This opinion column originally ran in Crain’s Detroit Business.

By: Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., President, Michigan State University; Richard J. Koubek, Ph.D., President, Michigan Technological University; Domenico Grasso, Ph.D., President, University of Michigan; Richard A. Bierschbach, J.D., President, Wayne State University

Every year, Michiganders send billions of dollars in hard-earned tax revenue to Washington, D.C. The question is simple: how much of that money are we getting back?

For too long, too much of it has flowed to the coasts and the Southwest — not because Michigan lacks talent or ideas, but because we haven’t fully leveraged our R1 research universities. Federal research funding is fiercely competed for, and when Michigan doesn’t win, other states do.

Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University are among the state’s most powerful economic engines. In 2024, the four Research Universities for Michigan generated a $51.4 billion economic footprint — 7.1% of Michigan’s total gross domestic product. Nearly $35.8 billion of that activity would not exist without these institutions.

What drives that impact is research. The scale and intensity of research and development at Michigan’s R1 universities allow them to compete for — and win — federal funding that brings Michigan’s tax dollars back home. In 2024 alone, RU4M universities secured more than $1.85 billion in federal funding for university R&D — 95%  of all federally funded academic R&D in the state — and generated an estimated $8.3 billion in economic impact.

The underdog that paid off

Look no further than the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at MSU. You don’t need to know what a rare isotope is to benefit from its work. If you or a loved one has had a PET scan, or if your smartphone works at 30,000 feet, you’ve already seen the payoff.

Nearly 20 years ago, FRIB was a bold idea. When the federal government sought a site for this $730 million nuclear physics facility, MSU was the underdog.

MSU proved the skeptics wrong. After a rigorous competition, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) awarded FRIB to MSU in 2008. Today, it supports a user community of more than 1,800 scientists. Since 2011, FRIB has invested over $1.7 billion in Michigan businesses and labor, and positions global talent in East Lansing.

A proven Michigan strategy

FRIB reflects a broader strategy: compete nationally, win federal investment and deploy it to strengthen Michigan communities.

At Wayne State University, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute — Detroit’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center — secures major federal research grants that position Detroit as a leader in oncology innovation. Those dollars support breakthrough work in immunotherapy and precision medicine while giving Michiganders access to cutting-edge clinical trials close to home.

At Michigan Tech, the Keweenaw Research Center shows how federal partnerships capture opportunity statewide, including in the Upper Peninsula. Through long-standing collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense and major manufacturers, Michigan Tech designs and tests advanced vehicle systems that protect service members and support the automotive and defense industries.

This is what it looks like when federal dollars meet Michigan ingenuity. Michigan taxpayers are already paying into the system. This isn’t about asking for more — it’s about getting our fair share back. We should not be subsidizing growth in other states with Michigan tax dollars.

The next frontier

Now, Michigan stands at the doorstep of another FRIB-scale opportunity. The University of Michigan is partnering with Los Alamos National Laboratory to bring a $1.25 billion high-performance computing facility to Washtenaw County — Michigan’s first true national laboratory presence.

This will be a national “brain hub,” where researchers use advanced supercomputers to design new medicines, strengthen cybersecurity and protect critical infrastructure. Like FRIB, it would serve all of Michigan’s research universities, expanding access to world-class technology from Houghton to Detroit.

The economic impact would be significant: more than 200 permanent research and technical jobs, approximately 300 union construction jobs, and new business opportunities for Michigan contractors. The facility would also expand federal partnerships, create workforce development pathways for students and skilled trades, and attract businesses that rely on high-performance computing — keeping top graduates in Michigan and increasing local tax revenue.

What’s in it for you?

For a business owner in Grand Rapids or a family in Clare, the benefits are tangible: high-paying careers that retain talent, construction and skilled-trades jobs, new supplier opportunities, and stronger local economies fueled by research-driven industry growth — and a state that becomes a critical hub safeguarding our energy grid, cybersecurity systems and national infrastructure.

When Michigan invests in its research universities, it is not just building laboratories. It is securing a return on the tax dollars we already send to Washington and anchoring the next century of innovation in the Great Lakes State.

Michigan won the fight for FRIB, and the returns have been enormous. The next opportunity is already in front of us — the only question is whether we will step up and compete for it, or watch another state bring our tax dollars home instead.