Michigan State University is committing $5 million dollars per year for three years to support research programs affected by federal funding cuts.
President Kevin Guskiewicz said during his State of the University address Tuesday that the university notified 37 recipients of the funding just last week.
One project receiving funding focuses on the impact of lead testing policies on children’s health and educational outcomes.
Another project collects the names and stories of more than 33,000 historically enslaved individuals on a publicly accessible web platform based at MSU.
“This is what it means to live our mission, to invest in people, knowledge and purpose,” Guskiewicz said.
He emphasized that the university is not in a financial crisis but is making proactive decisions to navigate a complex landscape, including budget reductions.
Guskiewicz said the university is launching a new innovation lab and sustainability think tank.
He said the innovation lab will “generate ideas, products and services to create breakthroughs and deliver transformative outcomes that will modernize and improve our daily operations.”
The sustainability systems think tank will contribute to the creation of comprehensive sustainability frameworks for the university.
“Maintaining a status quo institution is not our mission,” Guskiewicz said. “Any sustainable enterprise must improve, and we are resolved to model next-generation operations and organization.”
He says preparing students for next-gen jobs, including in AI, is a key focus for the university.
“With uncommon will and unwavering optimism, we can and will push boundaries, take bold action and rise to meet today’s challenges to shape a brighter tomorrow,” Guskiewicz said.
