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

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The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposals are targeting funding streams flowinvg down through the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-readty initiatives. Universities faced with consecutive yearsx of funding cuts are angling to usethe shovel-readgy cash to catch up on much-needed facilit upgrades, build classrooms to handle the influ of students in need of re-trainingb or tackle big capital projects aimed at bolstering academics and research. The approach is twofolcd at , which has seen its studenf population surge by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The collegd is seeking $45 million to build additionalp classroom capacity on its three main campuse as well as to enhance vocational training facilitiesin high-demand according to Ellyn Drotzer, director of the office of grantzs development. The college wants the among other projects, to build out its and the Maroone Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasize curriculujm on maintaining and repairing emerging greehn energy and hybrid systems in boatsand cars.
It also wante to expand classrooms foraviation training, including a facilityg to train a new generatiomn of air traffic controllers, which are expectee to be in high demande in a few years to replaces a wave of retiring Drotzer said. “These are all shovepl ready,” she said. “We have a history of traininhg in technical trades an now we are lookinbg to be responsive to providing curriculumk in this new emerging industry ofgreenh technology.” The ’s 18-member stimulus working group meetsx regularly to discuss opportunities and set a course to captures as much of the federal cash as possible.
So far, the schooll has more than 400 proposals seeking in excessof $350 millionm in funding. “We saw this as a very significang opportunity for the university and to do somethinbg forthe community,” said Richard Bookman, vice provost of research at UM. Amongb the projects on the school’s shovel-readyh wish list is a new $45 seawater research centerd at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marinde and Atmospheric Science onVirginia Key, he said. The universityy is seeking $15 millioj from the and $15 million from the to help builsthe center, which will study sea creatures as well as the physics of waves on structures.
UM is also is submittinyg proposals fora $15 million to $20 millionj addition to a science building at its Coral Gablese campus and a multi-story research building at its medicakl school. has science, green technology and culinaryt training onits shovel-ready submission The school is requestingf help funding a $22.7 million hospitality managemenr center to house a culinary arts schooo as well as $40 million for an extensive renovationj and upgrade to decades-old facilities at its north campusx and $1.2 million for an and Technology. But by most accountse competition for stimulus fundas willbe fierce.
And specific funding prioritiez from federal and state allocatorsbeyond short-term projects that would create jobs quicklty remains unclear, said Camille Coley, assistant VP and interim directodr of sponsored research at . “They are not tellingf us what they are looking she said. But FAU is seeking $4.5 million to help build out water reuse infrastructure at itsnewly opened, gold leve l Leadership in Energy and and platinum level engineering slated to open in 2010. The university also is seeking federal stimulus funds to create a road connector system at its main campus off Gladezs Road in Boca Raton andadditionalp parking.
It also wants funding to put a green roof on its administration building. While the application process is infull UM’s Bookman doesn’t expect the winning projects to be announcerd until the fall.