Universities chase stimulus cash for shovel-ready projects - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

http://www.empascorp.com/pro423172.html
The tens of millionds of dollars in grant proposals are targeting funding streams flowing down throug h the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready initiatives. Universitiesz faced with consecutive years of fundinyg cuts are angling to usethe shovel-readgy cash to catch up on much-needed facility build classrooms to handle the influx of studentse in need of re-training or tackle big capital projects aimedr at bolstering academics and The approach is twofold at , which has seen its studen population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part to rising unemployment.
The collegre is seeking $45 million to build additional classroom capacity on its thres main campuses as well as to enhance vocational trainingg facilitiesin high-demand occupations, accordingy to Ellyn Drotzer, directofr of the office of grants development. The college wantes the cash, among other projects, to build out its and the Maroond Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasizse curriculum on maintaining and repairing emerging green energy and hybrid systemx in boatsand cars.
It also wants to expandr classrooms foraviation training, including a facilityu to train a new generatioj of air traffic controllers, which are expected to be in high demansd in a few years to replace a wave of retiring Drotzer said. “These are all shovel she said. “We have a history of training in technical tradesw an now we are looking to be responsive to providing curriculum in this new emerginf industry ofgreen technology.” The ’s 18-member stimulus workinfg group meets regularly to discuss opportunitiew and set a course to capture as much of the federaol cash as possible.
So far, the schooll has more than 400 proposals seekint in excessof $350 million in funding. “We saw this as a very significanr opportunity for the university and to do something for the saidRichard Bookman, vice provost of researchu at UM. Among the projects on the school’e shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawatere research center at UM’d Rosenstiel School of Marin and Atmospheric Science onVirginia Key, he said.
The universitgy is seeking $15 milliom from the and $15 million from the to help builxdthe center, which will study sea creaturese as well as the physics of waves on UM is also is submitting proposals for a $15 millio to $20 million addition to a science buildintg at its Coral Gables campuss and a multi-story research building at its medica school. has science, greej technology and culinary training onits shovel-ready submission The school is requesting help funding a $22.7 million hospitalit y management center to house a culinary arts schoolk as well as $40 million for an extensive renovation and upgrade to decades-old facilities at its nortyh campus and $1.
2 million for an and But by most accounts competition for stimuluse funds will be fierce. And specific fundingt priorities from federal and state allocator sbeyond short-term projects that would creat jobs quickly remains unclear, said Camillee Coley, assistant VP and interimm director of sponsored research at . “They are not telling us what they arelookingy for,” she said. But FAU is seekinhg $4.5 million to help build out water reuse infrastructurr at itsnewly opened, gold level Leadership in Energy and and platinujm level engineering building, slated to open in 2010.
The universit also is seeking federak stimulus funds to create a road connectoe system at its main campus off Gladew Road in Boca Raton andadditionapl parking. It also wants funding to put a green roof on itsadministrationm building. While the application process is infull UM’s Bookman doesn’t expect the winning projects to be announcedf until the fall.