A half-a-million dollar nuclear research project could be just what mid-Michigan needs to get back on its feet.

MSU officials, lawmakers and development leaders are starting a campaign to help the university win a national competition for the "facility for rare isotope beams".

The facility would bring in more than one-billion dollars in economic activity and create four-hundred new jobs.

If MSU is chosen as the location, the facility would generate more than $180-million in new tax revenue over the next 20 years.

The Department of Energy will choose the winner by November.