Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced nearly $15 million in funding to SUNY campuses in Round III of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, a key component of the Governor’s transformative approach to State investment and economic development. As part of this initiative, Stony Brook University was awarded $2 million to build a new Innovation and Discovery Facility designed to enhance the business recruitment power of START-UP NY and stimulate a public-private partnership for building construction. The University also received funding for several smaller-scale projects as follows:
$50,000 for Health Careers Academic Readiness and Excellence: The SUNY Research Foundation, on behalf of Stony Brook University, will aid 650 high school students with services such as preparation for the PSAT and SAT; assistance with the college application process and completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; career planning, especially for careers in health-related fields; academic support, including study and organizational skills, for Regents courses; and help with development of leadership and communication skills.
$95,200 for Operational Skills Training: The University will train 36 long-term unemployed workers in project planning and control, Microsoft Project, project management, determining business requirements, data gathering, creating functional specifications, structured testing and job search.
$145,000 for Regional Workforce Intelligence Pilot: This project will focus on filling information gaps in industry and the regional unemployed talent pool to increase employment of residents in Wyandanch, New York.
$1,000,000 High Performance Computing at Stony Brook and Brookhaven: The SUNY Research Foundation, on behalf of Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), will purchase high performance computing equipment to support the development of Stony Brook’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science and the work of the Computational Science Center at BNL. This project will assist industry on Long Island in the utilization of high performance computing to gain a competitive edge in data management, product development and advanced manufacturing.
$1,500,000 for Small Business Matching Grant Program: This Regional multi-year project will provide matching equipment grants for federal Small Business Innovation Research winners, thereby leveraging federal and private sector investments in small business research.
SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher commended all the SUNY campuses on the awards. “SUNY campuses in every region are driving forces of economic development, utilizing today’s newest advances and latest technology to keep our system and our state competitive in the 21st-century global economy,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “The Governor’s REDC initiative has been a fantastic opportunity for us to keep doing what we do best — educating students for success in fields and careers that meet New York’s workforce needs now and in the future. Congratulations to each of the campuses that received awards this week, and thank you to Governor Cuomo for his excellent vision, leadership and support.”
A centerpiece of Governor Cuomo’s strategy to jumpstart the economy and create jobs, the Regional Councils were put in place in 2011 to redesign the state’s approach to economic development from a top-down model to a community-based, performance-driven approach. The initiative empowers community, business, and academic leaders, as well as members of the public in each region of the state, to develop strategic plans specifically tailored to their region’s unique strengths and resources in order to create jobs and support economic growth. The Councils are public-private partnerships made up of local experts and stakeholders from business, academia, local government and non-governmental organizations. The Regional Councils have redefined the way New York invests in jobs and economic growth by putting in place a community-based, bottom up approach and establishing a competitive process for State resources.
A complete list of awards is available online.
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