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U.S. Economic Development Administration Invests $458,000 to Support Expanded Biotechnology Research and Development and Job Creation in Manhattan, Kansas

Contact: Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
Friday, September 14, 2012


WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced a $458,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the Kansas Wheat Commission of Manhattan, Kansas, to support expanded research and commercialization efforts of the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center (KWIC). The project is expected to create 50 jobs and generate $1.9 million in additional investment, according to grantee estimates.

"Supporting growing, job-producing industries such as biotechnology, especially in rural areas, is a priority of the Obama administration," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Matt Erskine. "This EDA investment will help expand the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center's efforts to reinvigorate wheat genetics research, and will support the commercialization of an agricultural product that is not only a staple food product, but a major U.S. export that supports thousands of jobs throughout the country."

The EDA investment will allow for the purchase of equipment for biotechnology research and development at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center. This will boost the capabilities of the Heartland Plant Innovations and the Wheat Genetics and Genomics Resource Center at Kansas State University to provide advanced plant breeding services and engage in public-private collaborative research and commercialization efforts for newly developed varieties of wheat.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.