Kaptur Announces Over $1.8 Million in Awards for University of Toledo Advanced Scientific Research

August 20, 2026 Press Release Toledo, OH — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced three separate awards for research programs at the University of Toledo. The University’s Department of Chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will receive two awards to fund the purchase of an analytical mass spectrometer; one for $984,496 through the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) and one for $795,000 through the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Additionally, NSF will fund a $50,000 award to the University’s Health Science Campus to help fund an I-Corps project studying early Osteoporosis risk prevention. “I am immensely proud of the innovative research being conducted at Northwest Ohio’s very own University of Toledo, a top-tier R1 research institution,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “These Federal awards reflect the hard work and determination of countless faculty, staff, and students at the University who seek to better understand the world around us every day. Their efforts will improve lives right here in Northwest Ohio and across the globe.” "These investments are an important recognition of the strength and potential of UToledo's research enterprise,” said Grace Bochenek, Vice President for Research and Innovation at UToledo . “The new capabilities provided by this state-of-the-art instrumentation will give faculty and students new approaches to answering complex research questions and open avenues of discovery. It also creates opportunities for collaboration across disciplines, strengthens the hands-on research and training experience we provide students, and positions our researchers to pursue increasingly ambitious and competitive projects. Investments like this expand what is possible at UToledo and are essential to advancing our mission and impact as an R1 University." The new mass spectrometer will enable researchers to identify harmful algal blooms (HAB) toxins in both human and biological samples. HABs have long been an issue for the Great Lakes Region. HABs decrease water quality, create an unsafe environment for plant and animal species, and can contribute to human illnesses. In addition, the mass spectrometer will be used to train undergraduate and graduate students, medical students, and practicing medical professionals, so they are prepared to handle environmental toxins while supporting public health. A unique feature of the machine is its remote-access capability, which allows researchers, educators, and students from other institutions across the nation and around the globe to collaborate with the University of Toledo and operate the equipment through secure software and live video. The $50,000 award will support a UToledo research team through the NSF's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, which helps researchers explore the commercial and real-world potential of their technology before it leaves the lab. The team is developing an artificial intelligence-based platform to predict a patient's risk of osteoporosis, a disease affecting millions of older adults that often goes undetected until a fracture has already occurred. By combining machine learning and deep learning models to analyze clinical records and CT imaging data, the technology can flag a patient's risk level within minutes, giving physicians a faster way to identify high-risk patients before a fracture happens. The platform is being designed to work directly within existing hospital imaging and health-record systems, with the goal of making early screening and preventive guidance accessible to both clinicians and patients. These investments also support the University’s work to retain top scientific talent in Northwest Ohio, including for its Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Kaptur has been instrumental in delivering federal support to University of Toledo research efforts. UToledo was recently recognized with as an R1, top-tier university for Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. # # # Issues : Trade Jobs and the Economy Health Care Energy