HUD on May 11 said it will award a total $995 billion in ARRA Public Housing Capital Funds in four categories: $600 million for energy-efficiency improvements; $200 million for projects delayed for lack of funding; $100 millin to "transform" old public housing projects through renovation or new construction; and $95 million for housing or community facilities for the elderly or people with disabilities.

HUD says it will take applications from local public-housing agencies from June 1 to July 21 for the energy-efficiency grants. The application period for the other three grant categories is June 1 to Aug. 18.

NSF announced on May 11 that is seeking applications for $200 million in funds from the economic-stimulus measure to repair and renovate academic research facilities. The agency says it does not intend to use the money to finance new construction.

The maximum grant per project under the program is $10 million, NSF said, but it expects only a handful of grants between $5 million and $10 million. In all, NSF said that it anticipates a total of 100 to 120 grants, including about 100 in the $250,000 to $2 million range; about six to 10 grants from $2 million to $5 million; and approximately three to five grants in the $5 million to $10 million range.

Letters of intent from applicants are due on July 1 and full proposals are due Aug. 24.

Universities, colleges, community colleges, research museums and other research organizations and consortia are eligible.

NSF said, "Funding will be limited to facilities where research and research training activities focus on NSF-supported fields of science and engineering."

It adds that besides renovating research facilities, one goal is to add or augment "cyberinfratructure, other than general-purpose computing systems or data storage systems, to create environments that enhance research and integrate research with education."

NSF in 2005 estimated that academic science and research facilities had at least $3.6 billion in deferred repair and renovation projects.