Rep. Scholten Announces More Than $1 Million in Community Project Funding for Grand Valley State University

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) announced Grand Valley State University (GVSU) will receive $1,031,000 in federal support through the Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The funding will be used to establish the West Michigan Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) Consortium. Congresswoman Scholten spoke at GVSU last month to celebrate the funding.

"West Michigan should be leading the way in how artificial intelligence is developed and used, and that starts with investing in people and institutions we trust," said Rep. Scholten. "This funding will help GVSU bring together educators, industry, and public partners to build AI systems that are ethical, secure, and transparent while preparing students for good-paying jobs and strengthening our region's economy. I'm proud to support this work and to continue delivering federal investments that ensure West Michigan remains at the forefront of responsible innovation."

"The West Michigan Trustworthy AI Consortium is just one example of the power of our Blue Dot ecosystem," GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella said. "By bringing expert researchers, resources and industry partners together to work with our students, Grand Valley will explore ethical ways to harness AI to enrich our lives and build a brighter future for our country."

"The West Michigan Trustworthy AI Consortium represents a commitment to doing artificial intelligence the right way," GVSU College of Computing Dean Marouane Kessentini said. "At a time when AI is rapidly transforming our economy and society, this initiative focuses on building AI systems that are responsible, transparent, secure and worthy of public trust."

Specifically, the funding will be used for hardware and computing resources, software, licensing, and cloud services. The overarching goal is to position West Michigan as a national leader in responsible AI research and innovation, strengthening U.S. competitiveness and security in emerging technologies.

Each year, Congress considers appropriations bills that fund the federal government, and Community Project Funding (CPF) is part of that process. The House Appropriations Committee allows Members of Congress to request these resources for a limited number of local projects, which reflects Rep. Scholten's ongoing work to bring federal investment back to Michigan's Third Congressional District.

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