Southern Arizona could feel the pinch if the Arizona Legislature decides to eliminate funding for Science Foundation Arizona.

“I think Science Foundation Arizona is the equivalent of a stimulus package for Arizona in terms of its innovation and its ability to help create the future because it has attracted industry resources for research and development,” said Bill Harris, president and CEO of the foundation. 

The public-private partnership distributes funds state and private funds to bolster technological research in the state. A report released last month said that every dollar distributed by the foundation to grant recipients has generated $1.18.

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For the fiscal year starting July 1, Science Foundation Arizona was set to receive $22.5 million in state money, which would be matched by private ventures. However, the state’s projected $3 billion budget shortfall could endanger this funding.

Southern Arizona in particular has benefitted from the foundation’s work. Last year, $4.4 million was awarded to incoming graduate and doctorial students at the University of Arizona. Harris said this type of investment is crucial in developing the next generation of researchers.   

“If you can get grad research fellows and make them come to Arizona instead of Stanford or MIT, it will change how the universities are able to grow talent,” Harris said, adding that if incentives are not placed here, the endowments that private universities have built up would lure the top up-and-comers elsewhere.

Training them here is only half the battle; if Arizona does not have jobs and careers to support these researchers, they will go out of state, Harris warned.

Another benefit to the Tucson region has been the $9 million in grant money promised to C-Path late last year to continue the nonprofit’s work to streamline the drug development process.

Contact reporter Nicholas Smith at nsmith@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4238.