Department of Commerce

National Textile Center and Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation [TC]² - $16.5 million

North Carolina State University – National Textile Center
Raleigh, NC 27695

Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation
5651 Dillard Drive
Cary, NC 27518

The National Textile Center is a consortium of eight universities, including North Carolina State University, that develops new materials, trains personnel, and strengthens textile research and education efforts.  The Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation [TC]² is a consortium of fiber, fabric and apparel producers, organized labor groups, retailers, academic institutions and government agencies focused on improving textile and apparel production techniques.  Federal funding would support a wide array of basic and applied research programs at NTC and [TC]2, as well as demonstration and education efforts designed to enhance the competitiveness of the US textile and apparel industries. 

These two research consortiums are critical components of the US textile industry’s ongoing effort to remain globally competitive. Their groundbreaking textile research helps offset job losses in the U.S. textile sector, which is a primarily supplier of employment to women and minority individuals, and prolong the vitality of the U.S. textile manufacturing base.

Department of Justice

800 MHz Base Infrastructure Expansion, Wake County, North Carolina - $700,000

Wake County, North Carolina
337 S. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

The 9/11 Commission identified the establishment of full communications interoperability between state, local, and federal first responders as a key homeland security priority following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  Wake County has undertaken a major initiative to meet this public safety imperative.  The County is seeking federal funding to purchase software that would allow current equipment to operate on additional spectra beyond the 800 Megahertz (MHz) band, thus ensuring that every federal, state, and local enforcement entity in Wake County can communicate in the event of an emergency.

Emily Krzyzewski Center’s Pioneer Scholars Program, Durham, North Carolina - $300,000

Emily Krzyzewski Center
904 W. Chapel Hill Street
Durham, NC 27701

The Emily Krzyzewski Center is seeking federal funding for its Pioneer Scholars Program.  The Center developed the program to provide targeted support to low-income students in Durham who wish to attend college.  Participating students receive one-on-one mentoring and support, and benefit from a concerted effort by certified teachers, mentors and college volunteers to ensure that they develop the educational foundation necessary for success in college.  Quantitative evaluation of the program’s impact from 2007 through the end of 2008 by the Research Triangle Institute indicates that Pioneer Scholars are gaining academic skills, performing better in school and setting increasingly higher goals for performance.  In reading, the percentage of students reading at or above grade-level rose from 48% to 79%.  In math, the percentage of students performing at or above grade level rose from 69% to 96%. 

High school attrition is closely correlated with criminal activity, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy.  Federal investments in programs that reach out to at-risk youth can help keep them from falling into a cycle of violence and poverty and have a positive impact on schools and communities.  The need is particularly acute in Durham, North Carolina, where less than 50% of low-income students graduate from high school.

Firearms and Ballistics Analysis Equipment, State Bureau of Investigations - $720,500

North Carolina Department of Justice, State Bureau of Investigation
9001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699

The SBI State Crime Laboratory provides forensic and ballistics analysis to the state’s law enforcement community.  In light of the dramatic increase in case submissions and in the complexity of firearms cases in recent years, the Lab needs to enhance its service capacity in order to help law enforcement officers identify and trace firearms, and match them to evidence collected from violent crime investigations.  Federal funding would enable the purchase of critical crime laboratory equipment to speed forensic analysis and meet the increasing demand from local law enforcement and prosecutors for firearms and ballistics evidence analysis at the Lab.  Firearms and ballistic evidence analysis is crucial in providing state and local law enforcement with the tools they need to fight firearm-related crime in North Carolina and bring criminals to justice. 

New Life Job Court, 14th Judicial District of Durham County - $100.000

14th Judicial District of Durham County
201 East Main Street
Durham, NC 27701

The 14th Judicial District’s New Life Job Court is designed to make child support enforcement more effective by addressing the root causes of nonpayment.  The majority of parents who do not make court-ordered child support payments lack the skill, training or education they need to find gainful employment.  The Job Court provides sustainable employment solutions and job training opportunities as well as social services counseling to participants, and it has increased child support collections. 

When parents are incarcerated for failing to pay court-ordered child support, they cannot work, and when they leave prison, they often find it is more difficult to find employment, preventing them from paying child support and landing them back in court.  This often endless cycle congests the court system and is costly to taxpayers, and it does nothing to improve the quality of life for the children that the system is designed to protect.  Federal support for the New Life Court would help address the root causes of nonpayment by helping defendants become productive citizens through job training and counseling.  

Public Safety Training through Simulation, Wake Technical Community College - $700,000

Wake Technical Community College
9101 Fayetteville Road
Raleigh, NC 27603

Wake Technical Community College is seeking federal funding for its Public Safety Training through Simulation program, which is designed to improve training for first responders.  The funding would be used to create training modules in an interactive simulation environment for all levels of emergency medical and law enforcement to gain proactive and reactive skills in the event of an emergency.  The simulation environment would provide training relating to cyber terrorism, intelligence analysis, canine unit operations, and hazmat operations, as well as an emergency operations center lab. 
Federal support would help ensure that local first responders have the training they need to undertake an effective, coordinated response in the event of a local, state or national emergency.

Rapid Fingerprint Identification Technology, City of Raleigh - $550,000

City of Raleigh, North Carolina
PO Box 590
Raleigh, NC 27602

The City of Raleigh is seeking funding to establish a pilot program with other state and local jurisdictions (the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, State Bureau of Investigation, Wake Forest Police Department, Cary Police Department, Wake County Sherriff’s Office and the RDU-Airport Authority) that would allow law enforcement officers to make positive, automated fingerprint identification in real time in the field.  Federal funding would be used to purchase portable scanning devices which could search fingerprint databases for a positive match.  With these devices in their vehicles, law enforcement officers would be able to fingerprint suspects, scan the database, and instantly identify suspected criminals.  The program would provide the criminal justice community with a powerful tool to enhance public safety.    

Mentoring Program for At-Risk Youth, North Carolina Mentoring Partnership - $500,000

North Carolina Mentoring Partnership
222 North Person Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

The Mentoring Program for At-Risk Youth is a comprehensive mentoring initiative targeted at low-income students.  The NC Mentoring Partnership is seeking federal funding to provide academic mentors and tutors to public school students; seed money to support new mentoring programs; and training and technical assistance to expand existing programs;, and help students access higher education and career opportunities.

High school attrition is closely correlated with criminal activity, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy.  Federal investments in programs that reach out to at-risk youth can help keep them from falling into a cycle of violence and poverty and have a positive impact on schools and communities.