Washington — Universities are appealing to President-elect Barack Obama for a piece of the economic-stimulus package that Congress will take up in January.

In a letter sent on Friday, the Association of American Universities lists six recommendations to “help college students and universities weather the economic downturn and boost the nation’s economic recovery.” The group says that American citizens are those most in need during this financial crisis, but it makes a case for aiding research universities, too, as large employers and “primary drivers of our innovation economy.”

The actions the association urges Mr. Obama to consider are as follows:

“Ensure access to a college education through grants and loans.” The group calls for raising the maximum Pell Grant award by $700; increasing funds for the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant program to $1.7-billion, from $858-million; expanding benefits for student borrowers in the government’s student-loan programs; and providing $100-million to cancel Perkins Loans for students who pursue careers in public service.

Let universities finish construction of current capital projects. It suggests creating a “federal facility that frees up markets for university-issued short-term and construction-related debt.”

Allocate $750-million to modernize research facilities at the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Institutes of Health.

Give $1.8-billion to research universities to hire young, tenure-track faculty members in science and engineering. With older professors lingering longer, the group says, several cohorts of young scientists could be lost.

Give $150-million to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Frontier Research Centers to stimulate research on the country’s energy challenges.

Create an academic-infrastructure program. A forthcoming letter from several higher-education associations, including the AAU, will elaborate on this recommendation, the group says.

—Sara Lipka