U of M gets $75 million in stimulus money

The University of Minnesota has been awarded nearly $75 million in grants through the federal stimulus package.

Pamela Webb, the U's associate vice president of research administration, says the money comes from 147 separate grants from six different federal agencies, with 90 percent coming from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

"These are mostly research projects that have been proposed and awarded from these federal agencies," said Webb. "So they're used for faculty and student salaries, for travel, for equipment -- all the normal types of research related costs."

The U's Institute of Technology has received the most money, $47 million, including a $40 million research grant from the Department of Energy.

The U of M medical school has received the greatest number of grants -- 59 awards totaling $13 million.

The grants will go to the U of M campuses in the Twin Cities, Morris and Duluth, and will support the College of Biological Sciences, along with the schools of dentistry, education, liberal arts, pharmacy and public health.

The money is part of the $787 billion federal stimulus package that was approved by Congress in February.

The university so far has submitted 868 proposals to various federal agencies, seeking $689 million in stimulus funding.

Webb says she expects another 40 government grants should be awarded within a week to 10 days.

Earlier this year, both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system received about $80 million in stimulus funds to ease increases in tuition over the next two years.