Bridge funding helps sustain marine research during uncertain times
As economic uncertainty and shifting federal budget priorities put pressure on research entities across the country by delaying, reducing and canceling funding streams, William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS are taking proactive steps to safeguard our mission. The VIMS Impact Fund, an unrestricted fund dedicated to meeting our most pressing needs, is now being leveraged to close funding gaps and ensure our critical scientific work continues without interruption.
“There has never been a time when private philanthropy has played a more important role at the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS than now,” said Ellen Leverich, executive director of the VIMS Foundation and Batten School & VIMS Advancement. “The VIMS Impact Fund will provide bridge funding for research to ensure that scientists can continue making progress developing practical solutions for those whose livelihoods and properties are dependent on the health of our waterways.”
Batten School & VIMS researchers whose work is impacted by funding stoppages can receive bridge funding from the VIMS Impact Fund. Already, our scientists have started to receive and utilize this vital assistance.
As part of the National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research Program, Matt Kirwan ’02 investigates the effects of sea-level rise on Virginia’s barrier islands and adjacent marsh and forest ecosystems. This research relies on consistent data collection, yet despite more than 30 years of continuous support, Kirwan and his team recently faced a sudden 8-month gap in funding.
However, thanks to bridge funding from the VIMS Impact Fund, Kirwan’s group was able to continue their monitoring efforts.
“You might think that one year wouldn’t make a difference in such a long data set, but this year we actually captured an unusually high number of dead trees,” said Kirwan. “That data will allow us to constrain the salinity conditions that lead to tree death and better predict the impacts of climate change on coastal forests.”
“It is imperative that research scientists, like Matt, can continue their work when faced with funding delays and shortfalls,” said Leverich. She also noted that, as the Batten School & VIMS continue to navigate unpredictable research support, the bridge funding initiative is a lifeline not just for scientists, but also for the ecosystems and communities that depend upon our research.
Kirwan confirms that the support makes a real difference, for both research and morale. “I was really discouraged before the bridge funding was announced,” he said, “but these funds gave me the confidence to keep moving forward with our research, and the assurance that VIMS had my back. It would be easy to shut down in the face of adversity, but this funding reminded me that our work is important, and people really care. VIMS gave me a clear signal that we weren’t going to quit.”
Contributions to the VIMS Impact Fund help ensure that the development of science for solutions to coastal challenges can continue without disruption. To make a gift toward bridge funding for our researchers, visit the Batten School & VIMS giving page and click on "VIMS Impact Fund (2550)."