U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, on Thursday condemned the Trump Administration for abruptly canceling a $44 million investment into the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub, led by the Southern Research Institute.
The award was announced in January to support the application of AI-driven biotechnology to increase diverse representation in clinical genomic data and clinical trials. The Southern Research Institute will now be forced to recompete for the award under the Trump administration’s new guidelines.
“This investment was the result of years of planning and advocacy,” Sewell said. “It had the strong backing of both Democrats and Republicans in Alabama because of its potential to create numerous jobs, improve health outcomes, and solidify the City of Birmingham as a biotechnology leader. For the Trump Administration to cut it off is outrageous.”
Sewell has been an advocate for the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub. In July 2024, she penned a joint column with Sen. Katie Britt, Gov. Kay Ivey and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin arguing for the investment into the Magic City. They outlined how it is an opportunity for health care innovation and bolstered national security.
In 2023, the Biden Administration designated the City of Birmingham as one of 31 Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs. Led by the Southern Research Institute, the hub is a consortium of partners, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and seeks to use artificial intelligence to shorten the drug development pipeline and deliver affordable drugs, vaccines and diagnostics to treat a global patient population and increase the efficacy of biotechnological products.
The Tech Hubs program was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which passed in 2022, with Sewell’s support. The law aims to preserve and supercharge America’s dominance in science and technology.
