Nearly $2 Million for MDI Biological Laboratory Secured by Senator Collins in Funding Bill

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $1,935,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the MDI Biological Laboratory in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. The bill, which passed the Senate last week and was approved by the House of Representatives this afternoon, has been signed into law.
“For more than two decades, the MDI Biological Laboratory has offered educational programing and training for students, helping to grow Maine’s STEM workforce,”said Senator Collins.“This funding will support the creation of a facility that would expand the Lab’s capacity to accommodate additional educators, scientists, and students participating in these important training programs. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to secure this important funding.”
“Senator Collins is a steadfast, visionary champion of Maine’s growing bioscience ecosystem,”said Hermann Haller, M.D., President of MDI Biological Laboratory.“This measure will expose more Maine students and educators to cutting-edge biomedical research and help them take their place in a biomedical revolution that is transforming human health.”
This funding will support the MDI Biological Laboratory’s efforts to construct a Center for Advancing Science Education and Entrepreneurship on its Bar Harbor campus. This facility will provide a central location for participating educators and students from throughout Maine to undergo program orientation, receive career counseling, explore internship opportunities, attend lectures, and participate in career training sessions.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured nearly $1.5 billion for hundreds of Maine projects forFY 2022,FY 2023,FY 2024, and FY 2026. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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