Virginia residents want the commonwealth to be a leader in education and biomedical research — and they are willing to pay for it.

In a statewide survey of more than 1,000 people released last week, residents support investing taxpayer funds to incentivize innovation, attract and support biotech start-ups, and fund biomedical and health science research.

What’s more, top concerns for Virginians are mental health, opioid addiction, the cost of health care, and children's health. Support is strong for research and education to address these issues and drive progress.