Red River Valley Research Corridor
In early 2002, Senator Dorgan convened a meeting with the presidents of North Dakota state universities and colleges to propose a bold new program to draw millions of federal research dollars to North Dakota. Dorgan started a process that has stimulated a cycle of federal research and economic development in our state and is helping to develop our major universities into world-class research institutions, as well as to bring high-tech industries to the state.
In December 2006, North Dakota State University researcher Dr. Larry Leistritz released an economic impact study of the Red River Valley Research Corridor (RRVRC) that shows the growth of the high-tech industry in North Dakota since its conception in 2002. The report showed that the Research Corridor initiative has generated $759 million in positive economic impact and added 10,600 jobs to the regional economy. In October 2008, Senator Dorgan set a goal of doubling the Red River Valley Research Corridor job impact by 2015, which would bring the total amount of jobs created to 20,000.
Senator Dorgan is working closely with our schools, especially North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota, to ensure that they can compete more effectively for federal research grants and contracts. He has also helped to direct research dollars to these schools through his work on the Appropriations Committee. NDSU and UND have also formed research partnerships with other state universities, increasing the state's ability to conduct research and putting the talent of our students and professors across North Dakota to work for the entire country.
In June 2008, a study released by the Milken Institute, a nationally recognized, independent economic think tank, showed that the North Dakota research industry is the fastest-growing in the nation.
Since 2002, Senator Dorgan has directed more than $532 million to economic and research projects throughout North Dakota.
Read about the research projects underway at the Research Corridor.
