The aquatic chemistry lab inside the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Technological University is seen in this photo taken on March 4. Michigan Tech has joined the Michigan University Research Corridor. (Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Michigan Technological University has joined Michigan State, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University in Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC).

This transpired as a result of Tech’s recently attained R1 status which improves prestige and access for students with higher level applications, provides opportunities for larger grants and extends research opportunities.

The combined universities have spent more than $3.135 billion in research and development in the 2023 fiscal year.

This has largely been funded by the federal government which drove defense related, health sciences and other forms of research.

The four schools had enrollments of more than 159,000 students and a little under 40,000 degrees earned in 2023.

Michigan Tech has spent $106.9 million in research in fiscal year 2024 and has grown 300 percent in research funding since 2004. The university believes its specialized areas of engineering, manufacturing, mobility and sustainability will collaborate well with the URC.

Vice President for Research Andrew Bernard thinks Michigan Tech can contribute to the URC in a unique way with a hands-on approach and expertise in applied research.

“In addition, Michigan Tech brings unique rural and U.P. perspectives to the URC group that can help enhance research outcomes for the whole state,” he said.

Tech is not unfamiliar with research collaboration with a history of working with the other universities on medical devices, watershed restoration, Great Lakes water quality and more. Now those collaborations can be intertwined even closer within the URC.

“This partnership will enhance teaming opportunities between Michigan Tech researchers and researchers from the other URC universities,” Bernard said.

“That will hopefully lead to new and enhanced funding opportunities, not just for Michigan Tech but for all URC universities.”

The expenditures are expected to increase, but Bernard said the URC mission is not to specifically increase expenditures. He said it is about creating greater opportunities and impacts of research throughout the state, of which the university is happy to participate in that impact