SUNY Awarded $95M in ARRA Stimulus Research Funding

Albany - The State University of New York (SUNY) has received 312 awards totaling more than $95 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  The majority of the awards to SUNY have come from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

ARRA funds have been provided to 17 SUNY universities in support of research, education, training and investments in equipment and infrastructure. Specifically, SUNY faculty are utilizing stimulus funds to study such diseases as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, depression, congenital heart disease.

“The use of stimulus funds for SUNY research projects demonstrates how investing in SUNY pays tremendous dividends for New York," said Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “When SUNY has greater resources to innovate in critical areas like biomedical research, we can attract top talent in researchers and students and make New York a magnet for the industries and jobs that need our human capital and technological infrastructure.”

The SUNY announcement comes on the same day Congress and university leaders across the country gathered to launch ScienceWorksforUS sponsored by the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and The Science Coalition (TSC). The centerpiece of ScienceWorksForUS will be a website (www.ScienceWorksForUS.org) that highlights Recovery Act-sponsored research in all 50 states, telling the stories of the research and the researchers contributing to America’s recovery.

Research activities at SUNY colleges and universities produce both immediate and long-term positive economic impact, and contribute to the nation's efforts to find solutions to many of the challenges facing the country. Basic research is the foundation on which the U.S. will improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on foreign oil, deploy 21st century technologies, save lives, and help bring down the cost of health care.

“The nearly $100 million in research awards that SUNY has received from federal stimulus funding will translate into entrepreneurial ventures and jobs across the state of New York,” said James Weyhenmeyer, senior vice provost of research and economic development at SUNY. “This type of federal investment in New York is a boon for SUNY students and faculty members, and more importantly, for the vitality of every community in which a SUNY school resides.”

Funding for these awards is administered by The Research Foundation of SUNY, a private, nonprofit educational corporation.  The Research Foundation ranks fourth in the nation for research and development, according to the National Science Foundation, ahead of the university systems in Wisconsin, Maryland, Illinois and Michigan.

Information related to ARRA spending can be found on the U.S. Government website www.recovery.gov and a list of SUNY projects can be found here: www.suny.edu/GovtRelations/federal/economic_recovery/ARRAawards.cfm

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 427,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.

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