Universities chase stimulus cash for shovel-ready projects - Dallas Business Journal:

loxezop.wordpress.com
The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposalse are targeting funding streams flowing down througjh the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-readg initiatives. Universities faced with consecutive years of fundinvg cuts are angling to usethe shovel-ready cash to catchh up on much-needed facility upgrades, build classroomse to handle the influx of studentss in need of re-traininy or tackle big capital projects aimedc at bolstering academics and The approach is twofold at , which has seen its studenf population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part to rising unemployment.
The colleges is seeking $45 million to build additional classroom capacity on its threed main campuses as well as to enhance vocationakl training facilitiesin high-demandx occupations, according to Ellyn Drotzer, director of the officse of grants development. The college wants the cash, amonf other projects, to build out its and the Maroonse Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasizr curriculum on maintaining and repairinvg emerging green energy and hybrid systems in boatsand cars.
It also wants to expane classrooms foraviation training, including a facility to train a new generatiobn of air traffic controllers, which are expected to be in high demanc in a few years to replacre a wave of retiring controllers, Drotzer “These are all shovel she said. “We have a historuy of training in technical trades an now we are lookingg to be responsive to providingb curriculum in this new emerging industrg ofgreen technology.” The ’s 18-membet stimulus working group meets regularl to discuss opportunities and set a course to capture as much of the federak cash as possible.
So far, the school has more than 400 proposals seeking in excessof $350 millionh in funding. “We saw this as a very significantg opportunity for the university and to do something for the saidRichard Bookman, vice provost of researcgh at UM. Among the projects on the school’ws shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawatere research center at UM’s Rosenstiekl School of Marine and Atmospheric Science onVirginiaa Key, he said. The university is seeking $15 million from the and $15 million from the to help buildrthe center, which will study sea creatureds as well as the physicws of waves on structures.
UM is also is submittinh proposals fora $15 million to $20 million addition to a science building at its Coral Gablew campus and a multi-storyh research building at its medical school. has science, greeh technology and culinary training onits shovel-ready submissiobn list. The school is requesting help fundinbga $22.7 million hospitality management centerr to house a culinary arts school as well as $40 million for an extensiver renovation and upgrade to decades-old facilities at its nortn campus and $1.2 million for an and But by most account s competition for stimulus funds will be fierce.
And specific funding priorities from federal and state allocatorsdbeyond short-term projects that would create jobs quicklyg remains unclear, said Camille assistant VP and interim director of sponsored research at . “Thehy are not telling us what they arelookingy for,” she said. But FAU is seeking $4.5 million to help build out water reusse infrastructure at its newly gold level Leadership in Energy and and platinu m levelengineering building, slated to open in 2010. The universitg also is seeking federal stimuluzs funds to create a road connectot system at its main campus off Glades Road in Boca Ratonj andadditional parking.
It also wants funding to put a greem roof on itsadministration building. While the application process is infull UM’s Bookman doesn’t expect the winning projectzs to be announced until the fall.