The plan also would inject tens of millions of dollars into programs aimed at increasing accessibility to institutions of higher education, bolstering graduation rates and spurring innovation.

During remarks at a Baltimore middle school Monday morning, Obama hinted he is unwilling to bend in his beliefs that education and innovation are the keys to unlock the U.S.’s future. Those remarks likely were geared toward the Republican-dominated U.S. House, which last week proposed to cut $100 billion from Obama’s 2011 budget proposal for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

“Even as we cut out things we can afford to do without, we have a responsibility to invest in those areas that will have the biggest impact in our future,” Obama said. “That’s especially true when it comes to education.”

Mark Burnham, MSU’s vice president for governmental affairs, said he is happy with the president’s proposals for education and research, but acknowledged the uphill battle the recommendations face in the U.S. House.

One thing administrators especially were pleased with was a proposed $30 million for the forthcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a $550 million particle accelerator set to be built on campus.

Still, Burnham acknowledged congressional budget negotiations likely will not be over any time soon.

Because Congress has yet to solidify a budget for the current fiscal year and is spending at 2010 levels, other matters must be considered before lawmakers can begin working through the 2012 proposal.

“I think it’s an excellent start for what will be a long budget process,” Burnham said. “The White House and the U.S. House of Representatives are starting in very different positions. … It will be a challenge, and I feel it’s going to take a long time to get a result.”

A number of House Republicans criticized the budget recommendations as a whole, saying the cuts do not go deep enough.

In an e-mailed statement, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, said the proposed cuts are a start, but said federal spending and the budget deficit need to be reigned in.

Documents from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget say the 2012 proposals would reduce federal deficit throughout the next decade. Spending in 2012 would be more than $3.7 trillion, and the government would take in more than $2.6 trillion, leaving a deficit of about $1.1 trillion. The combined deficit from 2012-21 would be more than $7 trillion.

“Just like the state government, Michigan State University and every Michigan family have cut back, Washington is finally poised to do the same,” Rogers said. “We simply have to stop spending money that we don’t have and sending the bill and the interest to future generations.”

For MSU and other universities, Burnham said, Monday was just another checkpoint in an otherwise lengthy waiting game.

“I am remaining cautiously optimistic that we will be able to find common ground between the parties to get something done,” he said.