University Research Corridor
Encyclopedia
The University Research Corridor (URC) is a research consortium founded by the three leading universities in the state of Michigan
. In November 2006, Michigan State University
, Wayne State University
, and the University of Michigan
enhanced their existing partnerships by establishing the URC. The alliance was formed to leverage their collective capabilities and drive the transformation of the state's economy. In aggregate, these universities bring in nearly $1.4 billion of federal research dollars each year.
MSU President Dr. Lou Anna Simon on the importance of the URC, "Michigan's three internationally recognized research institutions are essential to creating the intellectual capital and the technology breakthroughs that will make our state competitive. The URC generates innovations, new technologies, and new businesses that not only provide jobs, but also improve life for all citizens of Michigan."
Each of the three schools is classified as a Research Intensive University (Very High research activity), or RU/VH, by the Carnegie Foundation
.
These institutions initially united in the 1999 state-directed establishment of the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor
. Since the launch of the program, over 120 new companies in the Michigan life sciences industry have been created.
/south-central
area of the Michigan's lower peninsula
. Wayne State University is located in the heart of the state's largest city — Detroit — in the Midtown Cultural Center. With a student population of over 33K, the university is anchoring the rebirth of the surrounding area. Michigan State University is located four miles east of the Michigan State Capitol
, in East Lansing
. The third university in the URC — the University of Michigan — is located 40 miles west of Detroit in Ann Arbor
.
Travel Time via DTW
, and California. Each of these groups includes three in-state research institutions which are well known for their R&D endeavors. In terms of human capital, the URC universities currently employ 49 thousand people and educate 135 thousand students. The student population of the URC campuses is the largest of any comparable research cluster. The collective living URC alumni in the state of Michigan total more than 550 thousand people.
Economic Stimulus
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. In November 2006, Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
, and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
enhanced their existing partnerships by establishing the URC. The alliance was formed to leverage their collective capabilities and drive the transformation of the state's economy. In aggregate, these universities bring in nearly $1.4 billion of federal research dollars each year.
MSU President Dr. Lou Anna Simon on the importance of the URC, "Michigan's three internationally recognized research institutions are essential to creating the intellectual capital and the technology breakthroughs that will make our state competitive. The URC generates innovations, new technologies, and new businesses that not only provide jobs, but also improve life for all citizens of Michigan."
Each of the three schools is classified as a Research Intensive University (Very High research activity), or RU/VH, by the Carnegie Foundation
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center, whose primary activities of research and writing have resulted in published reports on every level...
.
These institutions initially united in the 1999 state-directed establishment of the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor
Michigan Life Sciences Corridor
The Michigan Life Sciences Corridor is a $1 billion biotechnology initiative in the U.S. state of Michigan. It started in 1999 with money from the state's settlement with the tobacco industry...
. Since the launch of the program, over 120 new companies in the Michigan life sciences industry have been created.
Location
The URC is based in the southeastSoutheast Michigan
Southeast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are concentrated in Metro...
/south-central
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, often called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and...
area of the Michigan's lower peninsula
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
. Wayne State University is located in the heart of the state's largest city — Detroit — in the Midtown Cultural Center. With a student population of over 33K, the university is anchoring the rebirth of the surrounding area. Michigan State University is located four miles east of the Michigan State Capitol
Michigan State Capitol
The Michigan State Capitol is the building housing the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the state capital of Lansing in Ingham County...
, in East Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. The third university in the URC — the University of Michigan — is located 40 miles west of Detroit in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.
Transportation
- The corridor is served by the three major interstate highways in Southeastern Michigan — I-75, I-94, and I-96. Further enabling the close collaboration between these institutions, each school is under a two hour drive of its URC peers.
- The main airport of the region — among the top 20 largest airports in the world — is the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
. Both Wayne State University and The University of Michigan are roughly a half-hour drive from the Romulus, MI based airport. However when traveling to East Lansing, the Capital Region International Airport is the most convenient - just a 20 minute commute to the MSU campusCampus of Michigan State UniversityThe campus of Michigan State University is located in East Lansing on the banks of the Red Cedar River, and comprises a contiguous area of , of which are developed. Built amid virgin forest, the campus opened in 1855 with three buildings, none of which remain...
.
Travel Time via DTW
- Ann Arbor (UofM) 30 minutes
- Detroit (WSU) 25 minutes
- East Lansing (MSU) 1 hour & 15 minutes
Peer Comparison
Compared to other significant research clusters across the nation, the URC has similar outputs in terms of federal research dollars, invention disclosures, and patents. Other peer university clusters include those in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North CarolinaResearch Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
, and California. Each of these groups includes three in-state research institutions which are well known for their R&D endeavors. In terms of human capital, the URC universities currently employ 49 thousand people and educate 135 thousand students. The student population of the URC campuses is the largest of any comparable research cluster. The collective living URC alumni in the state of Michigan total more than 550 thousand people.
Ongoing Emphasis
Community Engagement- The leaders from each of the three institution meet regularly to discuss progress and often organize jointly sponsored speaker forums. Three-time pulitzer prize-winning, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently spoke at a URC event focused on the global economy and sustainable energy.
Economic Stimulus
- An economic report detailing the collective successes of the URC universities as well as a metric comparison to their peer clusters is released annually each fall.