News and Information
University of Michigan Partners with GVSU and 7 Other Universities to Maintain the Great Lakes
August 07, 2017
In response to President Donald Trump’s threat of federal funding cuts to Great Lakes restoration, the University of Michigan is hosting the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The new research institute intends to help students and researchers at the University of Michigan and eight other universities in the Great Lakes region to keep the waters of the Great Lakes healthy and beautiful. These eight other university partners include Central Michigan University, Cornell University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, University of Minnesota – Duluth, University of Windsor and University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Grand Valley State University's contribution to this project is due largely in part to the research done at the Annis Water Resources Institute. Additionally, three non-governmental agencies and multiple businesses and industries have signed.
Through grant funding, this cooperative will employ over 30 scientists, will train hundreds of student researchers and will advance the careers of dozens of postdoctoral fellows over the next five years. In addition to the grant, the University of Michigan has pledged $2.53 million to this institute. The other eight universities are collectively pledging $2.8 million.
Currently, the Great Lakes are the single largest source of freshwater on the planet, representing 90% of freshwater in the United States. 40-million residents in the U.S. and Canada rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water and millions of jobs are tied to tourism and commercial and recreational fisheries. Those living near the Great Lakes are greatly impacted by the quality of the water making the work being done at this institute vital.