Red River research corridor gets another boost

Photo courtesy NDSU

North Dakota State University (NDSU) is getting a $5 million federal grant to help build a state of the art nanotechnology research center.

It's another expansion of the Red River Valley Research Corridor. Since 2002,

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North Dakota U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan has helped steer nearly $700 million in federal grants to the research corridor. RRVRC officials estimate the research corridor has created more than 10,000 jobs since 2002 and is expected to add another 10,000 jobs by 2015.

Nanoscale Science is one of the focus areas for the Red River Valley Research Corridor. Other research areas are biotech, aerospace and agriculture.

A 2008 study by the Milken Institute showed the North Dakota research industry is the fastest-growing in the nation.

North Dakota ranked 31st among states but moved up 14 places while Minnesota fell from 8th to 11th in the rankings.