When I worked to enact the CHIPS and Science Act two years ago, I knew Indiana was well-positioned to seize on the law’s historic opportunities to lead our country on technology areas important to global competitiveness. That potential continues to become a reality for Hoosiers.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Indiana-based Heartland BioWorks, a consortium led by the Applied Research Institute, is receiving approximately $51 million authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act. Heartland BioWorks was one of only 12 Tech Hubs across the country to receive a funding award.

I introduced the Tech Hub concept in the Endless Frontier Act of 2020, which eventually became law as a key pillar in the CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in 2022. 

Heartland BioWorks aims to transform Indiana into a global leader in biotechnology and biomanufacturing by increasing the state’s capacity to make and deploy life-saving medicines. Leveraging the states’s research institutions, venture ecosystem, logistics infrastructure, and established pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing presence, this Tech Hub will catalyze regional biotech innovation.

From leveraging existing resources and expertise in Indiana on life sciences and manufacturing to constructing a new headquarters for workforce training to helping early stage innovative companies bridge the “valley of death,” Heartland BioWorks is going to solidify Indiana’s place on the global map as the preeminent location for biotech innovation and manufacturing.

Click here and here to read more about this exciting announcement.

I was proud to join Purdue University's launch of Purdue in Indianapolis. I’m excited for future Purdue students who will have access to the countless new work and learning opportunities in our capital city, along with all the amenities the city has to offer. 

I recently visited the Indiana University Technology Park and met with students and faculty. During the visit, I toured the Cyberinfrastructure Building and learned about IU’s I-Light program, a high-speed fiber optic network that is connecting research and education communities across our state. I also toured IU’s Data Center and saw Big Red 200, a supercomputer designed to support advanced research in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data analytics. 

I appreciated the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible AI innovation and research taking place at Indiana University. I continue to be encouraged by the contributions students and faculty at IU are adding to our state’s leadership in AI and other emerging technologies. 

Click here to read more.

Visiting The Mill in Bloomington

I recently visited The Mill, a coworking center for startups in Bloomington, and met with local innovators. I also toured the construction site of The Forge, a 22,000-square-foot office building for tech entrepreneurs. The Mill and The Forge are both located at the Trades District, a growing hub for tech and science innovation in Monroe County.

The United States Senate Youth Program is an education, leadership training, and scholarship program for high school students to deepen their knowledge of the Senate and the federal government overall, as well as receive a one-time, $10,000 college scholarship to the undergraduate college of their choice. Begun in 1962 through a Senate Resolution, the program is sponsored by the Senate each year to encourage high school students to pursue careers in public service.

Two high school juniors or seniors are selected each year from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity to serve as delegates to Washington Week, a week-long educational program that takes place in Washington, D.C. Public and private high school teachers and principals nominate qualified students beginning in late summer / early fall. Qualified students must hold student body office or another elected or appointed position in their communities and show academic interest and aptitude in government, history, and politics. The chief state school officer in each state makes the final selection of delegates by December 1. The program is merit-based and highly competitive, and the chosen delegates are consistently outstanding.

Click here to learn more.

Navigating federal agencies can be difficult. My staff and I are here to assist Hoosiers who are having trouble receiving benefits, have questions regarding a program or procedure, or have not heard back from these agencies in a timely manner.

Learn more about how we can help here.

I joined a group of senators in sending a letter to Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor Julie Su and Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor José Javier Rodríguez to sound the alarm on rising fraud for unemployment insurance (UI) and urge support for state-level prevention of UI fraud.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved that the nation’s UI system adapts quickly to support unemployed Americans during periods of exceptional hardship. Due to business closures and stay at home orders, the number of initial claims and continued claims rose quickly at the beginning of the pandemic.

The number of fraudulent claims skyrocketed as states received more claims and the burden on states to detect that fraud only increased.The Government Accountability Office estimates that between 11 and 15 percent of all pandemic-era UI benefits were distributed fraudulently.

Click here to read more.

Local News

Fox 59: Indiana's Heartland BioWorks Hub Awarded $51 Million in Federal Funding

WTCA: Senator Young's Fusion Energy Bill Passes Congress, Heads to President's Desk

The Hamilton County Reporter: Indiana Leads on Energy Innovation

Purdue University News: Circle City Celebrates Inauguration of Purdue University in Indianapolis

Thank you for the continued privilege to serve you in the U.S. Senate. My mission is to fight on behalf of Hoosiers and the interests that are unique to our state. I look forward to working with you, and sharing our progress, in the days ahead. 

In Service,