$35M In State Funds Allocated To Offset Lost Federal Support For UConn Research

STORRS, CT — Research at the University of Connecticut and its Health Center got a $35 million boost from Connecticut’s Federal Cuts Response Fund to combat the drastic loss in federal research grants the two have witnessed under the present administration.

UConn President Radenka Marić said the funding showed the state was committed to enabling discovery and keeping the state competitive in the 21st Century innovation economy.

“We are tremendously grateful to Governor Lamont and the General Assembly for their foresight and leadership on this critical issue,” she said. “They demonstrate that Connecticut’s commitment to science and learning is not only theoretical, but backed up by real investment.”

In the past year and a half, UConn has lost an estimated $41 million in research grants and nonrenewed funding as part of the current administration’s plan to roll back on funding for institutions of higher education. These budget cuts threatened researchers’ jobs, findings, and ongoing clinical trials at UConn Health, officials said.

Since early 2026, the university has relied on its Emergency Research Grant Expenditure Fund (EMERGE), an internal funding program that according to Marić, was established last spring “to provide short-term support for less than a year to researchers whose grants were terminated.” But these were “modest amounts compared to federal dollars that have been lost,” she said.

The school hosted Gov. Ned Lamont, state Sens. Mae Flexer and Derek Slap, and Rep. Greg Haddad at the Science 1 Research Center to announce the release of state-awarded funding for graduate research programs.

Haddad said the funding was important because of what it represented.

“ It represents hope for people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease or face cancer diagnoses or sickle cell anemia,” he said. “It represents a burden we can alleviate from people who are suffering from disparities in public policy.”

Yidan Zhang, who recently earned a Ph.D from UConn, spoke about the importance of her research.

“With all this support and mentorship, I gained my PHd and did my research using local renewal resources to replace plastics in food packaging,” she said. “I was fortunate to see … [the effect] on the coastal economy and on creating new jobs and opportunities here in Connecticut.” 

Lamont said he appreciated the research on behalf of humanity. He specifically cited the international collaboration that went into research.

“I love what you are doing on behalf of humanity. I just wanted to make sure that for those of you who were not born in this country, that despite some of the rhetoric coming from Washington, we are so thankful that you are here in Connecticut and are making an enormous difference toward the future,” he said.