Understanding Congressional Earmarks: Funding Proposals and Process

2. Who We Are • Matt Hammons, UN Federal Relations Coordinator, mhammons@nebraska.edu • Renee Fry, UNMC Director of Government Relations, rafry@unmc.edu • Paula Turpen, PhD, UNMC Director of Research Resources, pbturpen@unmc.edu • Sara Cizek, UNMC Federal Relations Associate, scizek@unmc.edu • Bob Holmstedt, District Manager, Senator Ben Nelson • Heath Mello, Staff Associate, Senator Ben Nelson

3. The word "earmark" refers to any element of a spending bill that allocates money for a very specific purpose • It is a line item of a few words under a particular division or budget of a federal agency department in an appropriations bill before Congress • Is added at the request of a member of Congress • Designates a recipient institution, amount, project name What is a Congressional Earmark?

4. Written proposals must be highly technical and detailed What’s the difference between competitive funding and earmarks? • Request for proposals is open to anyone • Request for proposals is specific and limited (niche) • The more projects submitted the higher the odds of funding • Number of projects submitted is very targeted and limited • Center projects are a priority • Centers are discouraged • Written proposals must be brief and simple, emphasize outcomes and benefits to state • Proposal judged on merit compared to competition • Proposal is judged on funds available for allocation and position of the member

5. Coordinate annual process to develop earmark proposals • Each campus has a limited number of requests (7 for UNMC) • Campus initiates process with 2-3 sentence concept summaries • Feedback on concept and determine appropriations category How does the NU earmark process work? • Agriculture, Rural Development • Commerce, Justice, Science • Defense • Energy and Water • State, Foreign Operations • Interior, Environment • Labor/Health & Human Services/Education • Transportation, Housing and Urban Development • Four appropriations bills not generally earmarked—Financial Services, Homeland Security, Leg Branch, Military Constr/Veterans • Projects selected, prioritized, and focused in 2-page proposals • University of Nebraska projects from all four campuses are presented in a notebook to Nebraska Congressional offices

6. Earmark Process • Earmark Workshop forums conducted in the Spring • Earmark Proposal Forms, found on the UNMC Government Relations website, due by July 2 Earmark Objectives • Focus on UNMC and departmental strategic goals • Leverage funding into more opportunities • Show outcomes from funding the project • Support of community and constituencies UNMC’s Earmark Process

7. Earmark Expectations • Presentations to Nebraska Congressional members, staff and others • If funded, may interact with news media • If Defense request, will need to identify appropriate program within DoD • Understanding of how your request advances the mission of the federal agency and goals of the federal government • Secure letters of support and verbal support from other constituencies UNMC’s Earmark Process

8. University of Nebraska Earmark Process for FY 2009 September 2007Earmark summaries with request amount range submitted for feedback from lobbyist and university administrationCampuses draft two-page earmark proposals based on feedback July/August 2007Campuses begin identification of potential earmark proposalsand develop earmark paragraph summaries (2-3 sentences) October 2007Earmark proposals prioritized by Chancellor and sent to PresidentCampuses revise earmark proposals based on further feedback November 2007President approves earmark proposals Campuses make final edits to earmark proposals December 2007Final earmark proposals submitted to President’s Office Supplemental materials for earmark proposals submitted January 2008Earmark proposals notebook prepared and sent to Nebraska Congressional officesFederal team visit to DC to brief Congressional offices on requests February/March 2008Member offices determine priority requestsAppropriations subcommittees work on appropriations bills, forms due

9. Senator Chuck Hagel • Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs • Foreign Relations • Intelligence • Rules and Administration • Congressman Jeff Fortenberry • Agriculture • Foreign Affairs • Small Business Nebraska Congressional delegation committee assignments • Congressman Lee Terry • Energy and Commerce • Senator Ben Nelson • Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry • Appropriations (Ag, Financial, Interior, Leg, MilCon/VA) • Armed Services • Rules and Administration • Congressman Adrian Smith • Agriculture • Budget • Science and Technology

10. Earmark Account Descriptions as Applicable to UNMC

11. Earmark Account Descriptions, Cont. • Energy & Water *biology and medicine *biotechnology *scientific computing research *medical imaging *bioinformatics *genomics *computational biology *molecular sciences *genetics and microbiology *neurobiology *biomedical engineering *medical robotics *environmental health *nuclear medicine *genome and nanotechnology research • Foreign Ops/ State *international projects • Labor/HHS/Education ED: *curricular development (science, bioinformatics) *technology upgrades and infrastructure *head injury centers *minority education; HHS: construction and renovation of research centers/ dental clinic *purchase imaging equipment *bioterrorism preparedness *imaging institute *continued education of allied health prof *center for improving medication-related outcomes • Transportation *garages *streets

12. Key questions for an earmark proposal Why is this project needed now? Does the project meet the strategic goals of university? How? Why is the University of Nebraska best positioned to do this? Does the project fit the goals of the designated federal agency? What is the impact on Nebraskans? What are the expected outcomes/deliverables from this project? How will the project be sustained and funded after the earmark? What is budget of the project (personnel, equipment, travel)? What are the five key talking points to convey about the project? What organizations in the state and nation support this project? What photos, newspaper articles, or visuals can you include to give a better understanding of this project?

13. UNMC Federal Earmark Success NU Federal team begins work

14. Examples of past UNMC earmarks • Miniature In Vivo Robots for Telesurgery in Combat--$2.25M in FY07 Defense • Personal Protection Against Infectious Diseases--$1.8M in FY07 Defense • Nanodiagnostics of Cancer--$2M in FY06 Defense • National Biosecurity Center for Rural Health--$1M in FY04 Labor/HHS/Educ • Great Plains Oral Health--$250K in FY04 Labor/HHS/Education • Research Center of Excellence--$2M in FY03, $500,000 in FY02 Labor/HHS • Nursing Resources--$500K in FY03 Labor/HHS/Education • Lied Transplant Center--$5M in 1995 • Eppley Cancer Institute--$5M in 1990

15. UNMC Federal Earmark Success

16. UNMC Funded Earmarks FY03-FY07 • Miniature In Vivo Robots for Telesurgery in Combat (FY07 Defense)--$2,250,000 • Personal Protection Against Infectious Diseases (FY07 Defense)--$1,800,000 • Rapid Identification of Biological Warfare Agents (FY07 Defense)--$1,350,000 • Nanodiagnostics of Cancer (FY06 Defense)--$2,000,000 • Saddle Creek Road planning study (FY06 Transportation)--$1,000,000 • Integrated Systems against Meth (FY06 Commerce, Justice, Science)--$150,000 • Neurotoxin Mitigation (FY05 Defense)--$1,000,000 • Weaponized Infectious Diseases (FY05 Defense)--$1,000,000 • Automated Labs (FY04 Defense)--$2,500,000 • National Biosecurity Center for Rural Health (FY04 Labor/HHS)--$1,000,000 • Great Plains Oral Health (FY04 Labor/HHS/Education)--$250,000 • Chemical Warfare (FY03 Defense)--$1,000,000 • Biomedical Research Labs (FY03 Labor/HHS/Education)--$2,000,000 • Nursing Resources (FY03 Labor/HHS/Education)--$500,000

17. Questions? Presentation and other earmark documents are posted on:www.unmc.edu/dept/govtrelations under “Federal Funding Documents”