The University of Toronto and two other North American universities are competing to provide research support for a campus expansion at New York University (NYU).

A joint letter expressing interest in the development was submitted by the University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon University, City University of New York and NYU, as well as IBM.

It was among 18 expressions of interest by academic institutions from around the world following an invitation from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to “develop and operate a new applied science and engineering research campus in New York City.”

The work would involve research related to development of smart technologies for cities.

A total of 27 institutions, some in partnership with others, submitted “expressions of interest,” Bloomberg’s office said. Other elite U.S. universities which expressed interest include Stanford University, Columbia University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Chicago, among others, according to the mayor’s office.

The submissions will be reviewed and a request for proposals will be issued this summer. New York City wants to make a choice by year’s end.

The Bloomberg administration has said it wants to diversify the city’s economy and accelerate growth in its technology sector. The mayor called the idea a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to attract interest from top-tier universities around the globe, which in turn would benefit the schools.

Read the stories and briefs in The New York Times, (and a more recent NYT piece) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New York Post, TheWall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Crain’s New York Business, NYULocal , Times Higher Education and Carnegie Mellon University’s The Tartan.