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AMSTERDAM, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko announced today that public health organizations in the Capital Region have been awarded a combined $40,151,464 to support local programs and research on disease prevention, PFAS contamination, COVID testing, emergency preparedness and more. The grants will be administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“This last year has shown us the vital role that our public health providers and institutions serve in keeping our families and communities safe and healthy,” Congressman Tonko said. “We need to ensure that these facilities and the staff who work there receive the resources to continue to serve those most in need. The strong federal investments delivered to these deserving local programs will help our Capital Region through this pandemic and long into the future. I won’t stop working to deliver and expand essential federal support that bolsters our local health systems, staff and the health and wellness of all our communities.”

The NY-20 organizations receiving HHS funding includes:

• $10,233,648 will go to Health Research, Inc. for epidemiology and laboratory capacity
• $9,895,682 will go to Health Research, Inc. for hospital preparedness program
• $5,684,272 will go to Health Research, Inc. to support COVID-19 testing and mitigation efforts
• $4,800,000 will go to the Research Foundation at the University at Albany for child welfare training
• $2,094,351 will go to the Regenerative Research Foundation for clinical research on neurological disorders
• $2,000,000 will go to Health Research, Inc. to support state and local efforts to prevent and treat diabetes, heart disease and stroke
• $1,417,317 will go to Schenectady Community Action Program for their Head Start program
• $1,008,015 will go to the Research Foundation at the University at Albany for services to improve public health
• $1,000,000 will go to the University at Albany to study effects of PFAS exposure in New York State communities 
• $455,545 will go to Kitware Inc. for mental health research
• $436,264 will go to Kitware Inc. for biomedical technology
• $398,578 will go to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for research on heart and vascular diseases
• $361,278 will go to the University at Albany towards research on oral diseases and disorders
• $199,847 will go to the University at Albany for an HIV prevention program
• $166,667 will go to Health Research, Inc. to address and prevent excessive alcohol use

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