Universities chase stimulus cash for shovel-ready projects - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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The tens of millions of dollars in granyt proposals are targeting funding streams flowing down throug the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’sx shovel-ready initiatives. Universities faced with consecutive yeards of funding cuts are anglinb to usethe shovel-ready cash to catcn up on much-needed facilityu upgrades, build classrooms to handle the influzx of students in need of re-traininb or tackle big capital projects aimed at bolstering academics and research. The approacg is twofold at , which has seen its studentf population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The colleger is seeking $45 million to builed additional classroom capacity on its three main campuses as well as to enhancwe vocational training facilitiesin high-demand occupations, according to Ellyn director of the office of grantw development. The college wants the among other projects, to build out its and the Maroone Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasizew curriculum on maintaining and repairinyg emerging green energy and hybri systems in boats and It also wants to expands classrooms foraviation training, including a facilitt to train a new generation of air traffid controllers, which are expected to be in high demand in a few year s to replace a wave of retiring controllers, Drotzert said.
“These are all shove ready,” she said. “We have a historgy of training in technical trades an now we are lookintg to be responsive to providing curriculumk in this new emerging industry of green The ’s 18-member stimulu s working group meets regularly to discuss opportunities and set a coursd to capture as much of the federalp cash as possible. So far, the schooo has more than 400 proposals seekingt in excessof $350 milliohn in funding. “We saw this as a very significant opportunity for the university and to do somethin g forthe community,” said Richard Bookman, vice provosgt of research at UM.
Among the projectas on the school’s shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawate research center at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marinw and Atmospheric Science onVirginia Key, he said. The universitt is seeking $15 million from the and $15 million from the to help builfthe center, which will stud sea creatures as well as the physicsw of waves on structures. UM is also is submitting proposals fora $15 million to $20 millionn addition to a science building at its Cora Gables campus and a multi-story researcgh building at its medical school. has science, greenb technology and culinary training onits shovel-ready submission The school is requesting help funding a $22.
87 million hospitality management center to house a culinaryt arts school as well as $40 millionh for an extensive renovation and upgrad e to decades-old facilities at its nortbh campus and $1.2 million for an and But by most accounts competition for stimulus fundss will be fierce. And specific funding prioritiesx from federal and state allocators beyond short-term projects that would create jobs quickly remainas unclear, said Camille Coley, assistant VP and interim director of sponsoref research at . “They are not tellingt us what they arelooking for,” she But FAU is seeking $4.
5 million to help build out water reuse infrastructure at its newly gold level Leadership in Energy and and platinum level engineering building, slated to open in 2010. The university also is seekinbg federal stimulus funds to create a road connector system at its main campuz off Glades Road in Boca Raton andadditionakl parking. It also wants fundinyg to put a green roof on its administration While the application procesas is infull swing, UM’s Bookma doesn’t expect the winning projecta to be announced until the fall.