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

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The tens of millions of dollarsa in grant proposals are targetint funding streams flowing down through the Americanm Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready initiatives. Universities faced with consecutivew years of funding cuts are angling to usethe shovel-readyh cash to catch up on much-needed facility upgrades, builxd classrooms to handle the influcx of students in need of re-training or tacklee big capital projects aimed at bolsteringh academics and research.
The approach is twofold at , whicyh has seen its student population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part to rising The college isseekinv $45 million to builde additional classroom capacity on its three main campuses as well as to enhancd vocational training facilities in high-demand according to Ellyn Drotzer, director of the offics of grants development. The college wants the among other projects, to build out its and the Marooned Automotive Program in Mirama r to emphasize curriculum on maintaining and repairingv emerging green energy and hybrid systemes in boatsand cars.
It also wants to expane classrooms foraviation training, including a facilityh to train a new generatio of air traffic controllers, whichu are expected to be in high demand in a few yearx to replace a wave of retirinv controllers, Drotzer said. “These are all shove l ready,” she said. “We have a history of traininhg in technical trades an now we are looking to be responsive to providing curriculum in this new emerging industrh ofgreen technology.
” The ’sz 18-member stimulus working group meets regularlyu to discuss opportunities and set a course to capture as much of the federal cash as So far, the school has more than 400 proposalse seeking in excess of $350 million in funding. “Wes saw this as a very significant opportunit for the university and to do something for the saidRichard Bookman, vice provost of researcjh at UM. Among the projects on the school’x shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawaterr research center at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marinre and Atmospheric Science onVirginiz Key, he said.
The university is seeking $15 million from the and $15 millionh from the to help buildrthe center, which will study sea creatures as well as the physics of waves on structures. UM is also is submittinhg proposals fora $15 million to $20 million addition to a sciencew building at its Cora l Gables campus and a multi-stort research building at its medicaol school. has science, green technologyy and culinary training onits shovel-readh submission list. The school is requesting help fundingfa $22.7 million hospitality management center to housr a culinary arts school as well as $40 million for an extensives renovation and upgrade to decades-old facilities at its north campus and $1.
2 million for an and Technology. But by most accounta competition for stimulus funds will be And specific funding priorities from federaol and state allocatorsbeyond short-term projects that would create jobs quickly remains said Camille Coley, assistant VP and interin director of sponsored researcyh at . “They are not telling us what they arelookinfg for,” she said. But FAU is seeking $4.5 million to help builsd out water reuse infrastructure at its newly gold level Leadership in Energy and and platinunm levelengineering building, slated to open in 2010.
The universityy also is seeking federal stimulus funds to create a road connector system at its main campuxs off Glades Road in Boca Raton andadditional parking. It also wantsz funding to put a green roof on itsadministratiomn building. While the application process is infull swing, UM’ss Bookman doesn’t expect the winning projects to be announced untill the fall.