The University of Michigan and other leading public and private research universities today announced the launch of ScienceWorksForUS, an initiative that will highlight the scientific research and related activities that have been made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the stimulus.

The centerpiece of the initiative is a Web site that highlights Recovery Act-sponsored research in all 50 states, telling the stories of the research and the researchers contributing to America’s recovery. The announcement was made in Washington, D.C., where university leaders were joined by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress. The Web site went live today: www.ScienceWorksForUS.org

The highlighted Michigan projects include a $744,000, two-year National Institutes of Health grant to the University of Michigan’s Sean Morrison, director of the U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology. Morrison will examine the potential of using human embryonic stem cells to treat Hirschsprung disease, a birth defect in which the nervous system that regulates intestinal function does not develop properly. Hirschsprung disease affects one in 5,000 newborns.

Morrison said the NIH stimulus funding is expected to create two laboratory positions: one for a research associate and one for either a student or a postdoctoral fellow. As of Oct. 31, the University of Michigan had received 342 ARRA awards, totaling $206.4 million.

“‘ScienceWorksForUS’ is highlighting the way Recovery Act funds have made their way into academic laboratories, and reflects what’s possible when smart investments in the public sector are placed in the hands of our scientists, innovators, and academies of higher learning,” Speaker Pelosi said. “Through our ongoing support for researchers across the country, we will ensure that the Recovery Act was not the end of our investment in innovation, but the beginning of a sustained commitment to science.”

The stimulus contained $21.5 billion for scientific research, the purchase of capital equipment and science-related construction projects. This money, less than 3 percent of the $787 billion stimulus measure, represented an historic infusion of funding for research and an affirmation of the essential role scientific inquiry and discovery play in both short-term recovery and long-term economic growth.

“Scientific research funded by the Recovery Act is underway in every state in the nation,” said University of Arizona President Robert Shelton. “These research projects, large and small, are making a difference in hundreds of local communities by providing jobs for researchers, lab technicians, and graduate students. That’s the ‘Recovery’ part of ARRA. But these investments are even more important as part of the ‘Reinvestment’ component of ARRA. The funds for research are part of the reinvestment the nation must make to grow a strong economy that is based on addressing 21st century challenges, including improving health and meeting energy needs in ways that help slow climate change. The result will be an economy that produces well-paying jobs for the long-term.”

“Almost a year ago, a group of leaders from Congress, academia, research and industry gathered at Princeton University to underscore the need for a greater investment in research and innovation to reinvigorate our economy,” said Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional R&D Caucus. “When we invested nearly $22 billion in the Recovery Bill for scientific discovery, we set the stage not just for job creation today, but for the economic growth of tomorrow. It is vital for our long-term economic prosperity that we maintain this robust commitment to scientific research and development.”

The purpose of ScienceWorksForUS is to ensure that the public is aware of the important work being made possible by the funding for scientific research that was included in the ARRA. This work holds broad implications for local communities and society at large.

In addition to launching the new Web site, ScienceWorksForUS today released a compilation of more than 50 ARRA-funded research projects from around the country. Researchers associated with these projects are available to speak to the media about their work.

ScienceWorksForUS is an initiative of the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A-P-L-U), and The Science Coalition (TSC). AAU, A-P-L-U, and TSC collectively represent more than 200 of the nation’s leading academic research institutions.

The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an association of 62 leading public and private research universities in the United States and Canada organized to develop and implement effective national and institutional policies supporting research and scholarship, graduate, professional, and undergraduate education, and public service in research universities. AAU universities award over one-half of all U.S. doctoral degrees and 55 percent of those in the sciences and engineering.

Founded in 1887, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A-P-L-U) is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and many state public university systems. Its 219 members enroll more than 4.7 million students, award nearly one-million degrees annually, and conduct nearly two-thirds of all academic research, totaling more than $34 billion annually. As the nation’s oldest higher education association, A-P-L-U is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery and engagement.

The Science Coalition is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization representing 48 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic research as a means to stimulate the economy, drive innovation and secure America’s global competitiveness.

Contact: Barry Toiv

Phone: (202) 898-7847

Contact: Paul Hassen

Phone: (202) 478-6073

Contact: Ashley Prime

Phone: (202) 429-4002

Contact: Jim Erickson

Phone: (734) 647-1842

Related Links:

• Innovation Economy