Ypsilanti, MI – Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) marked the success of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) today with representatives from the Institute of Social Research (ISR), the medical school, and the college of engineering at the University of Michigan (UM).  The University of Michigan has been one of the most successful universities in the country in competing for and winning Recovery Act investments. Since the Recovery Act’s implementation in February 2009, UM has been awarded more than $272 million dollars, directly creating 503 jobs and indirectly many more.  That doesn’t include various construction projects going on at ISR and other UM buildings.

“UM is one of the shining examples of the good work that has come as a result of ARRA.  The awards secured by UM were awarded by a competitive process against the top schools in the nation, and will expand research in the fields of solar and thermal energy, health and retirement data collection, genotyping for Type 2 Diabetes, among many other things,” Dingell said.  “This research will expand the learning opportunities for our students, inform and educate the public, serve as a resource for scientific research for the federal government, and spur faculty and students to start small businesses in our community."

In all, the ISR has received $48 million dollars in Recovery Act funds, including a $14.8 million grant for construction and renovation of new lab space, as well as a 220-seat auditorium.  At the time of that announcement, ISR Director James Jackson said 200 short-term and long-term jobs could come from the construction and renovation project.

“The University of Michigan is a world leader in research and the ISR is one of the school’s great jewels,” Dingell said. “The investment awarded to the ISR will produce immediate opportunities, but it will also lead to long term growth for this fine institution."

Before Congress passed the Recovery Act, the job market was losing roughly 750,000 jobs a month, home foreclosures were at record levels, and in Michigan the unemployment rate was soaring.  Since that time, nationally, the Recovery Act has created or saved 3 million jobs, provided over $223 billion in tax cuts to 95 percent of working Americans, and funded more than 100,000 projects.  In Michigan, the Recovery Act is responsible for providing expanded unemployment benefits to more than 1.12 million people, creating or saving over 102,000 jobs, and awarding more than $2.4 billion in transportation, energy and other shovel-ready projects.

To track the Recovery Act funding visit www.recovery.gov.