Colleges and Universities in 16 States Awarded Funding Through Economic Development Competition
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced the grantees under the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) 2017 University Center Economic Development Program Competition. EDA is providing a total of $2.7 million in grants to 22 colleges and universities in 16 states to run programs that will leverage university assets to promote American innovation and strengthen regional economies.
“The University Center program can be an important vehicle in marshaling the resources of local colleges and universities in support of regional economic development strategies,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “These higher education institutions will work to build the public-private partnerships that are so vital to helping America stay competitive in the 21st century.”
Announced in January, this year’s competition was open to higher education institutions and consortia of accredited institutions of higher education in states supported by EDA’s Atlanta and Seattle regional offices. It funds initiatives that are focused on advancing regional commercialization efforts, entrepreneurship, innovation, business expansion in a region’s innovation cluster, and a high-skilled regional workforce.
The grantees from EDA’s Atlanta Regional Office are:
- $118,000 – Auburn University
- $118,000 – University of Florida
- $118,000 – Florida A&M University
- $118,000 – Georgia Institute of Technology
- $118,000 – Georgia Southern University
- $118,000 – University of Kentucky-Lexington
- $118,000 – Mississippi State University-Starkville
- $118,000 – Western Carolina University
- $118,000 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- $118,000 – Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville
- $118,000 – University of South Carolina- Columbia
- $118,000 – University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- $118,000 – Tennessee Technological University
The grantees from EDA’s Seattle Regional Office are:
- $158,971 – Chico State University-Chico Research Foundation
- $143,025 – University of Oregon
- $125,000 – Boise State University
- $150,000 – University of Alaska-Anchorage
- $100,804 – Northern Arizona University
- $125,000 – Board of Regents, Nevada System of Higher Education, On Behalf of the University of Nevada-Reno
- $125,000 – University of Hawaii
- $100,000 – University of Washington
- $100,000 – Washington State University
To learn more about EDA’s University Centers and future grant competitions, please visit: https://www.eda.gov/programs/university-centers/.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.