Press Releases

The Honorable Mick Mulvaney 
Director Office of Management and Budget 
725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503 

Dear Director Mulvaney, 

We are writing to highlight the economic value of the federally funded research, development, and commercialization investments taking place at Colorado's federal research laboratories and research universities. 

Colorado is home to 30 federal laboratories and institutions, such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). It is also home to high-quality research universities, such as the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and Colorado School of Mines. As a result of these assets, Colorado is a hotbed of innovation, generating advancements in composite materials, engine efficiencies, renewable energy technologies, methods for carbon capture and sequestration, advanced automobile and jet fuels, weather prediction tools, nanotechnology applications, and many other valuable U.S. based commercial technologies. Federal partnership is vital for our continued success. 

Presently, Colorado is the second-most highly educated state in the nation, second in the State Science and Technology Index, fourth in initial public offerings, seventh in number of new companies per 1,000 employees, third in Small 
Business Innovation Research Grants, sixth in venture capital investments per $1,000 of state GDP, eighth in new business startup density, eighth in average high tech worker wages, ninth in patents granted per one million residents, and fifth in employment growth rate nationally. The intellectual capital based in our universities and federal labs allows Colorado businesses to attract and retain a highly educated workforce, which in tum drives new company formation and technology advancements that serve a broad number of U.S. industries. 

Locally, Colorado-based federal laboratories are critical employers with more than 7,500 direct employees supporting an additional 9,600 indirect employees, and an annual economic benefit of $2.6 billion to the state. However, more important than the local value is Colorado's federally funded research, development, and commercialization efforts make it a center of innovation driving U.S. competitiveness globally and supporting our long term economic success. Projects and ideas from these labs and research institutions, similar to those across the country, often spin off into start-ups and small businesses. Additionally, the public-private partnerships help create a robust economy throughout our country. 

As budget conversations proceed, we ask you to work closely with Colorado's delegation to support robust funding and investment in our laboratories and universities. 

Read the letter in its entirety here.