Governor Establishes Alabama Research Alliance by Executive Order

Last week, Governor Don Siegelman signed Executive Order Number 71, which establishes the Alabama Research Alliance, a partnership among Alabama’s research universities, the business community and state government. The mission of the research alliance is to foster economic development in Alabama by investing in existing and new research initiatives at Alabama’s research universities.

The research alliance will focus on investing in and promoting research in areas including, but not limited to: space, science, technology and defense; automotive manufacturing and production design; agriculture; biomedicine and cancer research; and aviation computer electronics.

The new Executive Order amends a 1999 Executive Order by Gov. Seigelman by changing the name from the Alabama Research Institute (ARI) to the Alabama Research Alliance and by expanding the Board of Directors.

The board will consist of 13 members, including the governor, who will serve as chairman, the chancellor of the University of Alabama System, the presidents of Auburn University, the University of South Alabama, Alabama A&M and Tuskegee University, and seven business leaders, who soon will be appointed by the governor to serve six-year staggered terms.

The ARI endowment will become the research alliance endowment, effective October 1, 2002. Interest income from the endowment will be used to support research and development activities of the research alliance, including the funding of research grants to the participating universities. Also, the research alliance will be designated as a state agency to accept federal funds appropriated or allocated by Congress to the state for scientific research and development. The newly expanded board will work to generate not only such federal funding, but also state legislative appropriations and private sector funding.

The June 27 USA Today reported the Governor suggested setting aside 10 percent of a $3.5 billion award the state received from a jury as punitive damages and disputed royalties in a trial against Exxon Mobil to endow the Alabama Research Alliance. The state has not yet received any of the funds.