AN ACT relating to the endowed research fund and making an appropriation therefor.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to establish the endowed research fund to be administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) for the purposes of funding research consortiums between two or more public universities; provide that the endowed research fund shall consist of appropriations, federal funds, and other proceeds made available to the fund; provide that the funds shall not lapse; provide that there shall be five consortium accounts within the endowed research fund that shall each be assigned to a unique research consortium selected by CPE; provide that CPE shall solicit, accept, and review applications from research consortiums between two or more public universities to determine five research consortiums eligible to review seed funding for a term of five years; create a review process to determine future eligibility for funding through the endowed research fund; direct CPE to fill vacancies when a research consortium is no longer eligible to receive funding through the endowed research fund; direct CPE to promulgate administrative regulations to administer this section; direct CPE to select the Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Trust as one of the initial five research consortiums by February 1, 2025; APPROPRIATION.