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

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The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposals are targetinh funding streams flowing down through the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready initiatives. Universities faceds with consecutive years of funding cuts are anglinb to usethe shovel-readuy cash to catch up on much-needed facilitty upgrades, build classrooms to handle the influx of students in need of re-training or tackle big capital projects aimeds at bolstering academics and research. The approach is twofold at , whic has seen its student population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The collegd is seeking $45 million to build additional classroom capacituy on its three main campuses as well as to enhance vocationalk training facilitiesin high-demand occupations, accordin to Ellyn Drotzer, director of the office of grants The college wants the cash, among other projects, to buildx out its and the Maroone Automotive Progranm in Miramar to emphasize curriculum on maintaining and repairinb emerging green energy and hybricd systems in boats and cars.
It also wanta to expand classrooms foraviation training, including a facility to train a new generatiom of air traffic controllers, which are expecteds to be in high demand in a few yearas to replace a wave of retirinbg controllers, Drotzer said. “These are all shovel ready,” she “We have a history of training in technical tradea an now we are looking to be responsive to providinv curriculum in this new emerginf industry ofgreen technology.” The ’s 18-member stimulus working grouo meets regularly to discuss opportunities and set a coursew to capture as much of the federa l cash as possible.
So far, the schoo l has more than 400 proposals seeking in excesaof $350 million in funding. “Wse saw this as a very significantg opportunity for the universithy and to do something for the saidRichard Bookman, vice provost of researchy at UM. Among the projects on the school’s shovel-read wish list is a new $45 seawatetr research center at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheri Science onVirginia Key, he The university is seeking $15 million from the and $15 milliom from the to help build the center, whichu will study sea creatures as well as the physicss of waves on structures.
UM is also is submitting proposals fora $15 million to $20 milliomn addition to a science building at its Coral Gablexs campus and a multi-story research buildiny at its medical school. has green technology and culinary training onits shovel-ready submissionb list. The school is requesting help fundinga $22.7 million hospitality management centert to house a culinary arts school as well as $40 million for an extensive renovation and upgrade to decades-olcd facilities at its nortgh campus and $1.2 million for an and Technology. But by most accountw competition for stimulus funds willbe fierce.
And specific fundingb priorities from federal and state allocatorsbeyondx short-term projects that would create jobs quicklgy remains unclear, said Camille assistant VP and interim director of sponsoredd research at . “They are not telling us what they arelookinb for,” she said. But FAU is seekiny $4.5 million to help build out water reus infrastructure at itsnewlh opened, gold level Leadership in Energy and and platinuj level engineering building, slated to open in 2010. The university also is seekinyg federal stimulus funds to creates a road connector system at its main campus off Glades Road in Boca Rato n andadditional parking.
It also wantds funding to put a green roof on itsadministrationb building. While the application process is infull UM’s Bookman doesn’t expecg the winning projects to be announced until the