“Our growing partnership with the Mott Foundation is helping MSU do more of what we do best: bringing world-class research to bear on real-world problems,” MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said in a statement. “We are committed to providing much-needed health services for the Flint region, and we’re excited about the new opportunities this expansion creates for our students.”

The grant will open up more research opportunities for qualified students, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Aron Sousa confirmed. The strong relationship with surrounding hospitals in Flint also could benefit students, as the area has been a hotspot for internships and clinical training for around 750 human medicine students since the 1970s.

During the Tuesday Faculty Senate meeting, Acting Provost June Youatt said the grant would allow researchers to find solutions to health concerns in Flint, including alcoholism and obesity.

In addition to widening opportunities for students and solving health problems, a core goal for the public health program is to develop a national research reputation, which might now be possible with steady funding through the endowment.

“We want to help build a reputation for Flint as a wellspring of medical research that improves lives in mid-Michigan and beyond,” Marsha D. Rappley, dean of the College of Human Medicine, said in a statement.

Rappley said the increased involvement in the Flint area would help cultivate a healthier environment.

She said research would be a collaborative effort between the College of Human Medicine and area health care providers, including Genesys Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center and the McLaren Regional Medical Center.

The College of Human Medicine’s Flint campus will occupy about 40,000 square feet of the former Flint Journal building, across from the University of Michigan-Flint campus. Youatt said the university would be sure “to have a big Spartan helmet logo out front.”