Sen. McConnell visits UK to celebrate federal funding for UK projects
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2026) — U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell joined University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto and Eric Frankl, president & CEO of Blue Grass Airport, on Wednesday to celebrate federal funding McConnell secured for the Lexington region.
As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, McConnell secured nearly $2.6 billion in federal funding for Kentucky priorities in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process, which includes more than $109 million to support the University of Kentucky and Blue Grass Airport.
Funding at UK includes $65 million for a second Healthy Kentucky Research Building (HKRB2). The new facility is essential to support innovative, interdisciplinary research across more than 70 UK centers and institutes. It is also crucial in training the next generation of scientists and clinicians equipped to tackle 21st-century health challenges.
“I have been in a position, as Senate Leader and as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, to make sure Kentucky punches above its weight and I have secured more than $65 billion of additional federal funding for Kentucky,” McConnell said. “Under President Capilouto’s leadership, I’m glad to see the University of Kentucky utilizing federal funding to enhance its stellar education for students and positively impact the lives of so many across Kentucky. Additionally, I know how important Blue Grass Airport is to this region of the Commonwealth and I’m proud to work with President & CEO Eric Frankl to secure critical federal funding for upgrades at the airport.”
The federal funding appropriated is a single-year record for the Commonwealth and for McConnell through the regular appropriations process.
Additionally in Lexington, funding for Bluegrass Airport includes $5.4 million for enabling projects to support construction of a new air traffic control tower.
“We cannot express how grateful we are for Sen. McConnell’s support and persistence in securing a federal grant to advance the next phase of relocating the FAA’s air traffic control tower,” said Eric Frankl, President & CEO of Blue Grass Airport. “Built in 1970, the existing tower does not meet current design standards and will ultimately limit our ability to expand the passenger terminal to meet the growing travel demands of the central and southeastern Kentucky region we serve. We are hopeful this grant will expedite the construction of a new tower at Blue Grass Airport.”
At UK, other projects in addition to HKRB2 funded include:
- $10 million for the USDA Agricultural Research Service Laboratory at UK for a Forage-Animal Production Unit. This funding is on top of $65.9 million McConnell secured in fiscal year 2020. This new, joint research facility will house leading-edge research in forage animal production, supporting two national research programs that advance this critical sector of the agriculture economy.
- Partnerships totaling $29 million, included in the defense bill signed in February 2026, to UK researchers in the College of Engineering, in partnership with the U.S. Army and Navy, in helping meet national security needs and support American armed forces. This funding includes support for a collaborative program between the Center for Applied Energy Research and the Oak Ridge National Lab on conversion of coal to high-value products.
"Sen. McConnell’s leadership reflects the value of sustained federal partnerships with public research universities. It’s a testament to both where we are now and where Kentucky needs us to be,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “Institutions like the University of Kentucky play a critical role in serving their states — advancing discovery, educating students and helping communities meet their most pressing challenges.
“That work depends on collaboration and on leaders who understand its importance. Simply put, partnership at this level helps us deliver on our promise to this Commonwealth, and we are deeply grateful for Sen. McConnell’s continued support and belief in what we make possible.”
McConnell has announced he will not seek reelection, retiring at the end of his seventh term in January 2027. The Kentucky Republican and longest-serving Senate party leader has been in office since 1985.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.