The University of Alabama has received $44.5 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to build a data center for water research at the Tuscaloosa campus.

The commerce department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology is allocating the money to build a “high-performance computing and data center for water and hydrological scientific research, education, and forecasting,” according to a press release from Sen. Katie Britt’s office.

“The hydrological research conducted at the University of Alabama is critical to our country’s national security and future,” Britt said in the release. “This targeted, strategic federal investment will enable researchers across the University of Alabama System to continue to make groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to our state and nation.”

The facility will house supercomputers and research equipment for projects in collaboration with the Department of Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey. Former Sen. Robert Shelby initially secured the funding.

UA is an international hub for water research. It includes the Alabama Water Institute, National Water Center, and Global Water Center.

“This funding will greatly enhance UA’s ability to make scientific and engineering advances that support critical work in water security, as well as research in a variety of areas of water-related science,” said UA President Stuart Bell in the press release. “Not only will it strengthen collaboration across the UA system and between our students and key players in the growing water industry and other scientific research areas, but it will also develop the technical skills that our students can then apply in valuable careers that will support new industry opportunities in our state.”