Faculty and staff members looking for federal money for research and development projects may not have to dig as deep.

Stimulus money from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 has been distributed to grant agencies across the country, creating a surplus in available money, said Richard Bowker, vice president for research and dean of graduate studies.

“My view is that this is the best opportunity to get funding that’s been in this country since the 1950s,” Bowker said.

There are several pathways for stimulus money, he said.

About $5.4 million will come to Western through the state, according to data from the Council on Postsecondary Education.

But another chunk is available through agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Bowker said.

With more money available, chances of getting money have gone up, he said.

So far, Western faculty and staff members have filled out 12 proposals totaling about $14.4 million in grant requests, according to a document provided by Bowker.

Four awards, totaling about $1.4 million, have been announced so far, including $898,871 for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, according to the document.

The program aims to encourage science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers, according to a Western press release.

“I’m very happy with what we’re doing,” Bowker said, adding that he’d like to see Western become “a little more aggressive” in going after stimulus money.

Faculty won’t be the only ones benefitting from the money, Bowker said.

Undergraduate and graduate students often assist in research, and more research opportunities means more lab time for students, he said.

Steven Haggbloom, interim director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, said the availability of the stimulus money is “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Western’s size puts it in a favorable place for getting funding, Haggbloom said.

Major research universities, such as the University of Kentucky, have to provide matching funds for many of their grant proposals, he said.

Smaller schools, such as Centre College, aren’t likely to apply for large research grants, Haggbloom said.

Out of the money that has already been awarded, the majority has gone to Ogden College of Science and Engineering, according to the document.