MnDRIVE cancer rider was specific to the cancer clinical trials initiative and other MNDRIVE initiatives are funded through O&M or other sources.

Priya also described the Grants‑in‑Aid program, a state special that provides small awards and bridge funding for faculty and graduate students. Tonneson said the state special portion for Grants‑in‑Aid totaled $703,000 in the current materials (a portion of a larger $2.5 million program that includes other revenue). Priya characterized that program as seed funding that leverages roughly $11.4 in external awards for every state dollar awarded.

Finally, Priya presented a new biennial request the university plans to advance: investments across four areas — biomanufacturing, precision agriculture, green energy/green iron (NRRI), and hypersonics — that he said build on Minnesota industry strengths and the university’s research capacity.

Why it matters: Committee members heard how state special appropriations interact with the university’s larger research budget, how private and federal grants leverage state dollars, and how the university is positioning future funding requests around industry‑aligned research priorities.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 2/27/25","oneSentenceSummary","University research leaders briefed the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee on the University of Minnesota’s research portfolio, MNDRIVE‑related initiatives and several state special appropriations that support university research and outreach.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6659930,"State MnDRIVE funds supported Minnesota Cancer Clinical Trials Network, officials tell committee",328,2062000,2390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0&start=2062&end=2390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0/thumbnail_2062000.jpg","/articles/6659930/Minnesota/State-MnDRIVE-funds-supported-Minnesota-Cancer-Clinical-Trials-Network-officials-tell-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659930-e6e7b7209498ad1da2127402e4acd69c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775411398&Signature=Yl7BH1tSlo2ECA5SCuTzLll0TnLF-J82CH~jitUCcUhlnGYDdxd-2V1yQmgMhuL~zs7IveryDX48D3UF37bZxk9aGejQ1vVDO6YvbmFUf-CI7GRygIFQbBQY3fMV2F2UcwjCy9JFI0jgvq1N6ThnsWk1IsQVhm99xlvgc5J7Mz4s0ainjppjPvkPUENVWTTeOhsEUII31S~IC1azAJ1-N1q~wXCmNDmOokcChNGKYjvHalvqgio~QvL9x52VRO8L1jaugNpQNzo-EQa~P1GXcvPpc3zMHbg4zlUfDB0st65aD~1NoVQrph1FzpTF2j1f7Ad3wNkhZIlJXrm7Ls6WWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University health researchers told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee that state MnDRIVE appropriations seeded a Minnesota Cancer Clinical Trials Network that expands access to clinical research across Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

Doug Yee, medical director of the Minnesota Cancer Clinical Trials Network and a medical oncologist, said the network grew with state support into a system now operating at 24 clinical sites staffed by about 156 personnel. The network, he said, opened 85 unique clinical trials in fiscal year 2024 and reached about 1,400 Minnesotans through outreach and enrollment activities.

“The support from the states seeded this because I think we have really created a very unique opportunity,” Yee told the committee, noting Minnesota is home to two National Cancer Institute‑designated comprehensive cancer centers — the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic. Yee said the network’s funding is used primarily to provide research staffing at partner sites that previously lacked capacity to open clinical trials.

University budget director Julie Tonneson told the committee the MnDRIVE rider for cancer clinical trials was funded at $8,000,000 for the biennium (roughly $4,000,000 per year). Yee said the network’s appropriation primarily pays for personnel and partner site support; additional research work on network projects is often funded by federal grants or partners’ own funds.

Yee described a randomized pilot outreach project to increase colorectal cancer screening among Native American patients. In that trial, he said, the “outreach” group received a culturally tailored mailed stool blood‑test kit plus reminder calls; the outreach arm’s completion rate within six months was roughly 20% versus 3% in usual care, a difference Yee described as a 16.8 percentage‑point increase.

Committee members asked whether MnDRIVE funded only the network or also supported complementary research. Yee said MnDRIVE funding supports network staffing and partner awards and that many trials conducted through the network also draw on federal or other grant funding. He and Vice President for Research and Innovation Shashank Priya said partner institutions receive much of the MnDRIVE‑funded staffing and that the network was deliberately designed to expand clinical research access beyond major centers.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed for a clearer accounting of how state special appropriations are used. University witnesses described the cancer portion of MnDRIVE as a capacity investment — seeding staffing and infrastructure at community sites so Minnesotans statewide can participate in clinical research without traveling significant distances.

","University witnesses said MnDRIVE funding helped build a statewide clinical trials network that placed research staff at 24 community sites, increased access to trials and supported pilot outreach that raised colorectal screening among Native American participants.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6659934,"University of Minnesota details $10 million safety investments, will extend Dinkytown patrol pilot",806,365000,1171000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0&start=365&end=1171","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0/thumbnail_365000.jpg","/articles/6659934/Minnesota/University-of-Minnesota-details-10-million-safety-investments-will-extend-Dinkytown-patrol-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659934-6c5249767538ca987bcb0ab1b3a026c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775411398&Signature=hUxtthW4rCKy9rtIgW7scsXMib-s4iISG--qhXCOKnasObowPx21YmQQmdIDg2flK~e-zm3kXoWPfeYvc6QHANPW0sHtEuQvalOVBCZ~5SZ4n21aOZ6z40pzYE3ieRgXp48k~RXCoN3MazCXworW9oGaTwzeHKatc89iChyi1tgzeKb9mhk3U6Bwiid8tqEtxOwOKYm0TsabPaMm9Kg2wHOhVEDf2983igMKoThF-QEAPSAFlC57KqLAerpYrxE9U92req6keCsZ0Kk0hvkXbJlWSgqaGKfnWCzppzdwOgaTaXcE0J9jbL~UdCaP-R6Z4vAaqbPc40yTIEjV75-cfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The University of Minnesota told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee that state appropriations have funded campus security upgrades and an off‑campus patrol pilot that the university will extend through March 2026.

Interim Chief Eric Swanson of the University of Minnesota Police Department told the committee the university uses a $1,000,000 ongoing appropriation for systemwide staffing and to maintain security infrastructure, and used $4,000,000 in one‑time FY2024 and another $4,000,000 in FY2025 for urgent upgrades and projects. “Some of this is being kept as an end‑of‑life fund,” Swanson said of the ongoing appropriation, noting analog cameras were replaced with digital units that support analytics, and that the university hired a security infrastructure manager to track equipment lifecycles.

Swanson described one‑time purchases and projects funded by the nonrecurring appropriations: replacement of decades‑old card access systems on some campuses; installation of about 1,100 cameras systemwide (including replacement of approximately 700 analog cameras); installation of “Code Blue” emergency phones that also include cameras and lights; and creation of a strategic operations center on the Twin Cities campus that centralizes camera monitoring, card access control, and a 24‑hour dispatch center. The strategic operations center, Swanson said, allows remote locking and real‑time camera access across multiple campuses and some off‑campus university facilities.

Swanson also described an off‑campus pilot in Minneapolis in which university police agreed to patrol and investigate calls in a defined area to supplement Minneapolis Police Department resources. The pilot covers roughly I‑35W to Oak Street and University Avenue to 4th Street; Swanson said the university will continue the pilot for another year and reassess in March 2026 in consultation with the city. “We've seen decreases in crime in that area,” he said, citing a university crime analyst’s figures that thefts fell by about 41% and auto thefts by about 43% in the expansion zone since the pilot began.

Swanson described the university’s off‑campus safety center in Dinkytown as a staffed, card‑access space where students may study, attend self‑defense workshops and meet with security staff. He said the university now staffs uniformed security officers and offers regular patrols in Dinkytown. “We can remotely lock a facility … our dispatchers can go to those cameras. They can see what's going on real time,” Swanson said.

Committee members asked about making the pilot permanent, coordination with neighborhood groups, patrol coverage of the West Bank and Como neighborhoods, the university’s ability to remotely lock lecture halls, and recruitment and retention at the University of Minnesota Police Department. Swanson said the university plans to wait and review the pilot's results in March 2026; he said there is ongoing coordination with the Dinkytown District Group and community organizations such as Somali Youth Link, which the university has contracted to support outreach and safety work. On staffing, Swanson said recruitment and retention have been strong and that the university has used retention incentives.

The committee also took a procedural vote at the meeting’s start to approve minutes from Feb. 25; Representative Robbins moved approval and the committee approved the minutes by voice vote.

Why it matters: The appropriations discussed are intended to fund equipment replacement, staffing and new operational capacity that university officials say extend monitoring and response off campus as well as on. Committee members asked how the investments affect neighborhoods near campus and whether the pilot should be made permanent.

","University of Minnesota police described upgrades funded with state appropriations — ongoing maintenance dollars and one-time projects — and said a Dinkytown off‑campus patrol pilot will continue for another year after reported drops in theft and auto theft in the patrol area.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6659922,"CFANS and Extension outline how state special appropriation supports land‑grant research, outreach and 4‑H",1158,5170000,6328000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0&start=5170&end=6328","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2439740-dd8635f5f2127623ea23b338077149d0/thumbnail_5170000.jpg","/articles/6659922/Minnesota/CFANS-and-Extension-outline-how-state-special-appropriation-supports-landgrant-research-outreach-and-4H","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659922-c2889043d302f8dc749546b7a5c321c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775411398&Signature=WlSvg-ROQvg23wXHsHtn4JbqR3W7S3r0lgQuNdFwxPMUuSQMvMc~aIopJYVipFehtzgmK~jcDaU6kYfE18nB1f5EUCpI21xFJxxYO3hAo8c19NzMxHwZT8hs9Ljdm2eo~NKXtbYXOboh~kCqaVptd2-OnKwHxXkCt1fc0K87QKqVXiQv0VjUJTcrU~TUK8Pa5vQ6JefrkvflvGyqSgi6yxCv5a15-rK2-tk7jaz1k5lQDcJgJy~phPjAhPAEODhOevNjIGvG02HlPlxR-p2sd43me-2V8qQuf9fSYhzJpSszphOEOaU3YDemlsn5JOx-ifL4mP7AnyNkw4WeDnRk9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deans from the University of Minnesota’s agricultural and extension divisions told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee how state special appropriations fund land‑grant research, outreach and education statewide.

Brian Boer, dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and director of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, said the state special appropriation the committee identified (line 223 in committee materials) is historically rooted in the land‑grant mission and funds research, extension and colleges that support agriculture and natural resources. Boer said roughly half of the state special portion for agriculture flows to CFANS, with other portions supporting Extension, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Design, the Agricultural Experiment Station and the College of Biological Sciences.

Boer described CFANS operations across 10 research and outreach centers statewide, ongoing university involvement in crop and variety development, and the role of federal Hatch Act funding through the Farm Bill in supporting the Agricultural Experiment Station’s work. He said CFANS brings in roughly $75–$80 million a year in sponsored research and that state special base funding is critical to operating field‑scale and livestock enterprises that enable applied research.

Bev Durgin, dean of University of Minnesota Extension, told the committee that extension is a statewide presence, with about 65–70% of extension faculty and staff living in Greater Minnesota. She said state appropriations make up roughly 38% of Extension’s budget, with additional funding coming from county partners, federal Smith‑Lever funds and grants/gifts. Durgin highlighted Extension’s 4‑H youth programs, reporting more than 50,000 youth involved in clubs and additional youth programming across the state.

Committee members asked about the interaction of state grant shortfalls with tuition and fees, and about administrative staffing ratios and use of proceeds from past land sales. University budget director Julie Tonneson said changes to financial aid awards can affect enrollment and that the university would need to consider tuition, internal aid or other strategies to maintain enrollment if state awards fall; she said the university would provide additional detail on specific numbers if requested. Dean Boer said some proceeds from prior land sales have been used to support projects such as the Austin farm initiative and that the university would provide more detail to the committee on those allocations.

Why it matters: The agriculture and extension state special is the single largest line in the University’s state‑special spreadsheet presented to the committee. The appropriation supports research, county‑level extension work, youth development and applied projects that university witnesses said yield recurring economic and agricultural returns for the state.

","College and extension leaders described distribution of an $85.5 million state special appropriation, the land‑grant origin of the funding, research and outreach centers across the state, and Extension’s role serving Greater Minnesota including 50,000 4‑H youth.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

U of M outlines MNDRIVE research portfolio, robotics growth and Natural Resources Research Institute investments

State MnDRIVE funds supported Minnesota Cancer Clinical Trials Network, officials tell committee

University of Minnesota details $10 million safety investments, will extend Dinkytown patrol pilot

CFANS and Extension outline how state special appropriation supports land‑grant research, outreach and 4‑H