Nestled in the $800 billion-plus economic stimulus bills that Congress is considering are billions of dollars for non-profit research centers, universities and possibly private firms. The Chronicle of Higher Education breaks down the House and Senate bills into categories that range from NSF to NIH. The monies present opportunities for private and non-profit firms that understand how to tap into the funding.

Here are some of the particulars:

• National Science Foundation:  House bill (in XML format) bill -- $2 billion for research grants, $900 million for equipment and facilities, and $100 million for science education; Senate bill (available by searching the PDF) -- $1.2 billion for research grants, $150 million for infrastructure, $50 million for education.
• National Institutes for Health: House -- $1.5 billion for biomedical research, $2 billion for facilities renovation and capacity building; $2.7 billion for biomedical research; $300 million for shared equipment.
• Agriculture Department Cooperative State Research, Education and Economic Service: House -- no money; Senate -- $100 million for Agriculture and Food Research Institute.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology: House -- $300 million to construct research buildings at colleges; Senate -- no funding.
• Agricultural Research Service: House -- $209 million for facilities; Senate -- no funds.