From the associate dean of research
How Congressional Directed Spending for research works: You may have heard about “Congressional Directed Spending,” or earmarks, which have supported several important initiatives in CPH. Briefly, these are funds that are appropriated by Congress for specific activities at Mason. Mason is fortunate to have received $5 million - $7 million in such earmarks in the past few years because they are highly competitive and sought after by many Virginia stakeholders. The process begins with ideas that CPH and other colleges share with Mason’s federal government relations team. The team then presents the ideas to Congressional staff, which can be House or Senate staff depending on the Congressional budget rules at play. With any luck some of the projects become part of the spending bill that the appropriations committee drafts. The last step is for that bill to be voted on by the full Congress, whereupon it becomes law. After receiving their earmarks and getting their projects underway, several Mason investigators have subsequently pursued follow-on research or training grants through more traditional channels. Different funding sources warrant different approaches and ideas, and earmarks are no different. If you have an idea for an initiative, please reach out and we can talk about whether and how it might fit this mechanism.
Examples of past funded projects ($800,000 to $1.9 million) across Mason include:
- Ali Andalibi/ Lance Liotta (COS) to address the rapidly increasing incidence of tick-borne illnesses through diagnostic testing leading to improved early intervention that can reduce needless illness.
- Christianne Esposito-Smythers (CHSS) to reduce youth suicide by using evidence-based measures and developing a culturally sensitive evidence-based assessment battery.
- Anastasia Kitsantas (CEHD) to recruit and train college students to tutor K-12 students in the Northern Virginia region
- Amarda Shehu (CEC/SOB) to provide career-long cybersecurity and IT modernization learning opportunities for the federal government.
- Rebecca Sutter (CPH) to address substance use disorder through multi-sector partnerships and greater linkages between public health and criminal justice partners to develop effective interventions and improve treatment success.
