Michigan State University is proceeding with plans for a nuclear research facility despite concerns about how the federal budget squeeze might affect the project.

The university's governing board Friday approved the university administration's request to proceed with the project. The board established a $20 million budget, which will be used for site preparation and excavation.

Michigan State won a national competition to land the project in December 2008, and work is under way to design the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said earlier this month that federal funding for the $600 million nuclear research facility could be in doubt in the face of federal budget concerns.

The facility is designed to accelerate atomic nuclei to high speeds, then shatter them to create rare isotopes.