The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $3.8 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse Northeastern University for the cost of testing students, staff and faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $3,835,599 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the private research university in Boston for the cost of services required to provide testing at its Boston and Burlington-based campuses between February 2020 and October 2021.
Northeastern contracted for administrative staff, medical professionals, specially trained scientists, and laboratory technicians; for technology services for secure scheduling, data transfer, data analysis, reporting, and testing results; for documentation management to ensure the privacy of medical records; for stand-by interpretation services for those with limited English proficiency; and for transportation services for viral samples.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Northeastern University with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation’s ongoing recovery.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.5 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.