Birmingham, AL — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $44 million grant to the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub, led by Southern Research Institute. The funding will support five projects that aim to position Alabama as a global leader in drug, vaccine, and diagnostics development by applying artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biotechnology to increasing diverse representation in clinical genomic data and clinical trials.

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The Tech Hubs program was authorized by President Biden’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act which passed in 2022 with Rep. Sewell’s strong support.

“This award is a big victory for the City of Birmingham and the entire State of Alabama!” said Rep. Sewell. “Not only will it ensure that Birmingham remains a leader in the biotechnology sector, but it will also help us make strides toward greater representation for African Americans and other minority communities in clinical trials. Hats off to Southern Research, UAB, and the City of Birmingham for the many years of hard work and collaboration that made this announcement possible. I am proud to have played a role in creating this important federal program and I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for continuing to invest in the Magic City!”

The grant will support implementation of projects that include:

• Creating a first-of-its-kind genomic biobank that enables accessible precision medicine to improve public health outcomes, accelerate drug development, foster substantial clinical trial investment, and anchor the national bioeconomy by leveraging trusted relationships to connect patient genomes, other forms of personalized medical data, and clinical data to drive clinical trial representation in Black and rural communities; 
• Establishing a backbone organization to anchor and develop Alabama’s first Innovation District, ensuring mission alignment between diverse stakeholders and evaluating progress, implementing nimble and responsive risk management protocols to safeguard intellectual property and patient health information, and continuing to raise additional partnerships and capital for the Hub; 
• Connecting industry, scientific experts, and regulators to advance the maturation and validation of Therapeutics Acceleration Platforms (TAPs) which will accelerate the development of new precision medicines, drug repurposing, technologies for predictive safety testing, and enhance U.S. global competitiveness in the biotechnology industry; 
• Designing, testing, and refining a series of sub-baccalaureate workforce training programs that will place target populations in quality biotechnology jobs over the next five years based on clear, employer-driven workforce training priorities for biotech jobs in the region; and 
• Forming a multi-HBCU workforce training collaboration to rapidly expand access to a large suite of micro-credentials coupled with in-person, work-based learning opportunities within the biotech sector. 

The Birmingham Biotechnology Hub is among 31 Tech Hubs designated in October 2023 by President Biden to scale up the production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, and accelerate the growth of industries of the future in regions across the United States.

Last year, the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub received a $500,000 Consortium Accelerator Award to continue implementing their strategies, including the pursuit of additional capital. 

Learn more about the Tech Hubs Program at TechHubs.gov. 

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