Van Hollen, Cardin Submit Direct Funding Requests for Community Projects Supporting Public Safety, STEM Education Access, Innovation

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) submitted their direct federal funding requests for Maryland community projects under the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee for fiscal year 2023. The Senators worked with local community leaders to identify these projects, which will bolster public safety, address gun violence, support STEM education and job training, and drive innovative research. 

“Investing federal dollars directly in our communities can improve public safety, create economic opportunity, spur innovation, and more. That’s why we’ve worked together with local partners to identify projects that will benefit Marylanders and our communities – from strengthening violence prevention efforts to opening pathways to good-paying STEM careers to propelling the pioneering research being done at our top-notch colleges and universities. We’ll be fighting to get these priorities through Congress and deliver these funds directly to our state,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee and of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

“Team Maryland has worked with local communities to identify projects that could benefit positively from a strong federal partner,” said Senator Cardin. “Investments in public safety, education and economic development all work toward the same goal of making a positive difference for Marylanders down to the neighborhood level. We will continue to seek out new resources to help Maryland communities succeed.”

While not all requests may receive funding in the final fiscal year 2023 funding legislation, the Senators will advocate for their requests to be included as the Appropriations subcommittees draft their respective bills over the coming months. Fiscal year 2023 begins October 1, 2022. For fiscal year 2022, Senators Cardin and Van Hollen secured over $104 million in direct investments to benefit Maryland.

Senator Van Hollen’s requests can be found at this link and Senator Cardin’s requests can be found at this link. Website pages will be updated as requests to the Appropriations subcommittees are submitted.  

The Senators’ requests for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee are listed below.

Project Name: Baltimore City Violence Intervention and Prevention
Applicant: City of Baltimore
Description: Funds will be used to advance the new Public Safety Accountability Dashboard and support intimate partner violence intervention activities. The new dashboard will incorporate traditional criminal justice data from multiple agencies and public surveys to better track violent crime and response and enhance transparency in public safety activities. The City will also undertake intimate partner intervention activities to address an increase in domestic violence-related homicides in the city by supporting survivors and reducing further harm.
Project Location: Baltimore City, MD
Amount Requested: $500,000

Project Name: Bowie State University STEM Diversity in Research Opportunities Collaboration
Applicant: Bowie State University
Description: Funds will be used to increase collaboration among STEM fields at Bowie State University, including life sciences, health care, cybersecurity, information systems, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. It will advance workforce and entrepreneurial opportunities for students and faculty to commercialize research that crosses critical sectors.
Project Location: Bowie, MD
Amount Requested: $1,500,000

Project Name: Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Applicant: Morgan State University
Description: Funds will be used to support the new Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) at Morgan State University. The Center will address complex data projects related to the development, deployment, and verification of socially responsible and equitable AI that recognizes diverse needs and users.
Project Location: Baltimore, MD
Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Project Name: Earth and Space Institute Upgrades
Applicant: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Description: The Earth and Space Institute at UMBC supports multidisciplinary research and education in earth and space sciences and engineering. Funds will be used to upgrade laboratories to meet critical NASA certifications and enable the Institute to expand its capacity to undertake NASA and private missions while training students and young engineers.
Project Location: Baltimore, MD
Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Project Name: Expanding STEM Access, Innovation and Workforce Development in Rural Maryland
Applicant: Mount St. Mary's University
Description: Funds will be used to support expansion of STEM research facilities at Mount St. Mary's University and provide work-based training, build educator-industry partnerships, and strengthen cross-disciplinary STEM courses, particularly in the fields of computer science, cybersecurity, and physical sciences.
Project Location: Emmitsburg, MD
Amount Requested: $4,000,000

Project Name: Fresh START Program
Applicant: Anne Arundel County
Description: Funds will be used to expand the Fresh START program, an Anne Arundel County Police initiative to connect youth impacted by trauma, mental health, and/or substance abuse to diversion services and reduce reliance on the criminal justice system. In its first year, the Fresh START program served more than double the expected number of young people and successfully diverted over 90% of its participants.
Project Location: Millersville, MD
Amount Requested: $400,000

Project Name: Frostburg State University Regional Science Education Center
Applicant: Frostburg State University
Description: Funds will be used to complete a Regional Science Education Center to provide hands-on space exploration simulations, robotics, and coding programs for primarily middle-school aged children in Allegany County and neighboring school systems. The Center will also display artifacts and personal photographs from space missions conducted by Ricky Arnold, a NASA astronaut and alumni of Frostburg State University. The Center will provide a unique opportunity to for students to experience STEM learning and provide an early look at STEM careers.
Project Location: Frostburg, MD
Amount Requested: $750,000

Project Name: License Plate Readers
Applicant: City of Baltimore, Baltimore Police Department
License plate reader (LPR) technology allows Baltimore Police Department (BPD) patrol cars to capture license plate data from vehicles they encounter on their shifts and has helped to clear several murders, including that of a Baltimore Police officer, as well as other investigations including non-fatal shootings, armed robberies, and car jackings. Funds would purchase and install license plate readers (LPR) technology into nearly 100 BPD vehicles.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Maryland
Amount Requested: $1,300,000

Project Name: Mallows Bay – Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary Virtual 3-D Paddle Experience
Applicant: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
In 2019, NOAA designated Mallows Bay – Potomac River as the first new National Marine Sanctuary in more than 20 years. Nearly 200 vessels spanning from the American Revolutionary War through the present are found in the area, including the remains of the largest “Ghost Fleet” of World War I wooden steamships built for the U.S. Emergency Fleet, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To expand access to the newly designated site, I request an additional $400,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending to finalize the Virtual 3-D Paddle Experience, similar to experiences present at other designated National Marine Sanctuary sites. This would allow for the use of the collection of high resolution imagery of prominent shipwrecks and ecology for web-enabled visits and create user-driven virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. These experiences would be supplemented by web-enabled interpretative materials that help connect the history, ecology, and generations of local heritage along the Potomac River.
Project Location: Charles County, Maryland
Amount Requested: $400,000

Project Name: Morgan State University - Semester by the Bay
Applicant: Morgan State University
Description: Funds will be used to purchase a vessel to support student education and research through a new “Semester by the Bay” experience at the Morgan State University PEARL laboratory. The PEARL Laboratory on the Patuxent River conducts cutting-edge research to increase understanding of coastal ecosystems and improve methods for protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The “Semester by the Bay” program will provide hands-on experience for students in Morgan State’s newly-created Coastal Science and Policy degree program and help further grow and strengthen our environmental workforce.
Project Location: Saint Leonard, MD
Amount Requested: $919,000

Project Name: Officer Mental Health, Wellness and Resiliency Program
Applicant: Charles County Sheriff's Office
Description: Funds will be used to support the Officer Mental Health, Wellness and Resiliency Program to address Critical Incident Stress Management, Peer Support, Crisis Intervention, and mental health and wellness services for all agency employees, family members, and retirees.
Project Location: La Plata, MD
Amount Requested: $90,000

Project Name: Oyster Restoration in the St. Mary's River Shellfish Sanctuary
Applicant: St. Mary's River Watershed Association
Description: Funds will be used to purchase a research vessel and to plan and design a scientific study to determine best practices for placing oyster populations in new sanctuaries. Improving these practices will support the long-term health of oysters in the Bay and Maryland’s seafood industry.
Project Location: Lexington Park, MD
Amount Requested: $185,000

Project Name: Prince George's County Office of the State's Attorney Digital Discovery Capability
Applicant: Office of the State's Attorney, Prince George's County
Description: Funds will be use to streamline and organize the State’s Attorney’s Office case management system, enhancing the ability to process evidence. The new system will integrate data and digital evidence held by county and municipal law enforcement agencies and make it more accessible throughout the discovery process of trial preparation.
Project Location: Upper Marlboro, MD
Amount Requested: $520,000

Project Name: Public Safety Body Worn Cameras for Cecil County
Applicant: Cecil County, Maryland
Description: Funds will be used to procure body worn equipment, data storage space, and personnel to ensure transparent response to requests for video of law enforcement actions and improve transparency and community engagement.
Project Location: Elkton, MD
Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Project Name: Public Safety Body Worn Cameras for Coppin State University
Applicant: Coppin State University
Description: Funds will be used for the purchase of body-worn cameras to assist the University’s efforts to comply with the new state requirement that all State law enforcement agencies have 100% body worn camera usage by 2025 and improve transparency and community engagement.
Project Location: Baltimore, MD
Amount Requested: $55,000

Project Name: Public Safety Body Worn Cameras for Worcester County
Applicant: Worcester County
Description: Funds will be used for the purchase of body-worn cameras to assist the County’s efforts to comply with the new state requirement that all State law enforcement agencies have 100% body worn camera usage by 2025 and improve transparency and community engagement.
Project Location: Snow Hill, MD
Amount Requested: $480,000

Project Name: Train the Trainer Interdisciplinary Violence Prevention Program
Applicant: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Description: Funds will be used to develop, implement, and evaluate an interdisciplinary training program for non-profit leaders, police officers, lawyers, and social workers on violence prevention. UMB plans to partner with Heartsmiles and the Black Mental Health Alliance to teach best practices in violence prevention, youth and community engagement, and avoiding interpersonal violence. By engaging with trusted community leaders and sharing effective strategies, the program will improve coordination on city-wide violence intervention and prevention.
Project Location: Baltimore City, MD
Amount Requested: $1,100,000

Project Name: UMCES Oyster Research to Enhance Resiliency
Applicant: University of MD Center for Environmental Science
Description: Funds will be used to support research into oyster restoration and to enhance UMCES’ production of oyster larvae and spat for research and restoration activities. Improving these practices will support the long-term health of oysters in the Bay and Maryland’s seafood industry.
Project Location: Cambridge, MD
Amount Requested: $2,500,000