Think you’ve been overlooked in the $787 billion economic stimulus package? Architecture and engineering (A/E) firms may find more opportunities than they would expect, says Elaine Howley, editor of the recently released manual, Guide to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, produced by ZweigWhite, a Massachusetts-based research and consulting firm.

“A lot of designers are put off by the term ‘shovel-ready,’” Howley says. “They think this bill isn’t really for them, but that’s not necessarily the case.”