Fed Stimulus funds expansion of U-M research facilities

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

As a new University of Michigan research building opens another has received funding to begin construction.

The federal stimulus is sending $14.8 million toward the U-M Institute for Social Research to build a significant new addition to the institute's home on Thompson Street. The 50,000 square foot addition will expand the reach of the world's largest academic social science research and survey organization.

It will also create a variety of jobs... estimates suggest as many as 200 more jobs. They will include short-term construction positions as well as long-term research employment.

"In the long term we estimate about 90 new research and research support staff," James S. Jackson, research professor and director at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, wrote in an email. "All of them may not be in the new space, existing staff may be moved into this space but the new hires may occupy space vacated by other staff."

The addition will mostly house the university's Health and Retirement Research group and Survey Methodology. The project will apply for LEED certification. Construction is expected to begin in the next 14-20 months.

This is just the latest multi-million grant U-M's Institute for Social Research has received from the federal stimulus. So far the institute has raked in $48.3 million.

Source: James S. Jackson, research professor and director at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research
Writer: Jon Zemke