OSU seeks matching funds for project

Tuesday, February 19th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Now is the time for the state to get busy securing what will be burgeoning federal funds for bioterrorism research, the president of Oklahoma State University says.

``There is going to be a very large infusion of federal dollars in homeland security and food safety,'' university President James Halligan said Monday.

Oklahoma State is working on developing sensors to detect the pathogens that can cause a variety of devastating diseases including anthrax, smallpox and bubonic plague. The school has invested $17 million in bioterrorism research, but Halligan said facilities must be upgraded in order to attract more funds.

He is seeking about $20 million he said could come from the state's Rainy Day Fund. For every $1 million the state would contribute, a match four times over could occur, Halligan said.

University of Oklahoma President David Boren also is seeking Rainy Day Fund money for a weather research facility he says could be the best in the nation. The federal government has committed $19 million to the project, provided the state more than matches it.

Gov. Frank Keating has proposed about $6 million in his budget for the weather center.

Last week, 69 House members signed a petition that seeks a special session to consider the OU and OSU requests. Sen. Cal Hobson, the next president pro tem of the Senate, said Monday he doesn't see the need for a special session because the federal government's budget year does not start until Oct. 1.

Hobson, D-Lexington, said the Legislature traditionally has included both universities in special funding and he would expect that to occur again.