Congressman Fattah Announces $5.8 Million Grant to Franklin Institute for Education on Challenges of Climate Change

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), the leading Democratic Appropriator for science research and the National Science Foundation (NSF), announced today that NSF has awarded the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia $5,882,653 as lead partner in a four-city program for urban climate change education in the community.

"The Franklin Institute is one of our nation's leading scientific and educational museums. It is exactly the right place for a far-reaching program to educate Philadelphians, including school children, about the growing challenges and impending crisis of climate change," Fattah said.

"I have been leading the fight in Congress to make science and research funds available to institutions in Philadelphia and nationwide," Fattah said. "Education and research provide the key to American innovation and to securing our future as world leaders. That includes leadership to combat human-created climate change while we still have time to act."

Fattah is the Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies (CJS) which oversees more than $51 billion in funding for NSF, NASA, neuroscience research, the White House Office of Science and Technology as well as the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce.

The grant to Franklin Institute covers a five year period under the Climate and Urban Systems Partnership and will be shared with institutions in New York, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. This NSF-funded initiative engages urban residents in community-based learning about climate, climate-change science and the prospects for enhancing quality of life in our cities.

In Philadelphia, under Franklin's Steven Snyder, the project brings together more than 20 organizations committed to climate change and climate science programming for Philadelphians where they live, work and play. Urban Learning Networks in participating cities will share information developed under this program on the best way to provide and improve education concerning climate change.

"Philadelphians and residents of other cities rely on transportation, water, energy and public health systems that all are vulnerable to climate change," Fattah said. "I commend Franklin Institute for developing this major outreach effort to inform our citizens of this gathering crisis."

The cooperative arrangement led by Franklin Institute includes the Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research, the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the New York Hall of Science, and the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah