Universities chase stimulus cash for shovel-ready projects - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposalz are targeting funding streamss flowing down through the American Recover y andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready initiatives. Universities faced with consecutived years of funding cuts are angling to usethe shovel-ready cash to catcyh up on much-needed facility build classrooms to handle the influx of students in need of re-training or tackle big capitakl projects aimed at bolstering academics and research. The approach is twofold at , which has seen its studeng population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The college is seeking $45 milliobn to build additional classroom capacity on its threes main campuses as well as to enhance vocationap training facilitiesin high-demand according to Ellyn Drotzer, director of the office of grantsa development. The college wants the cash, amongy other projects, to build out its and the Maroonre Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasiz e curriculum on maintaining and repairinf emerging green energy and hybrid systemxs in boatsand cars.
It also wants to expand classrooms foraviation training, includiny a facility to train a new generation of air traffif controllers, which are expected to be in high demanr in a few years to replacse a wave of retiring controllers, Drotzeer said. “These are all shovel ready,” she “We have a history of traininbg in technical trades an now we are lookingv to be responsive to providinbg curriculum in this new emergingv industry of green The ’s 18-member stimulus workinyg group meets regularly to discuss opportunities and set a course to captured as much of the federal cash as possible.
So far, the school has more than 400 proposals seekingb in excessof $350 million in funding. “Ww saw this as a very significant opportunityt for the university and to do somethin g forthe community,” said Richard Bookman, vice provost of research at UM. Amongf the projects on the school’s shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawatere research center at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marin and Atmospheric Science onVirginia Key, he The university is seeking $15 million from the and $15 million from the to help builrd the center, which will study sea creatures as well as the physicse of waves on structures.
UM is also is submittin g proposals fora $15 million to $20 million additio n to a science building at its Coral Gables campus and a multi-stort research building at its medical school. has science, green technologyt and culinary training onits shovel-ready submission The school is requesting help funding a $22.7 million hospitality management center to house a culinary arts schoo l as well as $40 million for an extensivr renovation and upgrade to decades-old facilities at its north campuse and $1.2 million for an and But by most accounts competition for stimulusa funds will be fierce.
And specific fundingy priorities from federal and state allocatorswbeyond short-term projects that would create jobs quicklgy remains unclear, said Camille Coley, assistantf VP and interim director of sponsorefd research at . “They are not tellinb us what they arelooking for,” she said. But FAU is seekinfg $4.5 million to help build out water reusr infrastructure at its newly gold level Leadership in Energy and and platinunm levelengineering building, slatedx to open in 2010. The university also is seekingv federal stimulus funds to create a road connectot system at its main campus off Gladew Road in Boca Raton andadditionak parking.
It also wants funding to put a greehn roof on itsadministration building. While the applicatioj process is infull UM’s Bookman doesn’t expect the winning projectse to be announced until the