$8.7 millones de dólares en fondos federales para apoyar la recuperación de Puerto Rico e iniciativas de investigación.
Gov. Jenniffer González made the announcement.
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González announced the allocation of $8.7 million in federal funds for Puerto Rico, which were awarded by various federal agencies to support the reconstruction of the island’s infrastructure, promote scientific innovation and strengthen higher education.
A significant percentage of these funds comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under sections 406 and 407 of the Stafford Act. These funds will be used for repairing critical infrastructure and debris removal in municipalities affected by hurricanes María and Fiona.
The municipality of Ciales will receive $1.74 million for repairing roads and bridges affected by Hurricane María. Naranjito will get $2.8 million for the reconstruction of rural roads damaged by Hurricane Fiona. The Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP, in Spanish), Ponce region, will receive nearly $3.6 million for debris removal in areas impacted by Hurricane Fiona.
In science and education, the National Science Foundation (NSF) approved funding for two major projects for Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust will receive $100,000 for the project “Puerto Rican Higher Education Assembly of Researchers, Thriving not Just Surviving,” a conference aimed at promoting student success in higher education.
The project, led by Lilliam Casillas-Martínez, a biology professor at the University of Puerto Rico’s Humacao campus, is scheduled to launch on Jan. 15.
The NSF will also allocate $503,930 to UPR Mayagüez for the project “CAREER: Intelligent Biomarker Analysis Based on Wearable Distributed Computing,” led by Juan Patarrayo-Montenegro, assistant professor at the Mayagüez Department of Engineering. This project, which starts April 1, will develop technologies for the intelligent analysis of biomarkers using wearable devices and distributed computing.
González stressed that the funding allocation represents a “crucial step” in efforts to strengthen infrastructure, foster scientific innovation and support Puerto Rico’s economic recovery.
“We continue to work tirelessly to secure the necessary resources for our island. These funds not only help to rebuild what was lost but also promote the development of new educational and scientific opportunities for future generations,” the governor said.
The Puerto Rico government will continue “to work closely with federal agencies to ensure that these funds are used efficiently and for the benefit of communities in need,” she added.
