U.S. Economic Development Administration Announces Grantees Under 2021 University Center Competition

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo today announced the grantees of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) 2021 University Center Economic Development Program Competition. EDA is providing a total of $2.5 million in grants to 25 colleges and universities in 17 states and Puerto Rico to administer programs to leverage their assets, promote innovation and strengthen regional economies.

“EDA University Centers are important partners in locally-driven economic development strategies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “These institutions of higher education will provide critical technical assistance to support regional efforts to boost innovation, create good-paying jobs and ensure American competitiveness in the global economy. President Biden is committed to building our economy back better, and these grantees will play a vital role in that at the local level.”

“Colleges and universities have many resources and talent that are often unique to their region,” said Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “Our 2021 EDA University Center grantees will play a key part in developing and executing on regional economic development visions. These grants could not come at a more important time, as we have an historic opportunity to invest in economic development and build back better in communities all across the country.”

Roughly 60 University Centers (UC) are in operation at any given time in states and territories. The UCs are chosen to receive annual EDA grants for five years to support regional economic development ecosystems by providing expertise, applied research, and technical assistance. After the end of their grant period, institutions are welcome to re-apply for another five-year grant. The UC competition rotates to different EDA regions each year.

Announced in April, this year’s competition was open to higher education institutions and consortia of accredited institutions in states and territories supported by EDA’s Chicago and Philadelphia regional offices.

The grantees from EDA’s Chicago Regional Office are:

• Cleveland State University, $90,000
• Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, $60,000
• Michigan State University, $150,000
• Ohio University/Bowling Green State University, $140,000
• Purdue University, $98,708
• University of Illinois Chicago, $70,000
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, $70,000
• University of Michigan-Flint, $80,000
• University of Minnesota, $138,300
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, $150,000
• University of Wisconsin-Platteville, $70,000

The grantees from EDA’s Philadelphia Regional Office are:

• Cornell University, $101,924
• Hofstra University, $101,923
• Kean University, $101,923
• Lehigh University, $75,000
• Marshall University Research Corporation, $101,923
• Northeastern University, $101,923
• Pennsylvania State University, $101,923
• University of Connecticut, $101,923
• University of Delaware, $101,923
• University of Maine System, $101,923
• University of Maryland at College Park, $101,923
• University of Puerto Rico, $101,923
• University of Rhode Island, $101,923
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $101,923

To learn more about EDA’s University Center program, please visit: https://www.eda.gov/programs/university-centers/.

The EDA University Center program is one of many EDA programs aimed at building strong regional economies and supporting community-led economic development. EDA also was allocated $3 billion in supplemental funding under the American Rescue Plan to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. For more information about EDA’s American Rescue Plan programs, visit https://www.eda.gov/ARPA/.

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.