INDIANAPOLIS -- As lawmakers and leaders in education prepare for what could be a contentious budget session, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education said it will recommend one priority project from each public university to the General Assembly next year. “It could be extremely contentious,” State Rep. Gregory Porter (D-Indianapolis) said. ”We’re still operating, from my perspective, 60 years ago—-[with a] 1960-type mentality in regards to funding higher ed.” Still, the presidents of IU, Purdue University and several other institutions did make multiple capital project requests to the State Budget Committee on Wednesday. ”They’ve been modest; the universities have been modest in what they’re asking for,” State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) said. “I think they’re being fiscally responsible.” Purdue President Mung Chiang requested $90 million for a life sciences research building. He also said Purdue would like the state to create a new fund for research and development programs, but emphasized the university would only use those dollars if it successfully beat out other states for federal grants. "We do have the economic development opportunities to attract young families to come here: 'work for SK Hynix, work for Rolls Royce, work for Eli Lilly, Elanco, and many other companies,'" President Chiang said. IU President Pamela Whitten requested roughly $400 million for six projects across several campuses—including $100 million for a science building at IU Bloomington. She went on to say she hopes lawmakers will ultimately consider providing funds for more than one capital project given IU’s size and scope. ”We have a Bloomington campus, we have five regional campuses, two subregional campuses, large med school with its own nine campuses, and yet we are held to the same expectation of one project as a one-campus with 8,000 students,” President Whitten said. But State Rep. Porter pointed out these are only requests for now, and that lawmakers are still awaiting the December revenue forecast and Governor-Elect Mike Braun’s legislative agenda before making any decisions. “Nothing’s going to be meaningful, sustainable until April,” State Rep. Porter said. Indiana Senate and House leaders will kick off a ceremonial start to the budget session next week before both chambers officially reconvene in January.