Recovery Act-Funded Research Projects Aid Communities Across the Country

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Money at work funding jobs, construction, education and research

July 30, 2009

In the five months since passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), thousands of research-related awards have been made, supporting important scientific efforts across the country.  ARRA delivered the largest increase in basic research funding in American history - $21.5 billion. The bulk of the money is for scientific research and education projects, while $3.5 billion is allocated for research facilities and capital equipment.  Universities are helping researchers apply for ARRA funding and the federal science agencies tasked with distributing that money are reviewing tens of thousands of grant applications – all in a compressed timeframe and under new reporting requirements.  As a result, in every state and the District of Columbia, ARRA-funded research grants are creating jobs, allowing the purchase of equipment, and supporting science-related construction projects.

An influx of ARRA funds has enabled public and private research universities from Maryland to California to post ‘help wanted’ ads, providing a boon to the local economies.  Through the National Institutes of Health’s ARRA-funded summer experience program, more than 3,000 educators and students are spending their summers in the nation’s leading biomedical research laboratories. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is using ARRA funding to establish 16 Energy Frontier Research Centers on university campuses. These centers will bring together interdisciplinary teams of experts to accelerate development of new energy technologies, with each center supporting a full staff of researchers, technicians, and graduate and postdoctoral students. ARRA funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology is supporting the construction of major new academic research facilities in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

To ensure that the public is aware of the economic impact that ARRA research dollars are already having in communities across the country, the Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and The Science Coalition (TSC) are providing the attached summary.  The examples are illustrative, not exhaustive. ARRA-funded research is happening in every state in the country. For more information, contact one of the people listed below or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

AAU, APLU, and TSC collectively represent more than 200 of the nation’s leading academic research institutions. The associations advocated strongly for the inclusion of research funding in the ARRA because spending money on basic research produces both immediate and long-term economic impact. In many communities across the country, research universities are the largest employers and a vital component of the local economy. Basic research also is an essential piece of the nation’s innovation infrastructure – providing the foundation on which the U.S. will improve its energy efficiency, reduce its dependence on foreign oil, deploy 21st century technologies and help bring down the cost of health care.

CONTACTS:
Barry Toiv This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 202/898-7847
Paul Hassen This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 202/478-6073
Ashley Prime This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 202/429-4002