UW-Whitewater will be sharing a federal economic grant totaling nearly $1 million with four other Wisconsin schools.

According to a press release from UW-Whitewater Marketing and Media Relations, UW-Whitewater collaborated with Marquette University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, UW-Parkside and UW-Milwaukee on the grant proposal for the $970,000 grant.

Awarded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration under its University Center Program, the press release said the grant was the largest among the $12 million awarded to 21 universities nationwide.

Associate professor of law Linda Reid said it’s “very unusual” for five schools to work together on this type of project and the EDA was impressed by this fact, according to the press release.

Ideas being discussed for using the grant money include creating a Web portal to be an information source on assistance available to people with new businesses or product ideas.  According to the press release, Reid said she expects the collaboration will focus on water and energy “as well as other clusters of knowledge.”