Master ATE Awards – Community College Presidents Initiative

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Award #	Title	NSFOrganization	Program(s)	LastAmendmentDate	Principal Investigator	PI Email Address	State	Organization	Award Type	ProgramManager	Start Date	End Date	Awarded Amount	Co-PIName(s)	OrganizationStreet	OrganizationCity	OrganizationState	OrganizationZip	OrganizationPhone	NSFDirectorate	ProgramElementCode(s)	ProgramReferenceCode(s)	Abstract
2100121	Increasing Diversity in the Cybersecurity Talent Pool through Cyber Camps and Competitions	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/16/2021	Richard Grotegut	rgrotegut@gmail.com	CA	Contra Costa Community College District	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$545,733.00	Irvin Lemus, Denise Moss, Bijan Houshiar	500 COURT ST	MARTINEZ	CA	945.531.200	9.252.296.946	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	This project addresses the well-documented need for skilled cybersecurity technicians in the Bay Area. Unmet demand for cybersecurity professionals keeps growing in the region and projections indicate that by 2022 there will be over 180,000 jobs for the Cybersecurity/Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector in the Bay Area, many of which will go unfilled. To help meet this demand, this project aims to increase the number of high school and community college students pursuing and completing a certificate of achievement or an associate degree in ICT from a Bay Area community college. To generate and maintain interest, the project team will engage students and teachers in an innovative year-long cybersecurity competition pathway program beginning with summer Cyber Camps and continuing with year-long activities and competitions. Two goals will guide the project team's efforts. First is to use the summer cyber camps and competitions to increase student access to and learning within an ICT program of study with a Bay Area community college. Second is to address the local need for more and better prepared high school and community college teachers in ICT. The Contra Costa Community College District will leverage this project to increase the number of high school and community college students pursuing post-secondary education and eventually joining the cybersecurity workforce. Community college students will serve as Student Technical Mentors, gaining experience providing problem solving and technical support to the high school and community college competition teams, reinforcing their own understanding of cybersecurity concepts, and preparing them for entry-level technician jobs in ICT/cybersecurity. The project design will be of interest to other institutions and the project's documentation and implementation guide will allow schools to adopt and adapt a cyber camp and competitions program either as a supplemental after-school-program or one that is integral with a school’s existing computer career pathways. The formative and summative evaluation of the project will make use of qualitative and quantitative data to ensure that the project remains on track and is meeting the stated goals. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100418	Adopting the STEM Guitar Curriculum to Prepare Students in American Samoa for Technician Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/21/2021	Shirley De La Rosa	s.delarosa@amsamoa.edu	AS	American Samoa Community College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$299,791.00	Edna Noga	PAGO PAGO	PAGO PAGO	AS	96.799	6.846.999.155	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	American Samoa, located 10,000 miles from the United States mainland, is the only US Territory in the South Pacific Ocean. American Samoa Community College is the only college on the island. With this award, the College will establish the Technician Education Readiness Pathway to meet the critical need for a skilled technical workforce. Nearly all students entering American Samoa Community College require remediation in mathematics and reading, which bars them from enrolling in the existing Technician Education programs. Currently, less than 5% of high school teachers are rated as ‘highly qualified’ in these subject areas. The Technician Education Readiness Pathway will adopt the STEM Guitar Building curriculum to enhance education in applied math, as well as technical reading and writing. This curriculum builds on the strong cultural connection that music plays in everyday life in American Samoa, thus providing additional motivation for students and teachers in the technician education pathway. The goals of the project are to (1) improve student knowledge in STEM concepts, (2) increase the number of students eligible to enroll in Technician Education programs, and (3) prepare students for industry recognized certification exams. The Technician Education Readiness Pathway will establish a partnership between the STEM faculty of American Samoa Community College and teachers from Nu’uli Vocational Technical High School. The partnership will provide professional development for 20 educators on the Guitar Building curriculum, which will include training in AutoCAD and a laser cutting system. The trained faculty and teachers will then work with at least 100 students over three years to integrate STEM learning with guitar building as they prepare to enroll in the Technician Education programs. Students that enter without the need for remedial coursework will be able to quickly earn a STEM certificate or degree, making them eligible for employment in the STEM workforce. American Samoa Community College will establish an advisory board that includes the American Samoa Power authority to gain industry feedback, and the Oceania Community Development Network to broadly disseminate the program’s successes. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300967	Pathways for a Process Operations Technology Education Program for the Liquefied Natural Gas Industry	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/11/2023	Nicholas Cram	nicholas.cram@tstc.edu	TX	Texas State Technical College	Standard Grant	Kalyn Owens	06/01/2023	05/31/2026	$637,016.00	Kathryn Robinson, Erica Griffin	3801 CAMPUS DRIVE	WACO	TX	767.051.607	2.548.674.800	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by developing and implementing an updated Process Operations Technology (PRO) program to prepare students for high-demand technical careers in the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry. Targeted occupations include petroleum pump system operator, refinery operator, chemical plant and system operators, refrigeration specialists and gas plant operators. Texas is home to seven LNG export facilities that are in use, under construction, or in the planning stages and will eventually support 70,000 jobs in the region. Importantly, this project will build on prior work to redesign the PRO program into a flexible and accessible statewide model to address the needs of industry and employers in the East Texas region. This approach will provide students with increasingly flexible opportunities and pathways to obtain the necessary training to enter and be successful in the LNG industry. Ultimately, this project intends to contribute to the training of a highly skilled workforce for this rapidly growing industry and serve as a model in the region for how to develop flexible technical education pathways that meet student needs. Texas State Technical College will collaborate with local industry to achieve the primary goal of increasing the quality and number of highly skilled technicians in the LNG industry through the implementation of an innovative and flexible Process Operations Technology (PRO) program. This will be accomplished through the following activities: 1) partnering with industry to undergo a statewide curriculum alignment process of the PRO program courses to standardize curriculum and learning outcomes, 2) upgrading of instructional equipment to provide flexible, and accessible training in an open lab environment, and 3) combining a performance-based online instructional model with an innovative flexible career pathway approach featuring multiple entry/multiple exit (MEME) points. The project team aims to enroll a minimum of one hundred students over the three-year project period of which fifty students will graduate with either an AAS degree or an industry recognized certificate. A formal evaluation will be conducted to assess project activities and outcomes with a focus on contributing to the body of knowledge on flexible technical education pathways for preparing skilled technicians to be successful in the science and engineering technical workforce. As a result, this project has the potential to provide a model for the technical education community for how to transition from the traditional didactic contact hour format to a flexible career pathway format with a stair-step approach that promotes student retention and career-placement success. The team aims to immediately expand the project to other campuses located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Texas Gulf Coast, West Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley through hybrid courses and other targeted dissemination efforts. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2247030	Professional Development to Enhance Skills of Manufacturing Instructors	DUE	GVF - Global Venture Fund, Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/14/2022	Karen Wosczyna Birch	karenlee@snet.net	CT	Education Connection	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/15/2022	06/30/2024	$285,281.00		355 GOSHEN RD	LITCHFIELD	CT	67.592.404	8.605.670.863	EDU	054Y, 7412	1032, 5918, 9178, SMET	The need for skilled manufacturing technicians has led to expansion of quality manufacturing technology programs in community colleges. State funding and a US Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training Grant provided Connecticut Community Colleges with the facilities and equipment to expand their manufacturing programs and serve more students. The ATE Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing has supported program and curriculum development in this area. In addition, it has supported professional development opportunities for current faculty and instructors across the state and New England. However, the rate of expansion industry's need for skilled technicians has exceeded the ability of the community colleges to find qualified instructors who have both industry and educational experience. Many potential instructors have over twenty years of industry experience but lack the skills associated with different methodologies used in classroom teaching and course management, including assessment. Faculty need expertise on methods that integrate professional skills into classrooms and laboratories. This Skills for Manufacturing Instructors project will address these needs for professional development for community college manufacturing technology instructors. The project will engage all twelve Connecticut public community colleges and their Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers. The project will develop modules and a new course that will provide faculty with the skills needed to enhance their teaching effectiveness, improve classroom management, develop high quality student assessments of learning, and strategies to increase student persistence. The proposed course and modules will assist newly hired manufacturing technicians from industry as well as provide opportunities for current instructors to learn new teaching methodologies in a higher education academic environment. Additionally, the project will organize two workshops annually on essential technical skills for the manufacturing instructors and faculty, as well as provide opportunities for certification in widely used technologies. Examples of certifications that would be supported are the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, SolidWorks Computer-Aided Design software, and SME's Additive Manufacturing Certification. Additional workshops will be offered that provide strategies for increasing the persistence of underrepresented populations in the manufacturing programs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2200972	Improving Biotechnology Outcomes Through Pre-Professional Experiences and Industry Partnerships	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/28/2022	Michelle Stieber	mstieber@cerritos.edu	CA	Cerritos College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2022	09/30/2025	$349,641.00	Santos Rojas	11110 ALONDRA BLVD	NORWALK	CA	906.506.203	2.138.602.451	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Over the past six years, Southern California has become one of the nation’s leading centers for biotechnology, with a focus on biomanufacturing as well as biological and chemical technology. In the last decade, more than 93,000 workers have been hired by 2,800 companies in the region. In order to meet industrial needs, Cerritos College will establish the Cerritos College Biotechnology Initiative with the goal of providing an accessible academic pathway to high wage jobs with high growth potential. The Biotechnology Initiative will create new certificate and degree programs, offer enrichment activities to increase awareness, provide professional development, and strengthen partnerships with regional employers. This initiative should generate new knowledge regarding effective strategies to create interest in biotechnology careers through pre-professional experiences that will ultimately result in a more highly skilled technical workforce. Cerritos College will develop and implement an academic pathway with three new courses that will result in a biotechnology certificate and may also be used to complete an associate's degree. This project is expected to enroll 42 students each year. To attract current students into the program, a new biotechnology focused lab module will be implemented in the high enrollment general biology course featuring experiments on antibody testing and effective manufacturing practices. To further support the initiative, faculty from Chemistry and Biology will participate in 27 hours of professional development activities that will increase their knowledge of relevant biotechnology experiments and content, and optimize their ability to recruit students through more personalized “shoulder tap” methods. In order to professionalize students, the Biotechnology Initiative will feature a seminar series, field trips, mock interviews, and community service activities. An in-depth evaluation plan will assess the success of the program and the degree to which certificate and degree completers are able to meet the needs of regional employers. Results from the project will be disseminated regionally through professional organizations and nationally among the two-year college community. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2203196	Advanced Fabrication and Joining Technician Project	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/27/2021	Laurence zirker	Laurence.Zirker@centralaz.edu	UT	Weber State University	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/15/2021	07/31/2024	$139,894.00		1014 DIXON PKWY DEPT 1014	OGDEN	UT	844.080.001	8.016.266.055	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Many industries use new alloys and components that operate at high temperatures, stresses, and pressures. Computerized mechanized welding and cutting machines weld and cut 300 percent faster than manual methods. Automated electronics enable the welding and cutting processes to be more precise, as well as offering the potential to control and document the entire process. The fabrication and joining industry is rapidly adopting these new computerized technologies and advanced processes. As a result, a growing need exists for welding technicians who have more extensive knowledge of metallurgy, nondestructive examination, quality control, computerized data acquisition, and technical writing and reporting. In collaboration with industry partners, this project at Central Arizona College aims to develop curricula and associated materials for an advanced fabrication and joining program to prepare Advanced Welding Processes Technicians. It will include higher-level education and training not offered by most community college welding programs. Since the college is a both an Hispanic Serving Institution and a rural community college, this project will strive to encourage students from minority backgrounds to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) credentials. The curriculum, STEM content, and project-based learning exercises will be shared with the National Center for Welding Education and Training, the seven Hispanic Serving Institutions participating in the Science Foundation of Arizona Kick Starter project, and other community colleges. The welding programs at community colleges involved in the Science Foundation of Arizona will provide feedback on the effectiveness of the new curriculum and associated materials. This feedback will support the effort of the college to create quality learning products that foster student learning and help meet the country?s need for personnel with advanced fabrication and joining skills. Developing curriculum and associated materials in advanced fabrication and joining processes is the first step in meeting the need for fabricators and welders with additional knowledge of data acquisition, metallurgy, and quality control land welding codes to ensure quality welds. Six new courses will be developed that will form a core advanced certificate, and four additional courses will be developed for the advanced processes technician specialization. The ten courses will be field-tested in the classroom during the second half of the three-year project, with at least ten students in the first cohort. Feedback from the students, their instructors, and industry partners will guide subsequent improvements to the curriculum. Students in the college certificate and associate degree welding programs, incumbent workers who need advanced skills, and students from other community college welding programs will be recruited to the program. The project will create project-based learning exercises and contextualized STEM content for the program. These practices are research-validated best practices for teaching technical and science-based skills to learners, especially those from traditionally under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds,. Project-based learning provides contextualized, authentic experiences (i.e. experiences that mimic what workers do in their jobs) that help students master challenging STEM concepts and processes. This approach makes the science more understandable for students because it places the material in a real-world context (such as a welding shop) and often builds on content students have already mastered. In this way, students can discover meaningful relationships between academic theory and practical, real world applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100348	AIHEC/TCU Advanced Manufacturing Technician Education Network	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	Stephen Catt	stephencatt@workforcek2gray.com	VA	American Indian Higher Education Consortium	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/15/2021	06/30/2024	$592,007.00	Ragavanantham Shanmugam	121 ORONOCO ST	ALEXANDRIA	VA	223.142.015	7.038.380.400	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by expanding the Tribal College and University (TCU) Advanced Manufacturing Network Initiative to include four additional TCUs through the delivery of an online advanced manufacturing course series. The project is increasing access to advanced manufacturing and other STEM training for the American Indian and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) population by developing a shared low cost model. Through coordination and existing organizational networks, all 37 of the TCU's will have access to the completed programming. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is establishing the Advanced Manufacturing Technician Education Network of nine TCUs that offer advanced manufacturing technician education through delivery of an online advanced manufacturing course series. The project provides a model for delivering career and technical education programs to multiple institutions through a distributed education model. The distributed program design brings together a team of faculty and support staff available to participate in Advanced Manufacturing curriculum development, training and education, activities, and includes implementation of an online learning platform that provides AI-curated content, access to remote data and virtual labs, and customizable for a wide range of pedagogical applications. In addition, the project proposes to employ Indigenous problem-based learning strategies in a culturally relevant model to engage, retain and aid students in successful completion of the program. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1953763	Work-focused Experiential Learning to Increase STEM Student Retention and Graduation at Two-year Hispanic-serving Institutions	DUE	HSI-Hispanic Serving Instituti, Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/11/2023	Paul Ross	paul.ross@phoenixcollege.edu	AZ	Maricopa County Community College District	Standard Grant	Mike Ferrara	04/15/2020	03/31/2025	$2,495,568.00	Caroline VanIngen-Dunn, Cynthia Pickering, Deborah Santiago, Nicolas Rouse, Mara Lopez	2411 W 14TH ST	TEMPE	AZ	852.816.941	4.807.318.402	EDU	077Y, 7412	1032, 8209, 9178	With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, this Track 1 project seeks to provide students with mentored work experiences in computer information systems. Students will have access to on-campus work experiences and externships in businesses and industries. Examples of potential student projects include mobile application development, cybersecurity, and computer support. It is expected that these experiences will increase undergraduate student interest, persistence, and success in computer information systems, as well as in STEM more broadly. To ensure that they are well-prepared for and gain the most from their work experiences, students will receive training on employability skills such as communication, teamwork, and project management. During their work experiences, students will be mentored by faculty, industry professionals, and peers. To strengthen the capacity of faculty to serve all students, including Hispanic students, the project will provide faculty with professional development focused on equity mindset. The framework to provide mentored work experiences will be developed and piloted at Phoenix College, then expanded to four other two-year HSIs in the region. The project also intends to expand this framework to other STEM fields. Through this work, the project aims to develop a replicable model for how two-year institutions can develop work experiences that foster increased student graduation and entry into STEM career pathways. This project seeks to examine how a curriculum that integrates cross-sector partnerships to provide work experiences can enhance STEM learning and retention. Using mixed methods and grounded theory, this project will expand knowledge about: (1) the impact of cross-sector partnerships that support work-focused experiential teaching and learning; (2) systematic ways to maintain and better use cross-sector partnerships; and (3) the degree to which a model of work-focused learning experiences can be adopted at other two-year HSIs and by other STEM fields. Expected results of the project include: development of sustainable mechanisms to foster cross-sector partnerships; increased student retention and workforce readiness; and measurable successes for STEM students, particularly Hispanic students, at two-year HSIs. Significant findings and research results will be presented at meetings of the HSI STEM Hub, at conferences at professional societies that support HSIs, and in academic publications. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge about how to achieve these aims. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2025227	NNCI: Texas Nanofabrication Facility (TNF)	ECCS	RSCH EXPER FOR UNDERGRAD SITES, Advanced Tech Education Prog, National Nanotechnology Coordi	07/27/2023	Sanjay Banerjee	banerjee@ece.utexas.edu	TX	University of Texas at Austin	Cooperative Agreement	Richard Nash	09/01/2020	08/31/2025	$3,960,000.00	Arumugam Manthiram, S. Sreenivasan, Leonard Register, Lee Kahlor	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	787.121.139	5.124.716.424	ENG	1139, 7412, 7601	081E, 083E, 084E, 1032, 7237, 7601, 9178, 9251, SMET	Non-Technical Description: The Texas Nanofabrication Facility (TNF) will enable research and development in nanoscience and technology, with applications in nanoelectronics/photonics, green energy and healthcare. TNF will provide state-of-the-art capability in nanodevice prototyping, metrology, and nanomanufacturing. This will include, for example, research in nanosensors for the Internet-of-Things, high efficiency solar cells for green energy, and nano drug delivery systems. TNF is the only NNCI node in the southwest region of the US, encompassing Texas and the neighboring states of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The efforts in prototyping of nanoelectronic devices in the cleanroom will be enabled by training of users by NNCI staff, as well as by staff providing remote services for external users who are unable to travel to TNF. Coupled with device fabrication, TNF will provide cutting-edge tools in nanoscale imaging and metrology at the atomic scale. Located in a vibrant US technology hub in central Texas, TNF will have tremendous impact in nanotechnology education and entrepreneurship, particularly among under-represented minorities such as Hispanics, a sizeable minority in Texas, and Native Americans in Oklahoma. Furthermore, TNF will perform social scientific research to explore the ethical implications of nanotechnology. We will regularly host tours of our cleanroom, research facilities and nanotech labs, and host popular lectures on nanotechnology for K-gray members of the public because education and outreach are critical to creating an informed public, and securing the economic and environmental future of the US. Technical Description: The Texas Nanofabrication Facility (TNF) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) is composed of the Microelectronics Research Center (MRC), the Texas Materials Institute (TMI), and nanomanufacturing fab (nm-Fab) which collectively house over 130 major tools in 22,000 sq.ft. of labs, staffed by 25 professionals. The MRC cleanroom provides extensive nanofabrication capabilities, TMI provides state-of-the-art metrology tools, while the nm-Fab developes and provides novel nanomanufacturing tools in the areas of roll-to-roll manufacturing, and high speed, large area nanoimprinting. Our vision is to continue to enable and foster breakthrough nano-innovation in the areas of electronics and energy, which have significant presence in the South West. TNF will partner with the new Dell Medical Hospital at UT in the area of healthcare electronics and nanomedicine. Specifically, TNF will focus on science-to-scalability, where one integrates nanodevice prototyping with nanodevice manufacturing for industry. TNF will foster an innovation ecosystem by connecting our industrial users to the Longhorn Startup undergraduate entrepreneurship course at UT-Austin, the Austin Technology Incubator, and NSF I-Corps program. TNF will establish educational activities in nanotechnology directed at engaging underrepresented minorities, particularly Hispanics, who are a sizable minority in Texas, and women. Under the REU initiative, the facility will partner with Austin Community College to provide year-round research and training experience in nanotechnology for two-year college students. Furthermore, TNF will explore the social and ethical implications of nanotechnology, and start a new effort on Education/Outreach focused on Computation and NSF Quantum Leap. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1700606	ATE Regional Center for Semiconductor & Nanotechnology Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog, , ,	05/02/2023	Robert Geer	rgeer@albany.edu	NY	SUNY Polytechnic Institute	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2017	08/31/2024	$2,585,877.00	Gordon Snyder, Abraham Michelen, Jeremy Spraggs, Art Peterson, Nathan Roscup	257 FULLER RD	ALBANY	NY	122.033.613	5.184.378.689	EDU	7412, R294, S297, u321	1032, 9178, SMET	Semiconductor-derivative manufacturing in the northeast U.S is expanding, and this expansion is increasing the demand for a highly qualified technical workforce. The Northeast Advanced Technological Education Center (NEATEC) proposes to support the education and training of technicians for the semiconductor and semiconductor-derivative industries (i.e., those industries based on, or incorporating, substantial Si wafer processing, compound semiconductor wafer processing or Si polycrystalline film processing) as well as the broader nanotech-based manufacturing industries in New York State and Western New England. NEATEC will expand opportunities in support of academic programs as well as targeted outreach to recruit and engage underserved and underrepresented populations. All programs will leverage online compatible learning management systems (e.g., Blackboard) to combine online delivery with hands-on laboratory and/or experiential learning components at NEATEC training and lab facilities. This includes a newly proposed ATE user facility at SUNY Polytechnic Institute which will help promote and sustain NEATEC's education/training content and the 'institutionalization' of that content at 2-year and 4-year colleges. This Center will 1) develop multiple academic certificate programs for technological education for a wide range of semiconductor-derivative industries (e.g., Photovoltaic Manufacturing (PVM), LED Lighting Manufacturing (LEDLM), Power Electronics Manufacturing (PEM), and Integrated Photonics Manufacturing (IPM)); 2) expand commitments from industrial collaborators for skill-standard analyses and experiential learning; 3) expand community college and technical high-school partners, including a new NEATEC/Technical High School partnership for at-risk students to adapt curricula to technical high school programs in Central New York with expansion to technical high schools in MA and CT; and 4) develop new technological education programs for underserved and underrepresented groups- specifically newly separated veterans and international refugee communities (permanent U.S. residents) in central New York State. NEATEC's core academic development team includes Hudson Valley Community College, Erie Community College, Jefferson Community College, Mohawk Valley Community College, Onondaga Community College, and Fulton Montgomery Community College in New York State, and Fairfield University in Connecticut. Industry collaborators include GlobalFoundries, Tokyo Electron, General Electric, SolarCity, Soraa, AIM Photonics, United Technologies Research Center, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).
2202184	Product Design Incubator: Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset Through Interdisciplinary Product Design	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/26/2022	Richard Sewell	rsewell@nvcc.edu	VA	Northern Virginia Community College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$649,791.00	Paula Ford, Cameisha Chin	8333 LITTLE RIVER TPKE	ANNANDALE	VA	220.033.743	7.033.233.000	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by improving the communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills of technicians in training through entrepreneurial product design training. Employers in the information and engineering technology (IET) sector report that the employee talent pool lacks these skills that are demanded by the modern workplace. Traditional IET programs do not foster these skills, instead focusing on the acquisition of technical knowledge. A promising method to teach these skills is product design – a holistic set of methodologies that applies engineering, entrepreneurship, and creative skills to the development of new products or services. As an interdisciplinary collaborative process, product design functions as a microcosm of the workplace, aiding in the development of skills required by regional employers. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)’s Product Design Incubator (PDI) is an interdisciplinary project designed to train groups of community college students through a product design challenge. The PDI curriculum will integrate introductory entrepreneurship education and training (EET) and design thinking to guide students from initial ideation through the prototyping and pitch processes. PDI will be situated at NOVA’s Fab Lab and will incorporate NOVA faculty, regional entrepreneurs and IET professionals to support student products. PDI will increase contact between students and industry professionals, foster interdisciplinary collaboration between NOVA students and staff, and increase the supply of IET workers with industry-required collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. PDI’s primary goal is to improve skill development through product design instruction. PDI has 4 components: 1) a series of entrepreneurship workshops focused on learning entrepreneurship skills through a series of product design exercises; 2) a four-week summer product design internship during which student groups will work with an interdisciplinary group of faculty, regional entrepreneurs and the Fab Lab staff to prototype, test, and refine their idea; 3) an industry-centered pitch event for student groups to present their ideas to regional entrepreneurs and professionals who will provide feedback on student product prototypes; and 4) a follow-up academic year mentoring plan to help students develop their summer work into a portfolio, focus their career interests, or continue to develop their idea into an actionable business. Throughout the product duration, PDI will provide product design instruction to 60 students. During year 1, PDI will use an advisory cohort structure of 12 students, who will provide formative feedback on the program. During years 2 and 3, cohorts will expand to 24 students. PDI will advance the understanding of the efficacy of product design centered EET in improving communication and collaboration skills, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and improving interdisciplinary knowledge. Results from NOVA PDI will provide insights into the integration of EET into technician education to strengthen critical skills. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2247026	Next Generation Manufacturing Resource Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/14/2022	Karen Wosczyna Birch	karenlee@snet.net	CT	Education Connection	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/15/2022	12/31/2023	$605,444.00		355 GOSHEN RD	LITCHFIELD	CT	67.592.404	8.605.670.863	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The development of a diverse, globally competitive advanced manufacturing workforce is critical to US stability and growth. Major areas of focus for the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM) have been to change negative perceptions of manufacturing careers and to increase the participation and success of historically underrepresented minorities, women, and veterans in the technical workforce. RCNGM has created nationally-recognized materials for educators, career counselors, students, and parents that focus on choosing community colleges as a next step to high paying careers in manufacturing. With support of this award, RCNGM plans to establish an NSF ATE Resource Center. RCNGM will broaden its partnerships by expanding community college/industry partnerships throughout the Northeast, specifically in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and by partnering with the National Coalition for Advanced Technology Centers and the National Association for Workforce Improvement. The RCNGM Resource Center will provide exemplary resources for advanced manufacturing online learning via online tools (website, webinars, and social media), as well as through regional and national professional conferences that engage the RCNGM's stakeholders. These resources will assist current and prospective principal investigators to identify and implement successful materials and strategies for creating career pathways that include certificates and degrees that include stackable credentials and multiple entry/exit points. The Resource Center will also foster industry, business, and academic partnerships by increasing the availability and variety of exemplary, industry-driven advanced manufacturing curricula that emphasize both technical and professional skills. The Resource Center will promote advanced manufacturing careers with a focus on modernizing the image of manufacturing careers and disseminating successful models for recruiting and retaining students in advanced manufacturing. Finally, the Resource Center will coordinate and support regional and national industry, business, and academic partnerships that have the potential to create a sustainable network for advancing manufacturing programs at community colleges nationwide. This project is funded by the NSF Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2032835	Mentor Up: Supporting Preparation of Competitive Proposals to Improve Education of the Skilled Technical Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/14/2020	Karen Wosczyna Birch	karenlee@snet.net	CT	Education Connection	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$800,000.00	Kathleen Alfano, Elizabeth Teles	355 GOSHEN RD	LITCHFIELD	CT	67.592.404	8.605.670.863	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the United States has 1,252 two-year institutions of higher education. However, each year only about 200 of these institutions submit proposals to the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which support education of the skilled technical workforce. As a result, a large pool of potential institutions and faculty who could benefit from the ATE program are not submitting proposals. This project will support a mentoring program to guide prospective principal investigators in crafting and submitting a proposal to the ATE program. This project aligns with the ATE program objective to provide leadership opportunities for faculty at two-year institutions. It will also support the national priority of educating the skilled technical workforce for the industries that keep the United States globally competitive. The project will leverage the promising practices from other NSF awards that focus on mentoring and leadership development activities. Each year of the award, the project team will recruit teams from 16 community and technical colleges, with the team members including two technician-education faculty from the institution, together with a grant writer, administrator, or other key contributor from the institution. Specific activities will include virtual mentoring and webinars as well as an in-person 2.5-day workshop where two-year faculty who are teaching technician education will learn the strategies and NSF requirements for writing and submitting competitive proposals. Faculty from all disciplines applicable to advanced technological education will be considered for participation. The intention is that each two-year college team will submit at least one ATE proposal. The project will also provide professional development for mentors-in-training, including newly awarded ATE Principal Investigators who will become the next generation of ATE leaders. This project will help participants address many of challenges faced by community college faculty in preparing and submitting NSF grant proposals, often due to a lack institutional experience and resources to support efforts to secure NSF awards. At the workshop and after, participants will be able to engage with their institution’s administration or other key personnel, thereby increasing the number of community colleges with knowledge of the NSF and its ATE program. In this way, project participants will bring knowledge and skills to their campuses that can help to catalyze and implement institutional change. The project will target a diverse group of urban, suburban, and rural institutions and provide opportunities for participation of faculty and students who are typically underrepresented in technician programs, such as minority populations and women. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2335016	National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/10/2023	Karen Wosczyna Birch	karenlee@snet.net	CT	Education Connection	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2023	06/30/2026	$6,513,956.00		355 GOSHEN RD	LITCHFIELD	CT	67.592.404	8.605.670.863	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Recent studies have highlighted the nation's increasing need for a skilled workforce in advanced manufacturing. For example, a 2018 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute concluded that over the next decade, the U.S. will need to fill more than 4.6 million manufacturing jobs. The study further predicts that more than half of these jobs will go unfilled due to gaps in the skills of potential workers. With this award, Tunxis Community College will work with partners from industry, business associations, professional organizations, government agencies, and educators to develop the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, which will help the nation meet its advanced manufacturing workforce needs. The Center will be organized according to Industry 4.0 and will include Technology Teams for next generation manufacturing sub-sectors, such as Design, Fabrication, Processing, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Quality Control. In addition, the Center will include next generation manufacturing applications, such as cybersecurity, biomanufacturing, and resource-efficient manufacturing. The Center will be guided by national leaders from other Advanced Technological Education Centers and projects, as well as by national equity associations, such as the National Association for Partnerships in Equity. Through this guidance, the Center aims to identify successful strategies for recruiting and retaining people from underrepresented communities in the next generation manufacturing workforce. The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing has four goals: 1) Enhance and solidify relationships and communication among educators, businesses, industry, government, military, trade associations, and economic development agencies to broaden and strengthen efforts to prepare qualified advanced manufacturing technicians; 2) Implement a repository of educational materials that integrates industry-driven competencies needed to support Industry 4.0 and emerging learning technologies including the use of Open Educational Resources and online methodologies; 3) Support professional development opportunities for educators to implement promising practices to address current and future next generation manufacturing technology competencies; and 4) Support a diverse technician workforce through regional outreach, recruitment, mentoring, and dissemination initiatives. Detailed activities are planned to support each goal, including: professional development of educators to ensure that the developed resources are used effectively; mentoring to support education and industry partnerships such as the nationally recognized Business & Industry Leadership Team model; initiating projects with Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and Manufacturing USA Institutes; pursuing and piloting apprenticeship models by the Center’s educators; strengthening career pathways between high schools, community colleges, four-year universities and industry by identification of industry-recognized credentials and disseminating successful educational models that include multiple entry and exit points for both certificate and degree completion; exploring and sharing emerging trends such as the Future of Work to guide educators as they design industry-driven curriculum; and addressing the impact of automation, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity in next generation manufacturing through webinars, podcasts and professional development workshops. Center activities are expected to create a national Community of Practice that is agile, supports innovation, and educates the 21st century advanced manufacturing workforce needed for companies to be globally competitive. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1939219	Development and Implementation of a Semiconductor Workforce Certificate Program Based on a Unified Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/09/2022	Robert Geer	rgeer@albany.edu	NY	SUNY Polytechnic Institute	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2019	09/30/2024	$7,207,573.00	Abraham Michelen, Michael Russo, Robert Weinman	257 FULLER RD	ALBANY	NY	122.033.613	5.184.378.689	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Based on a 2018 survey, the global industry standards association for the electronics manufacturing industry (SEMI, semi.org) discovered that more than 85% of corporate respondents identified a lack of a qualified workforce as a top strategic challenge. With rapid growth in areas such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous vehicles, smart medical devices, and 5G, the need for a skilled technical workforce will only increase. Addressing this need requires an integrated approach to attract students to STEM careers and to provide the education and career pathways that link students, education programs, and employers as an ecosystem rather than as individual parts. To address this need, this project will develop and pilot an industry-wide Semiconductor Workforce Certification Program based on an innovative Unified Competency Model that leverages the U. S. Department of Labor competency model. A multi-level, Semiconductor Technician Certificate will be developed and offered by SEMI as part of its strategic 'SEMI Works' initiative. This program will be developed by SEMI and the Northeast Advanced Technological Education Center (NEATEC) and piloted at 16 technician education programs at two-year and four-year colleges, technical high school programs, and with newly transitioned veterans at Fort Drum, NY. The pilot program will then be expanded to Oregon and North Carolina. It is estimated that, by the conclusion of the project, nearly 400 students will have earned a SEMI Semiconductor Technician Certification. The approach is expected to create a new, intrinsically flexible and updateable competency model applicable to a wide range of technician skillsets. The project will develop: 1) a Unified Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model and a Semiconductor Manufacturing Sub-Sector Competency Model, transforming the existing U. S. Department of Labor-ETA Advanced Manufacturing Competency model by adding a proficiency and relevance scale (0-4) for each competency; 2) a SEMI Certification model for technician education programs; and 3) a Proficiency-driven Academic Alignment Program that will review partner technician education programs and translate course and program learning outcomes to a Competency Profile format for skill gap/match analysis with SEMI Technician certification programs. This effort will create a transferrable academic review and alignment process for any U.S. academic institution to obtain a SEMI Semiconductor Workforce Certification for its technician education programs. Project outcomes will include the first-ever industry-wide semiconductor technician certification program, and an automated web-based SEMI Certification portal that will be maintained and updated by SEMI. The portal will build, sustain, compare, and update the Unified Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model for certified academic programs and provide an automated pathway for certification updates. The portal will also provide tools that guide workforce strategies for employers, technician education programs, and individual job seekers. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1901847	A Community College and Industry Partnership to Produce a Highly Qualified Cybersecurity Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/04/2023	Nina Amey	campbell.teched@gmail.com	CO	Arapahoe Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	07/15/2019	06/30/2024	$299,933.00	Connie Strain, Mark Snyder, Krystal Conrad, Cameron Ryan, Wendy Muench	5900 S SANTA FE DR	LITTLETON	CO	801.201.801	3.037.975.701	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Keeping computers and information systems secure is a major challenge. Business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can prevent, detect, and investigate cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have appropriate, specific knowledge and skills. Nationwide, employer surveys indicate that only a small percentage of universities and colleges fully prepare graduates for cybersecurity jobs. Colorado is a major hub for cybersecurity jobs, with over 9,000 open cybersecurity positions in the Denver Metro and Colorado Springs areas, which are served by the college. Over 1,200 of these jobs can be filled by individuals who have an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. This project will prepare well-qualified cybersecurity professionals and information security analysts to benefit the regional workforce. The project will create and implement a responsive AAS cybersecurity program aligned with business needs and Federal standards. The approach will focus on integrating experiential and project-based learning to provide students with real-world experiences, to create seamless continuity from classroom to workforce, and to equip students with 21st-century employability skills. The college intends to achieve a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation. This designation, along with mapping the curriculum to the Federal standards, will equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to protect and defend the nation's infrastructure. The project will also focus on increasing the participation of women in cybersecurity. The project has three goals: (1) to address the unmet demand for cybersecurity technicians in the region served by the college; (2) to enhance gender diversity in cybersecurity by recruiting more female students into the program (the aim is for at least 20% of the students to be women); and (3) to improve retention and persistence in the attainment of an AAS degree in cybersecurity. The project will adopt, adapt, and evaluate materials and methods developed through the Colorado Community College System, the National CyberWatch Center, and other NSF Advanced Technological Education projects. It will also develop a new course in Security Risk Management. Collaboration with a regional Business and Industry Leadership Team will ensure that the project can create a robust curriculum that provides seamless continuity from the classroom to the workplace and meets industry standards. In addition, collaboration with a subject matter expert on diversity and organizational change, along with partnerships with high schools, will facilitate the recruitment, retention, and completion of women in the college's cybersecurity program. By using distance education and remote-access labs, the project will reach beyond Colorado. The new courses that are developed will be added to the CCCS database and will be available for all 13 colleges in the system and other colleges across the nation. The best practices that are discovered will be disseminated nationally through the National CyberWatch Center, ATE Central, the Community College Cyber Summit, and the National Convergence Technology Center, as well as through national conferences that focus on cybersecurity and experiential education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202180	Building Efficiency for a sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/13/2022	Peter Crabtree	plcrabtree@berkeley.edu	CA	University of California-Berkeley	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2022	09/30/2025	$1,650,000.00	Mary Ann Piette, Theodore Wilinski, Robert Nirenberg	1608 4TH ST STE 201	BERKELEY	CA	947.101.749	5.106.433.891	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Commercial buildings are a predominant feature of U.S. cities. Such buildings form the physical infra-structure for people working in many economic sectors. The technicians who operate these buildings are largely invisible to building occupants, occasionally seen responding to a complaint about room temperature or repairing equipment. Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and new digital technologies are creating a new dynamic for the work of building technicians, increasing the importance of their role, expanding the knowledge and skills required of them, and raising expectations about the quality of their work. Today’s building technicians must be prepared to manage the complex building automation, data analytics, and energy management systems of the high-performance “sustainable” buildings of the future. This project will support the BEST Center transitioning to a Resource Center to continue to serve the community for the collection, dissemination, and adoption of programs, courses, lab applications, and innovative instructional methods for the advanced technological education of building systems technicians. The BEST Resource Center will support the development of building technician education programs at community and technical colleges nationwide, engage industry to support this effort, and strengthen the national STEM pipeline. The Center will have 3 goals: 1) Transform the instructional capacity of community colleges in the field of building technician education, with an emphasis on High Performance Building Operations Technical-Professional (HPBOT-P) and Building Automation Specialist (BAS) curriculum alignment and certification; 2) Engage industry stakeholders and research partners in a national collaboration with community colleges to support high-quality building science instructional programs; and 3) Strengthen the national STEM pipeline for building technicians through outreach to high school students, women, and populations traditionally underrepresented in building science. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055370	Establishing an Environmental and Natural Resources Technology Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/19/2023	Steve Gustafson	iowagus@hotmail.com	IA	Eastern Iowa Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2021	09/30/2026	$7,495,172.00	Ellen Bluth, Kirk Laflin, Andrew McMahan, Brian Ritter	101 W 3RD ST	DAVENPORT	IA	528.011.419	5.633.363.300	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	Environmental Technologies (ET) is a career field that applies math, science, technology, economics, engineering, law and communication to manage, protect and sustain natural resources and to ensure human health and safety. Environmental technicians are a part of homeland security in the protection of our country’s air, water and soil and an important part of the major environmental issues of global warming and water pollution. ET will also reshape pedagogy and hands-on delivery of learning in the post-COVID “new normal,” as well as become part of the solution for health and safety issues in the workplace following any other infectious disease pandemic. ET jobs cannot be outsourced and survive economic downturn. Major industries that employ environmental technicians include engineering services, local and state government, consulting services, public health agencies, manufacturing and remediation services, and there are immediate needs for Environmental technicians across all of these sectors. The Environmental and Natural Resources Technology Center will synthesize the cross-disciplinary efforts of ET-related sectors and collaborate with industries, government and public agencies, professional organizations, 2- and 4-year colleges, and high schools to define and disseminate the critical knowledge and skills required to provide leadership in ET education and support the environmental advanced technology industry. To achieve this mission, the Center will pursue several objectives. First is to create a Leadership Network to support the development and sharing of best practices in ET workforce development. Second is to establish collaborations between existing and new ATE projects in ET fields to mentor prospective PIs and broaden the impact of ATE. Third is to provide models and leadership for collaborations among secondary, 2- and 4-year institutions, business and industry, economic development agencies and government. Fourth is to promote ET careers while also addressing the need to educate highly skilled technicians and to provide faculty professional development. Fifth is to develop institutionalization of Center functions to sustain activities in the post-award period. The Center will actively reach out to all learners, including women, those from minorities who are underrepresented in their participation in STEM, those facing economically challenging circumstances, first generation students, and those from Tribal and/or rural backgrounds. The Center's planned deliverables include DACUM charts with occupational competencies; a Defining ET Report; a Best Practices Guide for Recruiting, Retaining, and Completing Students in ET Fields targeting URM, female, military, and indigenous students; a set of interactive career websites; and AVR learning modules. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301164	Collaborative Research: A Solar and Wind Innovation and Technology Collaborative for Hawaii (SWITCH)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/26/2023	Charles Xie	charles@intofuture.org	MA	INSTITUTE FOR FUTURE INTELLIGENCE, INC.	Standard Grant	Keith Sverdrup	07/01/2023	06/30/2026	$299,993.00		26 ROCKLAND ST	NATICK	MA	17.605.852	5.083.977.021	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This Track 2 ATE project aims to serve the national interest by cultivating the next generation workforce to lead Hawaii’s transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045. A central challenge in renewable energy generation is it often confronts other basic needs such as food, water, and culture, as its distributed nature demands a lot of space. As such, large-scale deployments of renewable energy generators in our country would be unthinkable without establishing wide social acceptance. Studies have suggested that greater public participation in planning and designing of renewable energy solutions can increase their transparency and gain more public trust and community support. However, the current paradigm of technical education in the field of renewable energy lacks essential elements for teaching students how to address public concerns with technological solutions and then communicate the engineering results to stakeholders. This project will supplement these elements to existing courses in community colleges and use the social environments of public schools as testbeds for students to learn and practice those “soft skills.” In partnership with five high schools in Hawaii, Kapiolani Community College (KCC) and the Institute for Future Intelligence (IFI) will develop innovative educational programs that engage community college and high school students to learn the knowledge and skills needed to take on the renewable energy challenge. These programs will use students’ own homes, schools, and communities as the application scenarios for designing hypothetical solar and wind energy solutions. Students will learn how to meet the diverse needs of their families and communities while minimizing adverse effects on local ecosystems, cultures, and economies. To consolidate the pathway of career and technical education from the secondary level to the tertiary level, the project will designate KCC students who have successfully completed these programs as teaching assistants to teachers and design tutors to students in collaborating high schools to help them implement customized versions of the programs. The project will be empowered by Aladdin, an open-source, Web-based computer-aided design tool developed by IFI as a citizen science platform that supports public participation in renewable energy engineering and planning. Aladdin allows anyone to design their own renewable energy solutions for their communities, share the proposed solutions via social networks, and draw public interest in crowdfunding their construction. KCC will run annual professional development workshops to introduce the curricular and technological innovations of this project to secondary teachers in Hawaii. Interested teachers will then partner with KCC to implement these innovations in their schools. This project will be overseen by an Advisory Board consisting of experts in the fields of renewable energy, technical education, and policy making. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301154	Strengthening and Diversifying Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Pathways	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	Michael Zimmerman	michael.zimmerman@nwktc.edu	KS	NORTHWEST KANSAS TECHNICAL COLLEGE, INC.	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$297,792.00		1209 HARRISON AVE	GOODLAND	KS	677.353.441	7.858.903.641	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	The Kansas region is facing a serious advanced manufacturing labor shortage that inhibits industry growth and economic development in low-income rural communities. This project from Northwest Kansas Technical College will establish an academic pathway with built-in micro-credentials that are aligned with the needs of industry to increase awareness of the industry to secondary students and potentially expedite employment in these high-demand fields. Over the 3-year project, 83 students from 5 regional secondary schools will be recruited to complete 3 courses in advanced manufacturing technology. The project will bring advanced manufacturing technology and equipment into the classrooms of the secondary schools for hands-on components of the courses. Educators at the secondary schools will receive professional development training on the equipment and technology in order to better serve students taking the courses and increase adaptation of the technology into other related courses and projects. Career opportunities in advanced manufacturing will be presented to students through regional industry partners that visit the secondary schools. Because the project will be focusing on reaching regional secondary students, there is a large focus to increase the diversity of students that complete the project, and continue their education with the goal of employment in a STEM field. The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of students entering the STEM workforce in the region with relevant classwork and industry experience. 83 students are expected to enroll over the 3 years of the project and 9 faculty members will be trained with a mixture of in-person, hands-on professional development and hybrid coursework. Students will take 3 courses that will introduce them to additive and subtractive manufacturing technology and processes, as well as the design principles used in both processes. Students will complete a capstone project to demonstrate skills learned and they will present their project to industry partners for review and feedback. College faculty members will work closely with members of the industry advisory committee to develop and integrate up-to-date industry-relevant material for students and proper professional development for faculty members. Advisory board members will send representatives to the secondary schools periodically throughout the timeline of the project to lead marketing efforts of the project and increase awareness of the industry. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1801043	Pathways into Careers in Information Technology: Community College Student Decision-Making about Academic Programs and Jobs	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/04/2023	Michelle Van Noy	mvannoy@rutgers.edu	NJ	Rutgers University New Brunswick	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	06/15/2018	12/31/2023	$1,114,778.00	William Worden, Danette Coughlan, Matthew Cloud, Renee Edwards	3 RUTGERS PLZ	NEW BRUNSWICK	NJ	89.018.559	8.489.320.150	EDU	7412	096Z, 102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Graduates of technician programs have opportunities to enter well-paying, high-demand careers. However, only 20% of community college students complete their programs of study within six years. Prior research highlights the challenges facing students at community colleges. However, the career development literature includes little research on community college students and their decision-making processes. The literature is even more lacking about community college students in technician fields. The goal of this research project is to increase understanding of the decisions students make in pursuing credentials (e.g., degrees and certificates) at two-year institutions, and in pursuing careers in information technology. The research focuses on Information Technology (IT) because it offers students a wide-array of opportunities and specialties. In addition, many two-year institutions have developed IT programs to address the growing need for IT professionals. Relying on multiple sources of data, the project brings together a multidisciplinary team to investigate student decision-making. This quantitative and qualitative mixed methods research project will examine how students' experiences and information resources influence their decision making, particularly early in their enrollment in college, and how that process evolves over time. The longitudinal and cross-sectional mixed methods study takes a multidisciplinary theoretical approach, drawing on literature from career development, psychology, sociology, and economics. The study employs a variety of research methods, including student surveys, in-depth longitudinal student interviews, point-in-time interviews with faculty and administrators, secondary data analysis of administrative records, site visits, and document analysis. The quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses are designed to investigate, triangulate, test, and confirm findings. The research project is designed to generate knowledge useful to students, the public, community college/technician education professionals, and policy-makers committed to increasing student success in advanced technological programs and to meeting the demand for a middle skills workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2037101	FMRG: Adaptable and Scalable Robot Teleoperation for Human-in-the-Loop Assembly	CMMI	FM-Future Manufacturing, S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math, Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/31/2022	Shuran Song	shurans@cs.columbia.edu	NY	Columbia University	Standard Grant	Bruce Kramer	01/01/2021	12/31/2025	$3,749,150.00	Steven Feiner, Matei Ciocarlie, Chandana Mahadeswaraswamy, Tristan Bel	202 LOW LIBRARY 535 W 116 ST MC	NEW YORK	NY	10.027	2.128.546.851	ENG	142Y, 1536, 7412	016Z, 073E, 075Z, 092E, 1032, 1320, 152E, 1653, 5514, 6840, 7252, 7397, 7567, 7918, 9102, 9178, MANU, SMET	The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote working in many industries. The ability for employees to work remotely, often from home, has become crucial to an organization's long-term resilience and growth potential. However, while advances in software and networking have made it possible for information workers to work remotely, most manufacturing workers cannot, because the infrastructure that is needed doesn't exist. This Future Manufacturing (FM) project will research an adaptable and scalable robot teleoperation system that allows factory workers to work remotely. The research will benefit both the manufacturing industry and the workforce by increasing access to manufacturing employment and improving working conditions and safety. By combining human-in-the-loop design with machine learning, this research can broaden the adoption of automation in manufacturing to new tasks. Beyond manufacturing, the research will also lower the entry barrier to using robotic systems for a wide range of real-world applications, such as assistive and service robots. The research team is collaborating with NYDesigns and LaGuardia Community College to translate research results to industrial partners and develop training programs to educate and prepare the future manufacturing workforce. This research suggests three key ideas to enable human-in-the-loop assembly: First, the system uses a physical scene understanding algorithm that converts the real-world robot workspace into a virtual manipulable three-dimensional scene representation. Next, a three-dimensional Virtual Reality user interface will be used to allow users to specify high-level task goals using this scene representation. Finally, the system uses a goal-driven reinforcement learning algorithm to infer an effective planning policy, given the task goals and the robot configuration. This system can overcome several limitations of existing teleoperation systems. By separating high-level task planning from low-level robot control using a physical scene representation, the system allows the operator to specify task goals without having expert knowledge of the robot hardware and configuration. By using reinforcement learning for low-level control, the system is more generalizable to new tasks and hardware.This award is co-funded by the Divisions of Civil Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems, Computer and Network Systems, Undergraduate Education, and Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences and the Cyber Physical Systems, NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and Advanced Technological Education Programs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1931215	Engaging Educators, Strengthening Practice: Creating & Sustaining Successful Industry-Education Partnerships	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/01/2019	Mary Slowinski	m.slowinski@bellevuecollege.edu	WA	Bellevue College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	12/01/2019	11/30/2024	$1,970,027.00	Rachael Bower, Edward Almasy	3000 LANDERHOLM CIR SE	BELLEVUE	WA	980.076.406	4.255.642.042	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program strives to meet the nation's demand for skilled technicians by developing and improving technology education in community and technical colleges. As technological workforce needs multiply and skilled workers become increasingly difficult to find, this effort becomes ever more critical to the health of our national economy. The employer needs for right-skilled graduates is well-documented. For example, in its most recent survey, the Manpower Group found that nearly half of employers are having difficulty filling US jobs. In addition, they report that, for the 6th consecutive year, skilled trades positions are the hardest positions to fill. When asked why they were unable to fill roles, almost half of employers point to a lack of applicants or a lack of applicants with the necessary hard or soft skills. Mitigating such disparities between workforce needs and worker skills are important goals of community and technical colleges. Strong industry partnerships are fundamental to this work. When done well, these relationships stimulate exchange and dialogue between institutions and employers that, in turn, ensure program currency, alignment with workforce needs, awareness of industry trends, and the production of graduates who are right-skilled and work-ready. Strengthening these beneficial collaborations is not only critical for the grantees of the National Science Foundation's ATE program, but for all colleges and programs that wish to advance technological education and expand opportunities and pathways for students and the communities in which they serve. The Engaging Educators, Strengthening Practice project team has investigated education-industry partnerships across the ATE community and has found that 78% of PIs have received no training or support for forming or maintaining industry partnerships. In addition, none mentioned instruction or guided development of an industry partnership action plan or support for the execution of such a plan. This project will develop curricula that supports educators in establishing and sustaining industry partnerships. The curriculum will be delivered during in-person workshops and webinars. Workshop participants will construct an industry partnership action plan based on research and best practices, as well as aligned with their specific organizational goals. The project will: 1) Develop curricula that supports educators in establishing and sustaining industry partnerships; 2) Facilitate the use of a rubric for partnership assessment/evaluation; 3) Provide professional development workshops and webinars to guide the use of the materials and to build participant community; 4) Establish online learning exchanges for post-workshop participant knowledge transfer, support, and collaboration; 5) Adapt workshop materials for online reference and use by participants and others; and 6) Disseminate the tools, findings, and outcomes of these efforts via the project website, conference presentations, published reports, and webinars. The project website and resources will be designed to ensure that they are accessible by all users, including those with disabilities. All appropriate resources will be archived with ATE Central to ensure sustainability. This project is funded by the NSF Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100114	Attracting the Next Generation Cybersecurity Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/15/2021	Shamsi Moussavi	smoussavi@massbay.edu	MA	Massachusetts Bay Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/15/2021	09/30/2024	$598,712.00	Giuseppe Sena	50 OAKLAND ST	WELLESLEY HILLS	MA	24.815.307	7.812.393.123	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	This project will address the well-documented need for skilled Cybersecurity technicians in the MetroWest and Greater Boston regions of Massachusetts. Moreover, the project team aims to increase the racial and gender diversity of the overall Cybersecurity workforce that will satisfy those local workforce demands. A replicable and sustainable educational ecosystem will be developed that will recruit, retain, and graduate students in the Cybersecurity program at MassBay Community College. Through collaborations with regional industry and high school partners, the program will encourage high school students to pursue degrees, and careers, in Cybersecurity. Retention efforts will ensure that students majoring in Cybersecurity achieve a mastery of the knowledge and the practical skills needed to meet industry expectations. Students will be provided with mentoring, career advice and support, and internship opportunities to ensure their success and entry into the Cybersecurity workforce. The educational experience provided by MassBay will be based on the development of a "Cyber Range," which is an Internet-based computer network platform that provides students with hands-on experience in Cybersecurity. Exercises will be developed to give high school and college students practical experiences in Cybersecurity. These exercises will be developed in collaboration with industry partners, using their security products, to provide students with real-world experiences in Cybersecurity. The project's Cyber Range will be used to create workshop activities for high school students, develop training materials to instruct and educate students to become peer-mentors, and offer train-the trainer workshops to high school teachers and MassBay faculty. High schools, youth serving organizations, and industry partners will use the Cyber Range to host cyber competitions, hackathons, mentoring, and internships to make students aware of and motivate them to pursue degrees in Cybersecurity. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2131150	ATETV presents: Technician Navigator	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/08/2023	Mary Ellen Gardiner	megardiner@pelletproductions.com	MA	Pellet Productions, Inc.	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$611,023.00	Patressa Gardner, Esperanza Zenon	2 HAVEN ST	READING	MA	18.672.959	7.816.709.911	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	In its 2019 report on the skilled technical workforce, the National Science Board noted that skilled technical workers represent 13% of the U.S. workforce aged 25 and older. Furthermore, these workers “contribute to all parts of the economy and the Science & Engineering enterprise” by exercising “critical thinking, design, digital, math, and coding skills to work as auto mechanics, health care technicians, electricians, welders, computer systems analysts and administrators, and operators of ‘smart’ infrastructure.” This project will bring awareness to the educational pathways leading to work and career opportunities in the skilled technical workforce, bolstering connectedness among ATE students - and more generally all students in the two-year sector, educators, and industry stakeholders. A STEM-capable and competitive workforce leads to innovation, success in industry, new discoveries in research and development, and advancements in STEM achievements. This ultimately yields a more economically prosperous nation, renewed global competitiveness, and greater economic security and prosperity, all of which are goals of the ATE program. Technician Navigator will produce an ATETV repository of authentic original content produced by current practicing technicians for future technicians that will include blogs, videos, audio materials, and forums. These materials will inform and engage students, families, and educators. Through virtual events and one-on-one sessions developed by faculty and industry representatives, technicians will guide prospective students through the college decision-making process, supporting them through enrollment. Creating contextual experiences to increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of a skilled technical workforce is at the heart of this project. Contextual experiences meet prospective students where they are instead of trying to attract their attention, and then use a series of connected experiences that incrementally guide them along their journey to enrolling in technician education programs at community and technical colleges. This will be a first-of-its-kind experiential resource designed to attract and recruit students into technician education programs and walk them through the process of enrolling in technician education programs. It is expected that Technician Navigator will serve the ATE community as a tested model for student recruitment with digital tools and resources for use in other ATE community outreach efforts. Content and contextual experiences will establish a community, connect people and programs, and generate excitement and interest through authentic materials and experiences. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2035556	Rural Electronics Education Hub Pilot in the Upper Mississippi River Basin	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/21/2021	Marc Kalis	mkalis@southeastmn.edu	MN	Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	01/01/2021	12/31/2024	$516,513.00	Alice Zimmer, Calvin Clemons	1250 HOMER RD	WINONA	MN	559.876.821	5.074.532.752	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology sectors in the United States continue to face a widening workforce skills gap and declining STEM workforce pipelines. Up to 2.4 million unfilled jobs in these sectors are predicted by 2028. In Minnesota and the upper Mississippi River Basin, workforce surveys identified the need for more than 1,000 electronics technology positions by 2026. As businesses transition to electromechanical equipment, and apply automation and smart manufacturing, skillset requirements for workers shift, creating a skills deficiency in candidate and incumbent workers. Rural businesses have additional challenges in building a skilled workforce, including a lack of success at attracting females, underserved/underrepresented populations, or Native Americans into their workforce. The recent impact of a viral pandemic has also highlighted a need to address blended and distance instructional delivery to reach these workers of tomorrow. This project will support the regional need for electronics technicians through a dual-credit Introduction to Electronics Certificate that allows students to obtain high school credit and college credit simultaneously. The Certificate will support entry of high school students, college students, and adult workers into electronics pathways by providing courses that meet requirements of associate degree programs. The overarching goal of the project is to expand the pipeline of skilled technicians into electronics technology careers. To do so, this project will create a replicable certificate program that bridges the gaps between K-12 schools, post-secondary institutions of higher education, and the manufacturing sector. The project will support: 1) a sustained pipeline of workers through a dual enrollment Introduction to Electronics Certificate with articulated paths to Associate of Applied Science programs; 2) mediated and distance learning materials with simulation, blended delivery, and portable lab modules; 3) a Culture Change Model, drawing on multiple regional influencers for support and action research by educators, industry, vendors, and peer academic colleges; 4) faculty professional development on training technologies and manufacturing industry needs; 5) a diversity outreach strategy for females, underserved/underrepresented and Native American populations into electronics; and 6) collaborative relationships with four-year institutions to further develop career pathways in electronics. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2149550	Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/08/2023	Peter Crabtree	plcrabtree@berkeley.edu	CA	University of California-Berkeley	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$985,356.00		1608 4TH ST STE 201	BERKELEY	CA	947.101.749	5.106.433.891	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Commercial buildings are a predominant feature of U.S. cities that account for almost 20% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the U.S. There is increased pressure in the U.S. to reduce GHG emissions and conserve non-renewable energy resources that is leading to a need to reduce the consumption of energy in commercial buildings. At the same time, research on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings suggests that improved indoor environmental quality increases worker productivity. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that there are 292,000 "HVAC Mechanics and Installers" employed in the U.S. and that the field will add almost 40,000 new positions between 2014 and 2024, a much faster than average rate of growth. A study for the HVACR Workforce Development foundation estimates that 70% of openings in the field are middle skill jobs requiring postsecondary education and that the demand for these workers outstrips supply. To address these issues, it is necessary to educate a workforce of Building Automation Systems (BAS) Specialists as well as High Performance Building Operations Professionals (HPBOP). The Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center will focus on growing its national network of community and technical colleges interested in improving and/or developing new building science technician education programs. The BEST Center proposes to serve as a national vehicle for the collection, dissemination, and adoption of responsive, timely, and exceptional educational programs, courses, lab applications, and innovative instructional methods for the education of building systems technicians. This project outlines three goals: 1) Transform the instructional capacity of community colleges in the field of building technician education, with an emphasis on HPBOP and BAS training and certification; 2) Engage industry stakeholders and research partners in a national collaboration with community colleges to support high quality building science instructional programs; and, 3) Strengthen the national STEM pipeline for building technicians, focusing on outreach to both high school students and underrepresented adult learners. The Center will continue to archive model curriculum and disseminate and promote adoption of this model curriculum nationwide.
2000242	Improving the Biotechnology Internship Experience to Better Prepare Student Technicians for the Modern Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/07/2020	Susan Ingersoll	singersoll@valenciacollege.edu	FL	Valencia Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2020	09/30/2024	$293,976.00	Anitza San Miguel, Dheeraj Verma	1768 PARK CENTER DR	ORLANDO	FL	328.356.200	4.075.822.909	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national need for a highly skilled technical workforce by improving biotechnology student education. The biotechnology industry in Florida is expanding, with growth that is more than twice the national average. The College intends to expand its biotechnology program to meet this growing need. Specifically, the project plans to improve biotechnology education by updating and revitalizing the current biotechnology internship experience. Internships offer students critical learning and workforce experiences, helping them to develop essential employability skills. This project plans to improve students’ learning through internships by increasing the number of internship opportunities, improving the biotechnology curriculum to better align with the needs of industry partners, enhancing the internship experience with an online interactive resource, and developing a biotechnology network to match students with future employers. This combination of cultivating industry partners, integrating technical skills and essential workplace skills, and community building is expected to increase the impact of biotechnology internships, including helping student successfully transition into a biotechnology career. This project is designed to provide biotechnology employers with highly educated and skilled technicians, thus enabling newly hired technicians to be rapidly productive on the job. The objectives of the project are to: 1) expand biotechnology internship opportunities for students by expanding the number of current internship partners; 2) amplify biotechnology essential skills training for students by developing an internship curriculum that includes essential workforce skills; 3) enhance the student experience by developing online modules to deliver internship information and develop student skills; 4) expand the biotechnology community by creating and hosting a one-day symposium that convenes high school students, biotechnology undergraduates, and industry partners. Additional goals are to increase diversity in the biotechnology industry through outreach and partnership with the local area high schools that have diverse student populations. Resources developed by the project will be shared through the NSF ATE network. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1953645	RET Site: Providing Research Experiences and Practicum on Cyber-Physical Systems for Regional Community College Faculty (PREP-CPS)	EEC	RES EXP FOR TEACHERS(RET)-SITE, Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/26/2020	Bradley Harris	bradley-harris@utc.edu	TN	University of Tennessee Chattanooga	Standard Grant	Patricia Simmons	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$591,489.00	Stephanie Philipp	615 MCCALLIE AVE	CHATTANOOGA	TN	374.032.504	4.234.254.431	ENG	1359, 7412	1032, 115E, 9177, SMET	This award creates a new RET Site: Providing Research Experiences and Practicum on Cyber-Physical Systems for Regional Community College Faculty (PREP-CPS) at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC). Each summer, ten community college faculty teaching in Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) fields will participate in research activities with engineering faculty at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. The community college faculty will be recruited from 5 feeder colleges in the greater Chattanooga region. Participants at the site will receive basic training in cyber-physical systems, along with specific knowledge on how to use these tools to address the pressing problems and needs of the future. A key enabler for future technology developments, cyber-physical systems is an interdisciplinary research area that engages a broad spectrum of disciplines and could bring about revolutionary changes in domains such as energy, environment, and healthcare. This technology has the potential to transform our everyday lives (e.g., smartphones, activity trackers), our communities (e.g., self-driving cars, smart cities), and even our future (e.g., clean energy, space exploration). The participating community college faculty will translate their experience and knowledge by developing instructional modules and course materials that leverage cutting-edge technology and better prepare students for in-demand research and career fields. These activities all contribute to the strengthening of the multi-institutional consortia of the UTC and its feeder colleges in order to promote curricular alignment for a seamless engineering transfer pathway that can be replicated across the state and nation. The RET site will provide participants with much-needed discovery and lab-based research experiences involving cutting-edge technology in cyber-physical systems. Participants will conduct research on cyber-physical systems applied to engineering challenges for smart and sustainable urban infrastructure and industries. These efforts will lead to new knowledge, technology, and process optimization in algal biofuels and biohydrogen production, geothermal systems, solar energy harvesting, and rocket propulsion systems. Objectives include: (1) Increase participants’ research skills and practical knowledge of CPS; (2) Increase participants’ self-efficacy in creating and implementing laboratory-based experiments using cutting-edge technology with students in the classroom; (3) Help bridge the preparedness gap between what is exhibited by community college transfer students and what is expected by university engineering faculty. Coached by a STEM Education faculty member, participants will develop lesson plans for two types of modules: lab-in-a-box modules, in which students conduct inexpensive high-tech laboratory experiments on site, and remote modules, in which students conduct laboratory experiments remotely with state-of-the-art technology at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. The modules developed through this Site will incorporate threshold concepts that will help ensure community college students in the greater Chattanooga region transfer smoothly to the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and other four-year institutions. This award is being co-funded by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program and the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2054997	Preparing Students for Technical Careers in Autonomous Technologies for Commercial Trucks and Off-Highway Vehicles	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/21/2021	Carl Borleis	carl.borleis@dctc.edu	MN	Dakota County Technical College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	04/15/2021	03/31/2024	$466,267.00	Chris Hadfield, Shannon Mohn	1300 145TH ST E	ROSEMOUNT	MN	550.682.932	6.514.238.319	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	To increase safety and reduce costs, autonomous technologies are rapidly growing in commercial trucking fleets and off-highway vehicles. Autonomous technologies require a variety of devices, including radar, lidar, video camera systems, communication systems, and differential global positioning systems. Truck service technicians need to be trained to troubleshoot, diagnose, repair, and calibrate these devices and vehicle control systems. However, technician training programs have not kept pace with the new technologies or the increasing demand for technicians with these skills. To address these needs, this project will offer training workshops for instructors in diesel and truck technician training programs. These workshops will help instructors enhance their training programs to include the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for maintaining autonomous technologies in vehicles. The project is led by the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence, a consortium of public post-secondary colleges with transportation programs. The project will provide consortium members with shared access to vehicles with autonomous technologies. These vehicles will be used for the new training programs, as well as outreach. This project intends to prepare students for technical careers in a growing field that requires new skills and understanding of autonomous technologies for vehicles. The Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence serves as a resource hub for autonomous technologies in transportation, providing curriculum resources and subject matter experts for secondary and post-secondary educators. The goal of this project is to advance the knowledge of autonomous technologies in truck service technician programs and, thus, address the growing need for qualified, knowledgeable technicians with the ability to maintain and repair these technologies. To do so, the project will: (1) develop awareness of career opportunities and advances in autonomous technologies for secondary students, transitional workers, and veterans; (2) enhance existing technician programs through professional development for educators and curriculum development; and (3) support the technician training community with shared resources that will include a set of vehicles equipped with the latest autonomous technologies. Using faculty and student surveys, focus groups, and interviews, the project will assess the impact of career awareness activities on students, the impact of the professional development workshops on faculty, and the impact of the new training equipment on students and faculty. The project outcomes will be disseminated through national conferences and professional transportation-related associations. Educational resources developed during this project will be made available to the public through the center’s website. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000442	Advancing Strategies in Cybersecurity Education and Career Development	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/08/2021	Diego Tibaquira	dtibaqui@mdc.edu	FL	Miami Dade College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$410,000.00	Antonio Delgado, Nelly Delessy, Manuel Perez	300 NORTHEAST 2ND AVE	MIAMI	FL	331.322.204	3.052.373.910	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Keeping computers and information systems secure is a critical need and a major challenge. Thus, business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can prevent, detect, and investigate cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have the knowledge and skills to protect digital infrastructure. This project will provide opportunities to broaden participation in the cybersecurity workforce by educating technicians to meet the evolving needs of the cybersecurity field and by strengthening the pipeline from high school to college to employer. This project will build on the results of Miami Dade College's prior NSF-funded project (DUE-1800958), which focused on building the capacity of college faculty in cybersecurity, developing a College Credit Certificate and a two-year Associate of Science degree in cybersecurity, and creating a pathway to these credentials for first-time-in-college and nontraditional students. The new project will focus on strengthening the relationship with high schools to improve the pipeline of students to the college's cybersecurity programs and supporting the retention, graduation, and job placement of students in the Associate of Science in Cybersecurity program. The project's objectives are to strengthen the pipeline from high school to college-level cybersecurity degree programs and to increase students' employability by aligning their learning with employer-informed technical and soft-skill competencies embedded in structured, applied learning experiences. Activities will include implementing an applied cybersecurity curriculum across partner high schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, providing professional development for high school teachers, offering dual-enrollment courses for partner high schools, hosting cybersecurity summer camps for high school students, collaborating with business/industry partners to place students in internships and jobs, developing a competency checklist and a sample internship plan to guide employers and students, and providing academic success coaching to help students complete the Associate of Science in Cybersecurity program. The project evaluation will specifically examine strategies for recruiting high school students into cybersecurity, especially students from groups that are not yet equitably represented in STEM careers. Evaluation will also include measures of high school teachers’ preparation for teaching cybersecurity and the preparedness of the students who move into cybersecurity positions at local companies. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000776	Collaborative Research: Preparing the Workforce for Industry 4.0's Intelligent Industrial Robotics	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/07/2020	Lyn Potter	lyn.potter@chattanoogastate.edu	TN	Chattanooga State Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	07/01/2020	06/30/2024	$166,769.00	Jerry Roberts	4501 AMNICOLA HWY	CHATTANOOGA	TN	374.061.018	4.236.974.455	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	According to the International Federation of Robotics, nearly 75% of the global market for next-generation industrial robotics is in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. To remain competitive, U.S. industries need to rapidly accelerate the use of intelligent robotics. As a result, the nation needs to train highly skilled technicians who can program, use, maintain, and repair intelligent industrial robots. This collaborative project will address the nation’s shortfall of qualified technicians in intelligent industrial robotics. It intends to do so by establishing a collaboration between academic institutions and major manufacturers in the eastern and central regions of Tennessee and Alabama. Together these partners will define the necessary skillset for the next-generation industrial robotics technical workforce. They will also develop a curriculum that will allow students to learn those skills. This project will result in one of the first programs in the nation for workforce training in intelligent robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. This effort will thus support U.S. businesses and industries to rapidly and effectively incorporate next-generation robotics in their workplace. The project has the following specific aims: 1) develop intelligent robotics curricular modules; 2) implement train-the-trainer workshops for educators; 3) identify skill sets needed for handling the next-generation robotics; 4) develop a knowledge base of next-generation robotics for secondary and post-secondary educators; and 5) increase public awareness of next-generation robotics. By using a collaboration among four academic institutions in the eastern and central regions of Tennessee and Alabama, and involving major manufacturers in the region, the project expects to deliver outcomes that will be sustainable and can be replicated or adapted at other institutions. This project intends to develop one of the first programs in the nation for workforce training at community and technical colleges in intelligent robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. Since community and technical college supply a significant percentage of the industrial workforce, this project has the potential to help U.S. businesses and industries rapidly and effectively incorporate next-generation robotics in their workplace. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202169	Grant Insights through Research & Development (GIRD): Using Big Data Centered Mixed Methods to Explain Variances in Grant Funding and Outcomes at Two-Year Colleges	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/25/2022	Benjamin Reid	ben@impactallies.com	FL	IMPACT ALLIES INC	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	10/01/2022	09/30/2025	$797,040.00	Rassoul Dastmozd, William Tyson, Christopher Baechle	2002 CORDOVA AVE	VERO BEACH	FL	329.604.119	9.728.003.234	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Recognizing disparities in external funding across two-year institutions in advanced technological education programs and the need to build institutional capacity to address these disparities, this research is designed to surface factors and characteristics of institutions that are associated with successful efforts to secure external funds. Descriptive information derived from this investigation will form the basis for a set of empirically derived best practices associated with success in securing funding. The central research question is, "What characteristics and factors differentiate colleges with varying levels of external funding?" The research team will conduct a mixed methods research study that combines a rich set of data: (1) algorithm-derived meta-data on two-year college characteristics and performance; (2) public and campus institutional data; (3) surveys of college and program faculty and administrators; and (4) in-depth interviews with college and program faculty and administrators. The team will adapt quantitative research methods, such as big data algorithms, cluster analyses, and decisions support systems, commonly employed by the financial and health care sectors, and apply them to higher education. In an effort to support skilled technical workforce development in advanced-technology fields through fostering institutional capacity, the goal of the investigation is to establish viable pathways and impactful practices by which less grant-active, two-year colleges can utilize external funding resources to better meet the needs of diverse student populations, faculty, and institutions in advanced technological programs. Additionally, the project will apply and test an innovative use of quantitative research approaches to answer questions that now can be examined using large data sets and data science methods in combination with more traditional data collection methodologies. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the Nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1841520	Phase II I/UCRC [George Mason University]: Center for Spatiotemporal Thinking, Computing and Applications.	CNS	GOALI-Grnt Opp Acad Lia wIndus, Special Projects - CNS, IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,	09/08/2023	Chaowei Yang	cyang3@gmu.edu	VA	George Mason University	Continuing Grant	Mohan Kumar	03/15/2019	02/28/2025	$2,935,038.00	Donglian Sun, Manzhu Yu, Liang Zhao, Matthew Rice	4400 UNIVERSITY DR	FAIRFAX	VA	220.304.422	7.039.932.295	CSE	1504, 1714, 5761, 7412, S293, S294, S295, U164, U165, U166, V220, V221, V222, W304, W305, W306, W307, X368, X369, X371, X419	019Z, 1032, 1504, 5761, 7218, 8237, 9178, 9251, SMET	We live in a four dimensional world with three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension. Understanding the nature of the spatiotemporal dimensions integratively will help us better prepare for challenges facing us in the 21st century and beyond: a) responding to climate change with better climate simulations, b) mitigating asteroids' impact to our home planet like the dinosaur-killer, c) resolving political disputations with spatiotemporal understanding of the culture, boundaries, history, and future of relevant nations, and d) equipping our future leaders with spatiotemporal thinking capability and decision support tools. Following the success of Phase I spatiotemporal Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) investigation as a collaboration among George Mason, Harvard, and the University of California-Santa Barbara, the second phase of the center will move forward with the mission to 1) build a national and international spatiotemporal infrastructure; 2) develop, with industry and agency members, new spatiotemporal technologies, solutions, tools, and software that will be easily integrated with existing and future industry products and services; 3) improve human intelligence by developing a set of spatiotemporal thinking methodologies built into K-16 curriculum; and 4) improving human capabilities in responding to grand scientific and engineering challenges. Outreach will be conducted to maximize the broader impacts: 1) collaborating closely with more than four active members each year to develop relevant methodologies and technologies; 2) disseminating research results to industry and government agency members and through publications for adoption and broader impacts. 3) working with leading associations to broadcast the research results and recruit new members; 4) developing new course material and curriculum within existing degree programs and broadcast for wider adoption; 5) continuing our diverse traditions to include minorities and other underrepresented groups in this STEM field; 6) making all results open source to benefit relevant domains nationally and internationally. The center will post all information on an official website (https://www.stcenter.net/) and two content management portals accessible through the official website. A project management website will be utilized to share all project reports, working papers, presentations, posters, and publications. The data and research results produced will be integrated into the center's operational community cloud (http://sites.cloud.gmu.edu/sthcp/index.php) to be maintained as a sustainable resource for the center for long term sustainability. Source code developed in the center will be open to the public using github. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1953653	Using Interconnected Career Pathways and Success Coaching to Enhance Student Success in STEM	DUE	HSI-Hispanic Serving Instituti, Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/10/2023	Luz Rodriguez	lrodri14@rcsj.edu	NJ	Rowan College of South Jersey -- Cumberland Campus	Standard Grant	Mike Ferrara	07/01/2020	06/30/2025	$2,145,082.00	Christina Nase, Cortney Bolden, Anthony Haddad	3322 COLLEGE DR	VINELAND	NJ	83.606.926	8.562.004.548	EDU	077Y, 7412	1032, 8209, 9178	With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, this Track 1 project seeks to improve the success of students in STEM fields. It will do so by developing a regional model of culturally inclusive STEM career pathways that span from high school to STEM careers. The pathways will focus especially on careers in cybersecurity and mechatronics/engineering, which have high workforce demands and offer well-paying career pathways. This STEM career pathways model will be designed to enhance relationship-oriented student supports and coaching to help students across critical transitions, such as the transition from high school to college. It is expected that these supports will result in increased success rates among STEM students, particularly students from Hispanic or low-income populations. The project will also support improvements in STEM curricula, implementation of high-impact practices such as active learning, and access to research and work-based learning experiences. By enhancing the STEM learning experience, the project seeks to increase enrollment, retention rates, two- and four-year degree completion rates, and career placement of students. The project seeks to generate effective practices for designing a STEM career pathway model and will share its findings with the broader higher education community. The project aims to generate new knowledge about how to enhance student success in STEM by defining career pathways and supporting students in those pathways. By embedding transfer program pathways in cybersecurity and mechatronics/engineering, the project will enhance opportunities for students to enter the STEM workforce in these fields. Project goals are to: 1) Increase retention, credit-hour accumulation, graduation, and STEM career entry outcomes; 2) Increase engagement of students, including Hispanic and low-income students, in course-based undergraduate research and experiential learning through cross-sector partnerships; 3) Improve academic and career outcomes for students through innovative STEM teaching and learning strategies and curricular models. The project evaluation includes a quasi-experimental impact study to examine results by comparing outcomes for cohort and non-cohort students, enabling assessment of differential outcomes between groups. Mid-project outcome-trend reports, as well as the post-grant impact study, will be disseminated via presentations at STEM conferences, publications, and outreach to non-NSF funded HSIs. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902574	National Center for Autonomous Technologies	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/16/2023	Jonathan Beck	jonathan.beck@northlandcollege.edu	MN	Northland Community & Technical College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2019	06/30/2024	$7,075,834.00	Vincent DiNoto, Jill Zande, Benjamin Richason, Zackary Nicklin, Chris Hadfield	1101 HIGHWAY 1 E	THIEF RIVER FALLS	MN	567.012.528	2.186.838.643	EDU	7412	1032, 5761, 9178, SMET	This ATE National Center aims to serve the national need for developing and maintaining a skilled technical workforce in the field of autonomous technologies. Autonomous technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way people across the globe live, work, travel, and learn. They also have critical implications for the national economy, as well as national safety and security. The National Center for Autonomous Technologies will focus on three areas of autonomous technology: unmanned aircraft systems, connected automated vehicles, and unmanned underwater vehicles. These autonomous vehicles will have tremendous impact on the quality of human life across the nation, from rural to urban communities, as well on understanding of agriculture, the biosphere, and sustaining life in the oceans. Successful deployment of autonomous vehicles requires highly skilled, agile technicians who can support vehicle design, monitoring, control, use, and repair. The mission of the National Center for Autonomous Technologies will be to coordinate and lead efforts to educate the skilled technical workforce in autonomous technologies. The Center aims to achieve its mission through a concerted national effort that will develop and disseminate educational resources to meet current and future workforce demands and broadly engage stakeholders from industry, government, and related ATE projects and centers. The Center aims to improve student learning and technician education by conducting research and analysis to design quality curricula and content that meets the evolving demands of autonomous technologies in unmanned aircraft systems, connected automated vehicles, and unmanned underwater vehicles. The Center also aims to support recruitment and success of rural and underrepresented students in careers related to autonomous technologies, while developing replicable models that increase access to these careers for all students. This work will build upon existing collaborations with Tribal Serving Colleges and with high schools throughout the Northern Plains region. The Center's specific objectives include to: 1) design, develop, coordinate, and implement specialized and collaborative autonomous technology workshops for educators and industry; 2) expand engagement in STEM and autonomous technologies by increasing the quality and diversity of the STEM workforce; 3) employ service learning activities that support community engagement and increase the visibility and utility of careers in autonomous technologies; and 4) establish an education resource hub for autonomous technologies with a focus on outreach and expanded partnerships. The National Center for Autonomous Technologies aims to achieve its mission through partnerships with ATE Centers (e.g., CAAT; CA2VES; GeoTech; MATE; and SpaceTEC), ATE projects, industry, and government. By supporting collaborations among these stakeholders, the Center expects to develop and disseminate the content and tools needed to educate technicians for careers in autonomous technologies. This project is funded by the NSF Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2302242	Cybersecurity Enhancement and Expansion Program for Information Technology Programs at the College of Central Florida	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/19/2023	Amy Osborne	osbornea@cf.edu	FL	College of Central Florida	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$302,105.00		3001 SW COLLEGE RD	OCALA	FL	344.744.415	3.522.372.111	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The growing need for cybersecurity professionals is well documented. The Florida state legislature created “The Florida Center for Cybersecurity,” also known as “Cyber Florida,” in 2014 with the “vision of making Florida the most cyber-secure state in the nation.” To support this initiative and to increase the number of cybersecurity professionals in the region, the College of Central Florida (CF) will develop a new College Credit Certificate (CCC) focused on cybersecurity with a pathway into the workforce via industry partnerships and co-ops/internships. The project will implement outreach activities that target high school and community college students, adult students, and the larger community. The goal of the project is to address the increasing demand for a qualified cybersecurity workforce in the region by expanding CF’s capacity to attract, retain and successfully certify an increased number of students. The lessons learned from this project will contribute valuable empirical data on associate-level cybersecurity education and workforce training and will be disseminated to the education community. The proposed project will accomplish the following objectives: (1) Develop a new CCC with a focus on cybersecurity; (2) Increase the number and diversity of students enrolled in cybersecurity and IT programs and certificates; and (3) Increase the number of students who complete Cybersecurity /IT programs, and pass industry certifications. Local employers and the National Cybersecurity Training & Education Center (NCyTE) will guide the development of the new cybersecurity CCC. The project will examine whether offering a financial aid-eligible 30-credit hour CCC focused specifically on cybersecurity makes a difference in the number and gender of students it attracts. The new course curricula and materials as well as insights generated by the project implementation will be shared with other institutions across the country via CF website, Cyber Florida, and the NCyTE Center. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202142	Design Enhancement Through Advanced Integrative Learning	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/08/2022	Mahmood Lahroodi	mlahroodi@cvtc.edu	WI	Chippewa Valley Technical College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$554,550.00	Hans Mikelson, Joe Vydrzal, Paul Girolamo	620 W CLAIREMONT AVE	EAU CLAIRE	WI	547.016.120	7.158.336.419	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) is a critical part of the product development cycle in any manufacturing field. The idea behind DFMA is to design parts in a way that allows them to be easily manufactured. If an individual is designing parts with no understanding of what will be required to produce those parts, product flaws and costly redesigns can arise. Focusing on design optimization reduces the cost of manufacturing and is therefore critical to any manufacturing company. Regional stakeholders indicated the need for employees with experience in DFMA. To help regional stakeholders’ need for employees with knowledge of DFMA, Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) will work with industry partners to develop Project Based Learning (PBL) activities that will provide secondary and post-secondary students opportunities to solve real-life DFMA problems. The project will leverage the CVTC Prototype Lab, developed through a previous NSF Advanced Technological Education award, to provide students and community members a space to take their designs from concept to reality. Increasing opportunities to experience the complex field of manufacturing through hands-on, contextualized problems will lead to increased enrollment in related post-secondary programs and subsequent entry into high-demand, high-skilled manufacturing careers. The goals of this project are to: (1) prepare technicians for manufacturing and engineering through applied education of DFMA processes and concepts, and (2) increase the capacity of rural secondary teachers to provide instruction in DFMA. Through completion of PBL activities and design workshops, students will demonstrate mastery of core competencies related to DFMA. PBL activities will be developed with direct assistance from industry partners and incorporated into various courses throughout the Mechanical Design Technology and Manufacturing Engineering Technologist programs. PBL activities will focus on a variety of topics, including simple machines, tool design, mechanisms, robotic tools, and surface design. During capstone experiences, post-secondary students will engage directly with industry partners as they respond to real-world business problems related to DFMA. Introduction at the secondary level will involve incorporation of PBL activities into several courses and a regional design competition. Specific professional development and mentoring geared toward high school faculty will benefit future students for years to come. The project will include evaluation by an external expert. Results of this evaluation could inform other institutions about effective approaches to recruiting and educating technicians for DFMA jobs. In addition, via an interactive website, project partners and community members will be kept apprised of project progress and success. This website will also provide a place for other institutions to access the PBL activities developed. The CVTC Prototype Lab will continue to provide a space to inspire makers and entrepreneurs from the community to turn their ideas into new products, creating a culture of innovation and invention in the Chippewa Valley. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100322	Teaching Technician Troubleshooting with Mini Industry 4.0 Factories	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/22/2022	Mason Lefler	mlefler@btech.edu	UT	Bridgerland Applied Technology College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$547,981.00	Matt Fuller, Tyler Storey, Jeffrey Waddoups, Stephen Allred	1301 N 600 W	LOGAN	UT	843.212.292	4.357.503.214	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Utah is facing a critical shortage of skilled advanced manufacturing technicians due to the large number of industries that continue to automate their facilities, the limited number of advanced manufacturing programs in the state, and the looming retirement of a large portion of the workforce in the next several years. Automated systems that formerly employed standalone electronic systems are now integrated with more automated processes such as: information technology, big data, and industrial robotics. Manufacturers are calling for students who not only understand the constituent parts of manufacturing systems and how they interact but fundamentally understand troubleshooting methodology. Highly skilled technicians need to be able to troubleshoot complex systems that are not only composed of motors, conveyors, and sensors, but also reliant on networks of devices, intricate computer codes that control processes, and high-speed exchanges of data about the state of the different components in the systems. Bridgerland Applied Technology College, in collaboration with industry partners, aims to develop and build a “Mini Industry 4.0” factory along with associated curricular materials. Together they will be used to teach troubleshooting practices in support of the education of the skilled technical workforce needed by the advanced manufacturing industry. To meet the demands of industry, this project will pursue four objectives. First is to integrate troubleshooting methodology into the current curriculum of three programs at the institution. Second is to build a low cost "Mini Industry 4.0" factory and develop a corresponding troubleshooting curriculum. Third is to provide professional development in troubleshooting complex manufacturing systems for faculty. And fourth is to deliver high-quality professional development to high school and college faculty throughout the region. The project will evaluate how the mini-factory and augmented reality impact student learning outcomes with respect to troubleshooting, and the College will evaluate students periodically throughout the certificate with respect to "Employment Skills & Ethics." Redesigned certificate courses and newly designed industry courses will be shared across the state and nation. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000519	Advanced Technological Education Network for Utilities and Energy Technical Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/03/2023	Amy Kox	amy.kox@nwtc.edu	WI	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2020	06/30/2024	$479,724.00	Jennifer Brinker, Tom Hebert, Howard Herrild, Joel Mikulsky	2740 W MASON ST	GREEN BAY	WI	543.034.966	9.204.985.615	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	As many skilled workers approach retirement and fewer qualified candidates are available to replace them, the energy industry is suffering from shortages of workers with key engineering and technical skills. This shortage is estimated to affect more than 70 percent of energy employers across the nation. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, a two-year technical college, offers one of the widest varieties of utility-related associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates in the Midwest. However, filling the workforce pipeline will require the coordinated efforts of many institutions, organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders. This project aims to develop such a cross-sector network to develop collaborations and share resources to address current and anticipated utility and energy industry workforce and training needs. Faculty in the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College utility and energy program, in consultation with industry, will identify and cultivate a core leadership group of national and regional stakeholders from industry, academia, and workforce development to create a formal utilities and energy coordination network. The network will create a shared vision to guide its evolution and establish the structure and norms for building member relationships. This work will lay the groundwork to execute strategies for utility technician training in gas, electrical power, and utilities engineering sectors to address nationwide workforce shortages. The project will look at methods to increase collaboration between industry and educational stakeholders. It will also examine how best practices and information can be shared across regions and the nation to broaden impact and create sustained progress towards achieving network goals. This research will add to the current body of knowledge about network development and the relevance of networks in addressing complex problems, like worker shortages across industries with high-demand occupations. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1801163	PathTech LISTEN: Mixed Methods Longitudinal Investigations of Students in Technician EducatioN	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	02/10/2023	William Tyson	wtyson@usf.edu	FL	University of South Florida	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	10/01/2018	10/31/2023	$1,117,688.00	Marilyn Barger, Lakshmi Jayaram	4202 E FOWLER AVE	TAMPA	FL	336.205.800	8.139.742.897	EDU	7412	096Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Producing more middle skills professionals in advanced technology fields is important for the nations' prosperity. To promote greater success in advanced technology education, this project aims to study the relationships between community college attendance and later educational and occupational outcomes. The research team from the University of South Florida and the Florida Technological Education Center at Hillsborough Community College propose extending their current research on school-work-life balance. To accomplish this goal, they will conduct a longitudinal research study that examines the transition from taking community college courses, to attaining associates and baccalaureate degrees, to reaching career goals, such as better pay and job promotion. The project will increase understanding of issues and challenges involved in the school-work-life balance for students pursuing credentials and careers in advanced technology. A qualitative and quantitative mixed method longitudinal study will examine student life experiences and pathways, from entry to completion of academic programs to entrance into the workforce. The study will address the shortage of information about pre-college and college technician and occupational pathways, and attainment of credentials and post-program outcomes (e.g., careers and employment). The proposed work builds on the first two phases of the PathTech Life study and focuses on Engineering Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, and Biotechnology. The project team will conduct a longitudinal interview study with national scope coupled with the development and administration of a national survey to answer four sets of research questions that examine the connections among school, work, and other life responsibilities: 1. How do students from diverse backgrounds at different life stages experience their advanced technological program? 2. What are students' short-term education goals (i.e., complete specific coursework, earn certificate or degree) and do they accomplish them? 3. What aspects of an advanced technology education programs prepare student to meet their broader educational and employment goals? 4. What program and institutional efforts do colleges employ to increase recruitment, retention, and connections with students from diverse backgrounds? Results of this research can inform improvements to advanced technological education that support greater retention, graduation, and successful entry into the technical workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1738689	Phase II IUCRC Virginia Tech: Center for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems (CEHMS)	EEC	IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, , , , , ,	05/25/2023	Jinsuo Zhang	zjinsuo5@vt.edu	VA	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Continuing Grant	Prakash Balan	08/01/2017	12/31/2023	$847,619.00	Dong Ha, Shashank Priya, Lei Zuo, Shima Shahab	300 TURNER ST NW	BLACKSBURG	VA	240.603.359	5.402.315.281	ENG	5761, 7412, Q272, Q273, Q310, S141, U123, u124	1032, 127E, 170E, 5761, 8040, 9102, 9178, 9251, SMET	Transforming ambient energy, available freely from many sources (mostly as wasted energy), to electric power has attracted the interest of different industries because of growth potential and breadth of applications. The ability to generate power locally could eliminate the need to deliver power through a wire, and recharge or replace batteries. Through industry-directed research and collaborative efforts between the center sites, industry members of the Center for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems (CEHMS) and others will be able to embed self-powered sensors within structures (buildings, aircraft, bridges, nuclear plants, etc.) to relay information about their structural integrity, power sensors for natural hazards monitoring, replenish power of portable and wearable electronic devices, and support the Internet of Things and operation of autonomous systems. The multidisciplinary research team will perform research on industry-driven projects with the objective of translating laboratory prototypes into commercial products; build on interdisciplinary strengths in science and technology, and; develop strong collaborations with industry. We will use a holistic approach to design and develop multifunctional building envelopes and infrastructure surfaces, through which the interactions and potential synergies between the various material and structural behaviors, energy harvesting and efficiency performance, and human behaviors are properly understood, modeled, and exploited, while eliminating or minimizing any potentially detrimental consequences or interactions. In addition, we will also develop effective sensing and monitoring systems and accelerated testing methods for maximized energy harvesting efficiency and life cycle cost performance. As the first step to make a transformative change for energy harvesting through civil engineering infrastructure through the following five research thrusts: 1) Multifunctional advanced materials and structures for energy harvesting and efficiency; 2) Energy converting devices for solar, geothermal, and mechanics energy harvesting and storage, such as battery and fuel cells; 3) Roadway energy harvesting systems with infrastructure protection; 4) Energy efficient buildings with energy harvesting and wireless sensing; and 5) Life cycle analysis and testing of energy harvesting materials and systems.
2300974	Advancing Progress in Industrial BioManufacturing to Accelerate Workforce Readiness	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/17/2023	Louise Petruzzella	lpetruzzella@biomade.org	CA	BIOINDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN ECOSYSTEM	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	08/01/2023	07/31/2026	$510,430.00	Amanda Rosenzweig, Thomas Tubon	1400 65TH ST STE 200	EMERYVILLE	CA	946.081.020	6.518.676.588	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The rapidly expanding sector of biotechnology requires a workforce trained in all aspects of biomanufacturing. This project, in particular, is leading the development of workforce programming designed to increase career readiness and occupational competencies in the emerging space of bioindustrial manufacturing. While existing programs that lead to degrees and credentials in biotechnology provide critical core skills, they fall short of meeting the industry benchmarks for the skills and competencies in demand for industrial scale bioprocessing. New curricula are needed to teach critical engineering principles such as analysis, design, development, scale-up, and commercialization of bio-based processes and products. Expansion of the talent pool to leverage the existing biotechnology program infrastructure in our Nation’s community colleges will require the development and adoption of new curricular materials to integrate key benchmarks for bioprocess engineering. Instructional modules created as part of this project will guide other colleges with materials adaptation and course integration during the scale-out phase of the project. Three goals guide this project's collaboration between Delgado Community College (DCC) and Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE). First is to formalize a Community of Practice (CoP) for workforce agencies, academic institutions, and industry/commercial entities to inform local, regional, and national workforce efforts in bioindustrial manufacturing. Second is to develop, test, and finalize key bioprocessing concept education modules that meet performance benchmarks for bioindustrial manufacturing. Third is to increase capacity of a diverse and inclusive workforce ecosystem as well as career entry through the deployment of curricular materials and dissemination efforts, such as industry-driven workshops, government interagency collaboration, and expanded community and technical college curriculum adoption. This project will fill knowledge gaps related to bioprocessing for careers in bioindustrial manufacturing. These efforts will contribute to a well-prepared, industry-qualified, and diverse biomanufacturing workforce. Not only will the proposed BioMADE project produce resources that will address skills and advancement opportunities for high-skilled technicians in the bioindustrial manufacturing industry, but it will ensure that that industry has the talent it needs to drive innovation and regional bioeconomic security. This project will increase the number and diversity of students who enter the bioindustrial manufacturing workforce in the deep South of the United States, but the resources generated will enhance existing biotechnology workforce programs more widely. BioMADE will disseminate these resources broadly through channels that impact our active and veteran military, existing biotechnology education programs, local workforce development agencies, and interagency/cross-government agency networks. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055631	Path to Information Technology (IT) Practice: Increasing Credential Completions in IT within the Southern Tier of Virginia	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/14/2023	Crystal Pendergrass	crystal.pendergrass@southside.edu	VA	Southside Virginia Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$495,026.00	Chad Patton, Chad Patton, Meredith Dawson, Vondrenna Smithers	109 CAMPUS DR	ALBERTA	VA	238.212.930	4.349.491.000	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	It is well documented that the Information Technology (IT) workforce is chronically understaffed, and predictions show that the shortage of IT workers will reach alarming levels in a few years. The goal of this project is to increase the number of students from Southside Virginia Community College, especially those from populations currently underrepresented in the IT professions, who are ready to enter the regional IT workforce. The project will target high school students in dual enrollment programs, as well as adult learners, employing a culturally responsive model that will increase enrollments and retention. Project goals will be attained by the deployment of a program infrastructure that incorporates a comprehensive recruitment strategy, with a specific focus on students from groups traditionally underrepresented in IT careers, coupled with academic support strategies and identity-building and self-efficacy activities to ensure student success. The project team will study methods to increase recruitment and attainment of success in community college IT programs, especially among students traditionally underrepresented in IT careers. Increased educational attainment is positively correlated with higher standards of living, increased wages, and overall prosperity and welfare. This project has the potential to improve the understanding and implementation of culturally responsive advising for all students, but especially for those traditionally underrepresented in IT professions. Results from this work will inform the Governor's G3 Initiative ("Get a Skill. Get a Job. Get Ahead") in Virginia, which is focused on getting credentialed students back to school to upskill for emerging technical careers. Providing opportunities for students, specifically those who are marginalized, will help address the gap in the IT industry by increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities obtaining credentials. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902437	Mobile Additive Manufacturing Platform for 21st Century STEM Workforce Enhancement	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/25/2019	Eric Wooldridge	eric.wooldridge@kctcs.edu	KY	Kentucky Community & Technical College System	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2019	09/30/2024	$588,340.00	Elaine Kohrman, Ismail Fidan	300 N MAIN ST	VERSAILLES	KY	403.831.245	8.592.563.397	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	Additive manufacturing (3D printing) has become an increasingly common manufacturing production method. As a result, industries in eastern Kentucky and Tennessee have begun to shift their production to additive manufacturing. However, this region has a shortage in the skilled technicians needed to meet the resulting workforce demands. Also, manufacturers and potential workers in rural and underserved areas in this region might benefit from increased awareness of the advantages that additive manufacturing can provide. In this project, Somerset Community College (Kentucky) and Tennessee Technological University will work together to help address these workforce and education needs. Specifically, this project aims to help educate a new generation of qualified employees for the region's manufacturing workforce. To achieve this goal, the project partners will update the curriculum for an existing certificate in additive manufacturing to include advanced concepts and design methods for 3D printing. A mobile equipment platform for additive manufacturing will also be developed. This mobile additive manufacturing platform will enable learning activities in additive manufacturing to be brought to high schools, community colleges, and workplaces across the region. Through these efforts, the project aims to help the regional population and companies to become more familiar with additive manufacturing, and to create a generalizable approach that can be adapted by other rural communities. The project will also provide pathways for more community college students and workers to obtain credentials in additive manufacturing. The overarching goal of the project is to enhance workforce development opportunities in additive manufacturing for high school students, community college students, incumbent workers, and manufacturers in underserved regions of Kentucky and Tennessee. Two courses will be developed to include advancements in powder-based printer and metal printer applications. These courses will be integrated into the existing curriculum for the 3D Printing Technician-Level 1 certificate at the institutions. These courses will cover topics such as improved product topology, metal sintering production, advanced composite materials, and generative design concepts and techniques. Customized curriculum on these topics will also be developed and offered in workshops for high school students and incumbent workers. A mobile additive manufacturing platform will be designed to provide hands-on learning experiences using high-grade industrial materials and state-of-the-art 3D printing equipment. The use of this transportable equipment will enable students and incumbent workers across the region to directly interact with a full range of production techniques and capabilities. The project team will study the effectiveness of this mobile educational delivery method in achieving desired learning objectives and benchmark the results against traditional educational approaches. The project materials, best practices, and results will be shared on the project website, through Advanced Technological Education Centers, and at regional and national venues. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902075	Increasing the Number of Workforce-ready Engineering Technicians in Southeastern Pennsylvania	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	01/04/2023	Christine Delahanty	christine.delahanty@bucks.edu	PA	Bucks County Community College	Standard Grant	Jill Nelson	09/01/2019	02/29/2024	$391,101.00	Tracy Timby, Susan Herring, Vladimir Genis	275 SWAMP RD	NEWTOWN	PA	189.404.106	2.159.688.000	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to contribute to the national need for a skilled STEM workforce by increasing the number of well-trained engineering technicians. To recruit more students into the Engineering Technology program, the project will develop articulation agreements with the College's Center for Workforce Development. Through this articulation, credits toward an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Engineering Technology will be granted for specific certifications obtained through the Center for Workforce Development. In addition, the project will award certifications, digital badges, or college credits for other prior learning, including knowledge and skills gained from military training. The project intends to strengthen the Engineering Technology curriculum by including a new course on manufacturing technology, requiring business courses that emphasize entrepreneurship, and developing practical experiences such as job-shadowing and internships. The project will also support a collaboration between Bucks County Community College and Drexel University to strengthen the education of both engineering technicians and engineering technologists. It is expected that the improved Engineering Technology curriculum and the innovative connection between certifications and an associate degree will increase the number of engineering technicians who can meet the needs of local and regional employers. The project aims to develop robust collaborations between four Bucks County Community College programs or departments: The Engineering Technology program, the Business Studies Department, the Center for Workforce Development (which awards several engineering-relevant certifications), and the Industry Advisory Board (which advises the College on issues related to industry needs and trends). Through this collaboration, the project aims to modernize the Engineering Technology curriculum to increase the emphasis on soft skills training and career exploration, and to develop associated certifications and/or other credentials. As part of this modernization, a credit-bearing manufacturing course with an updated laboratory component will be developed. The project plans to offer opportunities that help students explore engineering technician career options, including a formalized job shadowing program. It is expected that the project will contribute to the national need for a highly-trained STEM workforce by increasing the number of students who pursue engineering technician careers, and by better preparing these technicians to be successful on the job. It also has the potential to create a model for how to successfully link certification programs to credit-bearing programs. Such a model might be implemented by other colleges and universities. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2017337	CyberTraining: Implementation: Small: Using Problem-Based Learning for Vocational Training in Cyberinfrastructure Security at Community Colleges	OAC	CyberTraining - Training-based, Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/20/2020	Irfan Ahmed	iahmed3@vcu.edu	VA	Virginia Commonwealth University	Standard Grant	Ashok Srinivasan	10/01/2020	09/30/2024	$250,000.00		910 WEST FRANKLIN ST	RICHMOND	VA	232.849.005	8.048.286.772	CSE	044Y, 7412	1032, 9178	Professionals in the cybersecurity field are in high demand. Many sectors, including the research, military, civil law enforcement, corporate, and private sector communities, all benefit from a larger, highly skilled cybersecurity workforce, particularly considering the increasing number and sophistication of cyber attacks. Challenges for academia include producing diverse and high quality professionals, and unfortunately, the demand for cybersecurity professionals far exceeds the supply of students. Community colleges can play a crucial role in meeting the demand for cybersecurity professionals. This project uses problem based learning, an innovative approach to teaching cybersecurity, to bring community college students into the high rewarding cybersecurity field. The educational methods and products developed through the project will be broadly applicable, beyond community colleges, and will contribute to a better trained and more diverse cybersecurity and research workforce. Ultimately, the project will contribute to the health, safety, and economic well being of society by protecting the nation's cyberinfrastructure. The overall goal of the project is to provide vocational training in cyberinfrastructure security to community college students, to address the shortage of technical staff in cybersecurity. Community colleges have a significant student population of low income, diverse, first generation college students that have the potential for enabling a new stream of cybersecurity professionals. These colleges, however, face significant challenges to teaching advanced cybersecurity skills for cyberinfrastructure. To address these challenges, the project will develop vocational training modules on cyberinfrastructure security. Each module will consist of multiple micro-modules and target the skill sets required for entry level jobs in the cybersecurity field. Specifically, the approach involves three major tasks. The first task involves creating training modules on several offensive/defensive topics on cyberinfrastructure, including network penetration testing and digital forensics. The contents of the modules support problem based learning with a strong hands on components. The second task involves developing CRICE (Cyber Range Infrastructure for Cybersecurity Education) on NSFCloud to support problem based learning. NSFCloud is an NSF funded public cloud service available for research and training purposes. This will help community colleges to utilize the training modules effectively without requiring their own expensive computing infrastructure. The third task involves integrating the modules into the curriculum of two community colleges and evaluating the effectiveness of the problem based learning and CRICE in terms of cost, ease of adoption, student learning gain, and attitudinal survey on the students' experience. The project research contribution lies in exploring the effectiveness of problem based learning for vocational training in cybersecurity in the context of community colleges in the United States. The project will show that problem based learning is effective in providing both conceptual and practical understanding of cybersecurity topics. This project is funded by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering. The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program in NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education is providing co-funding for this project in recognition of its contribution to education in community colleges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1800929	Cybersecurity Education for Advanced Manufacturing Organizations	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/05/2020	Tony Hills	thills@northweststate.edu	OH	Northwest State Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	08/01/2019	07/31/2024	$488,426.00	Michael Kwiatkowski, William Chaplin, Roger Spears	22600 State Route 34	Archbold	OH	435.029.517	4.192.671.335	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Keeping computers and information systems secure is a major challenge. Business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can detect, investigate, and prevent cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have specific knowledge and skills to meet these workforce demands. The Ohio Cyber Range is a cloud-based, web-accessible environment where cybersecurity students, faculty, and incumbent workers can access educational materials and conduct lab exercises. It provides a virtual setting that simulates the information technology (IT) infrastructure found in a business workplace. Using this virtual cybersecurity training ground, students and faculty can explore real-world scenarios involving networks that would be expensive or impractical to set up in physical lab environments. This project will develop eight to ten cybersecurity training scenarios that focus on specific cybersecurity situations within advanced manufacturing. These scenarios will be deployed on the Ohio Cyber Range, along with associated guides, to facilitate wide usage. The scenarios will also be incorporated into IT courses at Northwest State Community College. The scenarios, the learning objectives, and the related materials will be developed with the advice of engineers and IT professionals from local manufacturing companies. Students and incumbent workers who use the scenarios around the state will be better prepared to meet the cybersecurity needs of Ohio employers. The project will develop training scenarios focusing on topics ranging from basic (e.g., basic networking, subnetting, and enumerating a network) to advanced (e.g., attacking/defending Human Machine Interface [HMI] passwords, attacking/defending Programmable Logic Controller [PLC] register values). Each scenario will have a detailed document that describes the background, instructions, tasks, goals, and learning objectives for the learning exercise associated with the scenario. An independent subject matter expert will review each scenario to ensure that it meets the stated learning objectives and is aligned with national and industry standards. Faculty at Northwest State Community College will incorporate scenarios into several courses, including Networking Fundamentals, Security Auditing, and Programmable Logic Controllers. The project team will offer workshops to faculty from colleges in Ohio and surrounding states to help them effectively add the scenarios to their own courses. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000715	Improving Pathways into the Geospatial and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technician Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/10/2020	Chris Carter	cxcarter@odu.edu	VA	Old Dominion University Research Foundation	Standard Grant	Keith Sverdrup	10/01/2020	09/30/2024	$561,977.00	David Webb, John McGee, Cheryl Aukland, Shawn Shields Lyons	4111 MONARCH WAY	NORFOLK	VA	235.082.561	7.576.834.293	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Demand for skilled technicians in geospatial technologies and small unmanned aircraft systems continues to increase as new applications are developed for these emerging technologies. To help meet these demands, this project is designed to increase the number of students who are trained to use these technologies in multiple disciplines. Specifically, Germana Community College will create new academic pathways that provide students with multiple opportunities to enter the technical workforce. Building on previous work, an online version of a course that prepares students for the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate exam will be developed to increase student access and enrollment. Students will learn how to apply geospatial and unmanned aircraft technologies to solve real world problems through service-learning projects that will be integrated into existing courses. The project will also support professional development programs and mentoring to increase the capacity of community college faculty to teach in these technical areas. By supporting the integration of geospatial and unmanned aircraft systems technologies into community college technical programs, this project has the potential to increase opportunities for students to enter the technical workforce. The goals of the project are to: 1) develop new pathways for students at Germana Community College to pursue technical education in geospatial technology and small unmanned aircraft systems; 2) provide faculty professional development programs that will prepare community college faculty for implementing courses that will train students in this field; and 3) increase the number and diversity of students in these technical programs through high school outreach activities. The pathways at Germana Community College will include two stackable certificates that students can use to complete requirements for an Associate of Applied Science degree. To support the new pathways, an online course will be developed that will facilitate completion of the remote pilot certificate. Instructors will assess student learning through knowledge tests and videos of students demonstrating their flying capabilities. The project will offer two faculty institutes to train community college faculty in best practices for implementing curricula relevant to these technologies. Training of faculty will provide hands-on experiences with the technologies using project-based learning that will span different disciplines aligned with participant interests. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1801096	The Necessary Skills Now Network: Integrating Employability Skills Development into Technician Education Across STEM Disciplines	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/12/2023	Richard Hinckley	hinckley@cord.org	TX	CORD	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	10/01/2018	03/31/2024	$599,424.00	Marilyn Barger, John Sands, Richard Roberts, John Chamberlain, Hope Cotner	4901 BOSQUE BLVD	WACO	TX	767.102.302	2.547.418.334	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	For several decades, employers in high-tech fields have complained that entry-level employees often lack "employability skills," which are also called "soft skills." These skills are the non-technical skills necessary for success in the workplace, including working in teams, problem solving, verbal communication, written communication, dependability/work ethic, and planning/organizing. Reports have called on colleges to redesign courses and curricula to address the deficiency in employability skills, and many projects have been launched to do so, often with a focus on a particular discipline. As a new Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Coordination Network, the Necessary Skills Now Network will foster the collaboration of community and technical college faculty with business/industry partners to integrate employability skills into technician education programs across the STEM disciplines. The Necessary Skills Now Network will assist community and technical colleges in sharing resources, exploring new teaching methods, and collaborating with employers to help students improve their mastery of employability skills. The Network will (1) create an active "community of practice" to exchange ideas, promising practices, research, and employment trends; (2) provide faculty development workshops and courses to support the adoption of effective teaching methods, instructional materials, and learning environments; and (3) create an online portal of open educational resources to improve the development of employability skills among students in technical associate degree programs. The project is led by the Center for Occupational Research and Development and three ATE centers: the South Carolina Advanced Technological Education center (engineering technology), the Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (cybersecurity), and the Florida Advanced Technological Education center (advanced manufacturing). Through the existing, extensive networks of these partners, the investigators expect to reach over 450 faculty members with workshops, online courses, and on-demand resources and to engage over 300 colleges and 75 companies in community-of-practice activities. Conference presentations, webinars, publications, and social media will further extend awareness of the Network's resources to stakeholders across the STEM disciplines. The overall goal is to develop an environment in which many employers and educators collaborate across roles, technology sectors, and geography to build solutions that will give students the full range of skills needed for working productively after they are hired. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100136	Creation and Modernization of Technological Education in Electronics and Welding through Open Educational Resources that are Free to Share, Use, and Revise	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	10/15/2021	Katherine Kelley	katherine.kelley@lwtech.edu	WA	Lake Washington Institute of Technology	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	09/01/2021	08/31/2024	$365,000.00	Katherine Kelley, Priyanka Pant	11605 132ND AVE NE	KIRKLAND	WA	980.348.505	4.257.398.156	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	This project is designed to modernize technical education in Electronics and Welding by developing and sharing openly licensed course materials. These materials, known as Open Educational Resources (OER), can be retained, reused, redistributed, revised, or remixed without permission from their creator. As a result, their content is dynamic and free of cost. Although OER are common for general education, the highly technical fields of manufacturing technology have not widely transitioned to use of OER. This project plans to create OER for education in Welding Technology and Electronics Technology. OER reduces barriers to education by reducing costs and ensuring course materials are available immediately. In addition, instructors can easily adapt materials to make meaningful connections to diverse student experiences and interests. It is expected that the project will broaden participation in manufacturing technology programs by including more women, veterans, people with disabilities, adult learners, and people from communities that are underrepresented in STEM technical fields. In doing so, the project will directly serve the national interest in developing and maintaining a diverse skilled technical workforce. The project objectives are to: 1) create or adapt and incorporate digitally accessible OER, including student learning assessments, for six courses, allowing hybrid and online delivery; 2) train faculty in OER, accessibility, the online environment, and instructional design; and 3) engage industry partners to collaborate with faculty in reviewing and modifying course materials for content and accessibility and to provide industry experience for students through internships. External evaluators will provide ongoing review of activities and a summative evaluation. Project deliverables will be disseminated through OER repositories for use worldwide. The instructional changes, faculty professional development, and collaboration with industry partners are designed to prepare a more diverse, better trained technician workforce ready to meet critical regional needs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055259	Training for Mechatronics Engineering Technicians in Colorado	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/21/2021	Chris Gorrie	chris.gorrie@arapahoe.edu	CO	Arapahoe Community College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/15/2021	06/30/2024	$299,998.00	HENRY WEIGEL, Robert Turek	5900 S SANTA FE DR	LITTLETON	CO	801.201.801	3.037.975.701	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Many manufacturing sectors are incorporating new technologies to enhance their competitiveness and efficiency. As a result, significant skills gaps have emerged within advanced manufacturing industries. These industries need multi-functional engineering technicians who have both manufacturing and engineering skillsets. Such skills are embedded in mechatronics, an engineering discipline that integrates mechanical, electrical, and programmable engineering technologies. Mirroring national trends, the Denver metropolitan area has seen a significant increase in the number of advanced manufacturing employers. This project aims to help meet this regional workforce need for qualified mechatronics technicians. To do so, the project will update its current Associate of Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering Technology to be more responsive to industry needs. It will also launch new efforts to increase recruitment and success of students in this degree program. The project aims to improve the Mechatronics degree program and expand the number of students earning the degree and entering the regional workforce. To do so, the project team will collaborate with its Business and Industry Leadership Team to guide experiential learning and align the curriculum more closely with industry needs. It will expand access to the program by developing concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school students and recruiting from partnering workforce centers. A new position called “Navigator” will lead recruitment efforts, as well as provide mechatronics students with advising, support, and career connections. The project team will use materials from the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity to guide their recruitment and retention strategies. Recognizing the need for faculty to be leaders in this effort, the project will support faculty members to earn industry-recognized certifications in mechatronics and related fields. Results from the project’s evaluation will inform stakeholders in engineering, manufacturing, education, and the public. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2012891	Expanding Sustainable Interdisciplinary Research to Inspire Undergraduate Success	DUE	IUSE, Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/28/2020	Kelly McDonald	mcdonald@csus.edu	CA	University Enterprises, Incorporated	Standard Grant	Elise Lockwood	10/01/2020	09/30/2025	$2,679,250.00	Linda Zarzana, Enid Gonzalez-Orta, Julie Fogarty, Catherine Ishikawa	6000 J ST STE 3700	SACRAMENTO	CA	958.192.605	9.162.786.402	EDU	1998, 7412	1032, 8209, 9178	This project aims to serve the national interest by developing STEM curricula that promote inclusion of all learners and foster interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Issues faced by society today are complex, and STEM graduates with diverse perspectives and real-world problem-solving skills are needed to solve them. These skills may be developed through undergraduate research or internships, but access to these experiences can be limited and unevenly available. This project will engage students at California State University, Sacramento and the four Los Rios District community colleges in course-based Authentic Learning Experiences. These learning experiences will engage students in the same processes that professionals use in the field to solve problems with unknown outcomes. The learning experiences further focus on the common scientific theme of human impacts on Northern California’s waterways, thus engaging students in a local, socially relevant problem. As part of this project, more than 50 faculty teaching 67 courses at five institutions will engage in an interdisciplinary, faculty-led community of practice with a shared vision for STEM education reform. The faculty learning community aims to 1) elevate faculty expertise in curriculum design and innovative pedagogies, 2) promote collaboration across disciplines and institutions and 3) support the implementation of course-based authentic learning experiences to broaden participation in research experiences. The project will examine how faculty across different disciplines and institution types collaborate to build, implement, and assess new curricula. It will further provide data on the impacts of experiential curricula on students from ten disciplines, as well as seek to generate new knowledge about Northern California’s water ecosystems. This project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2327682	Work-Based Biotechnology Education from High School to Community College	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/27/2023	Golnar Afshar	gafshar@ccsf.edu	CA	BAY AREA BIOSCIENCE EDUCATION COMMUNITY	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	05/01/2023	07/31/2024	$315,445.00	Ying-Tsu Loh, Michael Fuller	1019 EDWARDS RD	BURLINGAME	CA	940.102.318		EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Biotechnology and related life sciences are among the fastest-growing industries in the nation, with a high demand for entry-level workers holding two-year or four-year college degrees. Because of the high density of biotechnology industries and research laboratories in the San Francisco Bay area, this region has high demand for biotechnology workers. However, the region has a shortage of trained entry-level biotechnology workers. Moreover, few individuals from African American and Hispanic communities pursue careers in biotechnology. Thus, a compelling need exists for opening new career paths in biotechnology for students from these communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this need, the project will support the City College of San Francisco’s Biotechnology program to work with local high schools to spark the interest of high school students in biotechnology. Students will have access to hands-on activities, field trips, and real-work experiences that include paid internships. These actions are designed to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in biotechnology and increase the capacity for biotechnology workforce development. The goal of this project is to address the biotechnology workforce shortage and lack of diversity by strengthening the pipeline of high school students from communities that are underrepresented in STEM into biotechnology studies at a community college. To accomplish this goal, the biotechnology faculty at City College of San Francisco will collaborate with teachers at local high schools with higher populations of the targeted students. High school students will visit the college during field trips and participate in carefully planned hands-on activities. In addition, high school students will gain valuable laboratory work skills during a paid summer internship. These students will receive training in leadership and peer mentoring skills and will be given the opportunity to work as classroom teaching assistants. The students will learn about careers in biotechnology and educational opportunities at the College. Lastly, under supervision of the faculty, City College of San Francisco students will develop outreach and instructional videos to supplement the instructional material for the College’s biotechnology courses and strengthen the high school student learning experience. The videos will be disseminated freely to high school and other educators. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2201611	Retooling A Machine Tool Technician Program In North Central Wisconsin to Support Diversity, Flexibility, and Accessibility	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/02/2022	Frank Fernandes	fernande@ntc.edu	WI	Northcentral Technical College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2022	09/30/2025	$342,519.00	Jeffrey Block	1000 W CAMPUS DR	WAUSAU	WI	544.011.880	7.158.031.776	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The north central Wisconsin region is a hotspot for machine tool technician jobs, more than double the national average. This project from Northcentral Technical College will integrate research and education to combine a revised curriculum with targeted outreach to nontraditional populations to improve outcomes in their Machine Tool Technician Program. Over the three-year project, 30 students will be recruited to complete credentials that will lead to high demand technician careers. Northcentral Technical College will revise its Machine Tooling program to (1) include industry relevant skills, (2) adopt flexible scheduling, (3) provide culturally relevant professional development for faculty and staff, (4) perform outreach through the College’s Advanced Manufacturing and Emerging Technologies mobile labs, and (5) establish peer/near-peer mentorships. As a result, the college intends to increase recruitment, matriculation, completion, and employment of students in the Machine Tool Technician program, with an emphasis on students of Southeast Asian/Hmong descent. Students will have the option to earn up to four stackable credentials ranging from a 4-credit certificate to a 58-credit degree. The overall goal of the Project is to increase the skilled machine tool technician workforce in central Wisconsin. Thirty students are expected to enroll over the three-year period with a special focus on broadening participation in the profession of populations that are significantly underrepresented in the field. The project’s objective is to increase awareness of, access to, and enrollment in machine tool technician educational and career pathways for non-traditional students with an emphasis on Southeast Asian/Hmong adults. The current curriculum will be reviewed and modified to include current machine tool technologies, culturally responsive teaching, internships, and flexible delivery options. Machine tool program faculty, advisors, instructional assistants, and other student services personnel will participate in professional development on Southeast Asian/Hmong culture in order to better relate to and support their learning. Collaboration with the Hmong American Center and local manufacturing leaders will support recruitment, identification of project mentors, and community outreach. Workforce mentors will provide guidance and encouragement to students by sharing personal and career experiences. The Machine Tool Advisory Committee/Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) will provide project oversight. The project team will collaborate with regional cultural organizations, workforce development boards, job centers, and regional machine tool employers to implement and disseminate the full scope of work. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2054724	National Cybersecurity Training & Education (NCyTE) Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	12/19/2022	Corrinne Sande	csande@whatcom.ctc.edu	WA	Whatcom Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	10/01/2021	09/30/2026	$7,499,995.00	Tony Coulson, Philip Craiger, John Sands, Stephen Miller, Stephen Troupe	237 W KELLOGG RD	BELLINGHAM	WA	982.268.033	3.603.833.235	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Keeping computers and information systems secure is a major challenge. Business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can prevent, detect, and investigate cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many additional workers who have cybersecurity knowledge and skills. As the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program's national center in the area of security technologies, the National Cybersecurity Training & Education (NCyTE) Center will leverage previous NSF grants, projects funded by the National Security Agency (NSA), and the expertise of partners to provide leadership for cybersecurity education in community and technical colleges and related secondary school programs that build America's skilled technical workforce in cybersecurity. The center will pursue four strategic goals: (1) Expand educational pathways and the diversity of cybersecurity programs to meet the nation's workforce needs. (2) Develop and deploy leading-edge cybersecurity curricula. (3) Cultivate engagement with employers (business, industry, government) and career opportunities for students. (4) Disseminate resources to improve current and future directions of cybersecurity education. In addition to Whatcom Community College, major partners in the center include California State University, San Bernardino; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL); Eastern New Mexico University - Ruidoso; the Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA; based at Moraine Valley Community College); and the National CyberWatch Center (NCC; based at Prince George's Community College). To advance cybersecurity education and build the nation's cybersecurity workforce, the NCyTE Center will expand, standardize, and disseminate cutting-edge resources for teaching and learning (including online learning) and best practices aligned with industry standards. The center will develop cybersecurity content targeting new industry sectors, integrate new and updated cybersecurity concepts into existing fields, conduct associated professional development for college and K-12 educators, and coordinate the work of other ATE grantees in cybersecurity. A projected 1,500 faculty will receive training and an estimated 2,300 faculty will engage in annual leadership development workshops and forums to update their knowledge and skills and to learn about needs in industry. Academies and boot camps will address the shortage of cybersecurity faculty. Through forums and career fairs, an estimated 10,000 students will learn about cybersecurity careers and make connections with employers. These activities, as well as targeted outreach and mentoring activities (with a special focus on women, veterans, and Native Americans), will attempt to broaden participation in the field. Using the materials, methods, experiences, and guidance that the center provides, community colleges around the nation will be able to launch, grow, and maintain cybersecurity programs, ultimately expanding and diversifying the pool of graduates who pursue cybersecurity careers. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2054753	National CyberWatch Resource Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/24/2021	David Tobey	dtobey@nationalcyberwatch.org	MD	Prince George's Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$1,650,000.00	Casey O'Brien, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Michael Smith	301 LARGO RD	UPPER MARLBORO	MD	207.742.109	3.015.460.722	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Keeping computers and information systems secure is a major challenge. Business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can prevent, detect, and investigate cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many additional workers who have cybersecurity knowledge and skills. In 2012, following a successful tenure as an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) regional center, the National CyberWatch Center (NCC) was funded to serve as the ATE program's national center for cybersecurity education. Having fulfilled that role, NCC will transition to an ATE resource center, with a narrower scope, and will continue to host some of the key resources and activities that it previously developed to support cybersecurity education and workforce development in community colleges. The resource center will pursue three broad goals: (1) Capacity Building: Promote, support, and enhance the capability of programs, faculty, and students based on effective models of impact. (2) Dissemination: Broadly distribute exemplary programs, practices, and materials. (3) Research: Advance the development of evidence-based strategies and practices for cybersecurity education and workforce development. Working closely with other ATE centers, NCC will continue its role as a national leader in community college cybersecurity education. Its activities will build on valuable efforts that it launched during its period as a regional and national ATE center. Major activities will include the following: * Support national accreditation efforts for community college cybersecurity programs. * Update and expand model cybersecurity degrees, certificates, and technical courses. * Support the incorporation of cybersecurity learning modules across the curriculum. * Offer Cybersecurity Skills Development Workshops to help educators master new cybersecurity concepts and competency-based instructional methods. * Offer Paper Development Workshops and Collaborative Peer Review Workshops to help educators develop, test, and publish new materials and methods for cybersecurity education. * Increase the number of chapters and members of the National Cybersecurity Student Association. * Broadly distribute exemplary curricular materials, programs, practices, academic pathways, and partnership models. These resources include the Community College Cyber Summit, the NCC Digital Press, the Cybersecurity Skills Journal, and the "Innovations in Cybersecurity Education" recognition program, as well as NCC's website, social media, newsletters, and webcast series. * Conduct and publish research on the capability maturity of the cybersecurity workforce, instructors, and students. Through its continuing collaborations and the variety of resources that it provides, NCC will pursue three aims. First is to ensure that the national dialogue around workforce needs in cybersecurity reflects the important role of community colleges. Second is to provide oversight so that workforce frameworks and occupational standards that are under development have strong community college input. Third is to promote the currency and relevancy that community college degree and certificate programs have for employers in industry and government. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2134772	FMRG: Bio: DNA & RNA Condensate Droplets for Programmable Separation and Manufacture of Biomolecules	MCB	FM-Future Manufacturing, Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/05/2021	Elisa Franco	efranco@seas.ucla.edu	CA	University of California-Los Angeles	Standard Grant	Bianca Garner	12/01/2021	11/30/2025	$3,000,000.00	Jillian Blatti, Deborah Fygenson, Paul W.K. Rothemund	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	900.244.201	3.107.940.102	BIO	142Y, 7412	7465	The ability to spatially organize, separate, and sort is key to any advanced manufacturing process. While these tasks have been mastered in top-down industrial biochemical processes, it remains challenging to embed these operations in biochemical reactors at the micro- and nano-scale. Microscopic reactors are useful to extract, sort, separate, and organize components in low-volume, low-cost reactions, and are particularly relevant for scarce, toxic, or high-value ligands. This project will establish design tools and components to build microscopic liquid reactors made with DNA and RNA, taking inspiration from cellular condensation phenomena that compartmentalize small molecules, nucleic acids, proteins, and entire reaction pathways. By developing a technological blueprint to build DNA and RNA condensates, this research will promote the adoption of this powerful approach in biotechnology, pharmaceutics, and chemical engineering, and contribute to the generation of a new workforce. Toward this goal, undergraduates will be involved in the research and the research will be integrated in educational modules that will be tested at Pasadena City College, UCLA, UCSB, and Caltech, and will be made available to the general public. This approach takes advantage of the well-understood thermodynamic and kinetic properties of nucleic acids to systematize the innovative technology of biological condensates. The project aims to: (i) develop DNA and RNA condensates into a future manufacturing technology; (ii) engage undergraduates and develop and disseminate educational tools for preparing a workforce to actively participate in this emerging technology; and (iii) expand the capabilities for domestic manufacturing of high-value biomolecules. Building on advances in DNA and RNA nanotechnology, the project will contribute libraries of DNA and RNA monomers that condense into liquid droplets that host specific molecules and pathways that are relevant for separation and production. Experiments will be guided by predictive models for design of customizable host condensates, and through a design-build-test pipeline will demonstrate liquid separation of an expandable set of molecules, cells, and pathways that are relevant for sensing, drug manufacturing, and healthcare. The team of PIs includes leaders in the field of DNA self-assembling systems (Rothemund), engineered DNA and RNA reaction networks (Franco), biophysics of nucleic acid systems (Fygenson), and biochemistry education (Blatti). Because nucleic acids are naturally present in living organisms, it will be possible to seamlessly integrate the operation of the custom artificial condensates with that of cells and tissues. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Biological Sciences Directorate, the Division of Chemical, Biomedical, Environmental and Transport Systems in the Engineering Directorate, the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Education and Human Resources Directorate, and the Division of Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100014	Power of Us: Increasing Female Enrollment and Retention in Career and Technical Education Programs	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/02/2022	Jacequeline Mitchell	mitchellj@durhamtech.edu	NC	Durham Technical Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/15/2021	09/30/2024	$288,951.00	maryah smith, Charlene West	1637 E LAWSON ST	DURHAM	NC	277.035.023	9.195.367.250	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	The low participation of women in technical fields has been a matter of concern for many years. Workforce-diversity data, from several major technology companies, show a significant underrepresentation of women in technical jobs. Industry points to the narrow pipeline of women pursuing degrees in technical fields as the primary cause of this issue. This project aims to address this issue by implementing measures to increase female enrollment and retention in Durham Technical Community College’s most male-dominated career and technical education programs of study. The average percentage of females enrolled in the targeted areas is only 13.5%, meaning that females, who represent 53% of the overall student population, are vastly underrepresented in the pursuit of such degrees. The project will use both proven and novel strategies and activities, as well as equitable and inclusive practices that other institutions can use to increase female enrollment and retention in traditionally male-dominated programs of study. This project will leverage Durham Technical Community College's new makerspace to hold events and provide a place where students can gather to work, study, and socialize. Making the "Power of Us" brand visible in the makerspace will contribute to the College’s efforts to create a makerspace that is rooted in equity and inclusion, where all voices are welcome. This project will offer engaging, female-led, female-focused learning opportunities; provide support services that are tailored to the needs of female students; and otherwise, create an environment where female students can thrive in the targeted programs. Through its commitment to this project the College seeks to root the makerspace in the ideals of equity and inclusion, making it a welcoming space for all. This inclusive makerspace model will be one that other colleges and organizations, both inside and outside North Carolina, can utilize to create makerspaces that are welcoming to all. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055250	Fortifying Cybersecurity and Computing Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/28/2021	Elizabeth Hawthorne	ekhawthorne@gmail.com	MD	Prince George's Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/15/2021	09/30/2024	$599,839.00	Vera Zdravkovich, Barbara Huffman de Belon	301 LARGO RD	UPPER MARLBORO	MD	207.742.109	3.015.460.722	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The need for a highly skilled cybersecurity and IT workforce is well documented and unequivocal. “Demand for security skills, once limited primarily to government and the defense industry, has spread throughout the economy” (Burning Glass, 2019). “Job growth is predicted to continue to outpace the number of available qualified workforce” (CyberSeek.org, 2020). Community and Technical Colleges respond to this need through their education of the skilled technical workforce. This project aims to strengthen and grow a specific component of that workforce, namely the nation’s cybersecurity/computing professionals. The project’s approach is to work to increase the quality of the requests for external support that these institutions seek to improve cybersecurity education at their campuses. Towards this end the project investigators plan to attract a diversity of community and technical college teams, composed of faculty, grant writers, and selected administrators and staff and provide team-based professional development designed to increase the competitiveness and innovativeness of each teams’ proposed efforts in support of the education of the cybersecurity/computing skilled technical workforce. In each year, up to twelve community and technical college teams of two faculty members and a grant writer will be accepted through an application process to participate in this team-based professional development and mentoring program. Each team will be carefully matched with and supported by a seasoned mentor who has been trained through a series of coaching sessions by the leadership team. Essential elements of the program, including mentor training, pre-workshop mentee preparation, a multi-day workshop, and post-workshop webinars coupled with team mentoring throughout the entire process, are designed to help participants crystalize their innovative ideas and develop competitive proposals for external support. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000725	Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge Resource Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/16/2020	Osama Awadelkarim	ooa1@psu.edu	PA	Pennsylvania State Univ University Park	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$1,650,000.00	Lynn Zentner, Anthony Dalessio, Robert Ehrmann, Wesley Sanders	201 OLD MAIN	UNIVERSITY PARK	PA	168.021.503	8.148.651.372	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	In addition to its roles in basic research, nanotechnology is also a research and development enterprise that focuses on rapid commercialization of products and technology. For the US to capitalize on its investments in nanotechnology, it is essential to prepare a skilled technical workforce with the appropriate nano-scale skill set. The Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge (NACK) Resource Center proposes to extend a nation-wide nanotechnology education approach that includes providing resources and assistance to the nanotechnology education infrastructure. These resources can strengthen and streamline efforts to ensure that students develop industry-relevant knowledge, skills and abilities. In addition, the project will maintain web courses and remote equipment access, as well as provide faculty professional development to ensure that faculty remain at the cutting-edge of nanotechnology advances. The NACK Resource Center will support and grow partnerships between community and technical colleges and research universities to: 1) share resources and disseminate learning materials; 2) deliver web-based professional development workshops and webinar series; and 3) widely disseminate resources using the NACK website, nanoHUB, and ATE Central. Additionally, the Remotely Accessible Instruments for Nanotechnology (RAIN) network will continue to support current and develop new RAIN nodes, add new online-accessible characterization and processing tools to the network, develop ways to increase use of the network, and collect data to evaluate RAIN’s impact on nanotechnology education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000444	Modernizing Agriculture Technician Education in Appalachian Northeast Georgia	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	01/17/2023	Wayne Randall	wayne.randall@northgatech.edu	GA	NORTH GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE	Standard Grant	Keith Sverdrup	10/01/2020	09/30/2024	$299,795.00	Kevin Peyton	1500 HIGHWAY 197 N	CLARKESVILLE	GA	305.234.230	7.067.547.852	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to address the growing need for agricultural technicians in Northeast Georgia. The agriculture industry is increasingly driven by precision technologies that maximize productivity and minimize waste and environmental hazards. These processes require advanced mechanization and global navigation satellite systems for implementation. To prepare agricultural technicians for work in precision technologies, the project will develop two agriculture technology programs that are aligned to local agricultural industry needs. These programs will be designed so that students can develop both technical and higher order competencies and industry-supported credentials. With these skills and credentials, the students will be able to enter the agricultural technician workforce at middle-skilled levels. This project aims to increase the skilled technical workforce in Northeast Georgia, thus increasing the ability of employers to recruit skilled agricultural technicians locally. The project plans to develop two new academic programs that can prepare students for technical work in modern agricultural industries: Agribusiness; and Modern Diversified Agriculture. Two complementary goals will be pursued. The first is to develop experiential, diversified curricula specific to the needs of the local agriculture industry. The second is to recruit and retain Appalachian students in these agricultural technician programs. The curricula will be designed through a partnership with the agriculture industry and local agriculture advisory committee members. The curricula will focus on providing students with hands-on opportunities in the context of learning laboratories. The project will engage a pool of student who are largely untapped due to a lack of awareness of the available positions and a lack of access to the technical education needed to fill the positions. Information in the project annual evaluation reports will be used to measure project success, to adjust strategies, and to inform stakeholders about project progress. The project will also investigate how the community, through its higher education institutions, can engage the agriculture industry and Appalachian families and students in preparing agriculture technicians for well-paying, local jobs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1901984	InnovATEBIO National Biotechnology Education Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/27/2023	Linnea Fletcher	linneaf@austincc.edu	TX	Austin Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	10/01/2019	09/30/2024	$7,896,901.00	Thomas Tubon, Russ Read, James Hewlett, David Micklos, Sandra Porter	9101 TUSCANY WAY	AUSTIN	TX	787.544.700	5.122.237.000	EDU	7412	1032, 7556, 9178, SMET	The InnovATEBIO National Biotechnology Education Center will address the need to educate highly skilled technicians for the nation's biotechnology workforce. Toward this goal, InnovATEBIO will provide leadership in biotechnology technician education, including support for development and sharing of best practices in biotechnology workforce development. In addition, the Center will promote local and national economic development of the biotechnology industry and help accelerate innovation in biotechnology and associated fields. The Center will focus on biotechnology technician education across the country, with a specific focus on strengthening the connections between high school and community college biotechnology programs. It will actively reach out to all students, including women and students from economically challenged, underrepresented, first generation college, and/or rural backgrounds. Project activities will foster collaboration and mentoring to accelerate development of community college faculty leadership and promote collaboration with industry. The Center will work with industry to gain recognition for biotechnology programs and the educational institutions that offer these programs, so that the entire biotechnology community sees the merits of educational programs and values them. The evaluation activities of the Center will gather the information needed to understand the present status of biotechnology education and the future trends in the field. To serve the national biotechnology community, InnovATEBIO will build a diverse network of educators, students, alumni, and industry partners, including incubators, trade organizations, and professional societies. These partners will work synergistically to build or improve technician education programs so that the programs meet the needs of students, institutions, the biotechnology industry, and the communities that support them. Through its outreach activities, the Center will increase knowledge and awareness of the biotechnology field across all sectors. A major activity of InnovATEBIO will be developing supply chain hubs that engage high school and community college students to produce and use the products necessary for an excellent hands-on biotechnology education. Another activity will develop open educational resources that will be available at no cost to educators around the country. Training and mentoring of faculty will ensure these resources are used effectively and broadly. Through these activities, InnovATEBIO will achieve the following goals: (1) develop a collaborative infrastructure that supports innovation, and promptly addresses the changing needs of the biotechnology community; (2) coordinate and leverage outputs from ATE-funded biotechnology projects; (3) identify opportunities to generate partnerships and collaborations that accelerate innovation in biotechnology education; (4) monitor and address emerging biotechnology industry and technician workforce trends; and (5) develop a regional outreach and mentoring infrastructure to broadly engage underserved populations in biotechnology labs and related emerging technologies. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902329	Expansion of the CyberWatch West Resource Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	01/28/2020	Corrinne Sande	csande@whatcom.ctc.edu	WA	Whatcom Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	10/01/2019	06/30/2024	$930,000.00	Philip Craiger, Stephen Troupe	237 W KELLOGG RD	BELLINGHAM	WA	982.268.033	3.603.833.235	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Keeping computers and information systems secure is a critical need and a major challenge. To meet this need, business, industry, and government need well-prepared technicians who can prevent, detect, and investigate cybersecurity breaches. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have the knowledge and skills needed to protect digital infrastructure. In 2018, NSF funded the CyberWatch West Resource Center as an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Resource Center to support cybersecurity education at two-year colleges across the nation (NSF Award DUE-1800589). In 2019, the funding level for new Resource Centers was raised to $1.65 million (NSF 18-571). With this new award, the CyberWatch West Resource Center will be fully funded as an ATE resource center, enabling the Center to expand the scope of its activities. Specifically, the CyberWatch West Resource Center will expand its mentoring efforts to help more colleges build and strengthen their cybersecurity programs. The Center will also develop additional curricular resources and conduct additional educational activities to inform students about careers in cybersecurity and match them with employers. The expanded Center will undertake four interrelated efforts that complement and/or expand the previously funded activities: (1) provide mentoring, technical assistance, and leadership training to educators and prospective grantees who want to implement and improve cybersecurity education programs; (2) convert, consolidate, and disseminate cybersecurity curricula (including modules developed through the Catalyzing Computing and Cybersecurity in Community Colleges project, NSF Award DGE-1548315) in accessible formats that integrate with common online learning management systems; (3) partner with business and industry to provide credit-bearing cybersecurity training modules that meet the needs of current employees in small businesses, fit into college curricula, and are aligned with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Framework's work roles; and (4) host virtual career fairs and operate an online job board, which will broadly disseminate employment opportunities and directly connect students with prospective employers. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301100	Strengthening Technical Apprenticeships through Regional Coordination	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/22/2023	Justin Starr	jstarr@ccac.edu	PA	Community College of Allegheny County Allegheny Campus	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	06/01/2023	05/31/2026	$649,971.00	Matt Kovac, Paul Alwin	808 RIDGE AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	152.126.003	4.122.373.050	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Apprenticeships are one of the most effective tools for producing trained technicians to meet the needs of the local workforce, but some programs are too closely tied to the needs of a specific company or offerings of an education provider. This project aims to transform a successful mechatronics apprenticeship into a regional engine for growth by convening a Business and Industry Leadership Team to expand the apprenticeship opportunity to encompass community colleges and corporate partners in a four-county area. It will result in a standardized, articulable mechatronics curriculum that will allow apprentices to enter the program in their home county, transfer credits between institutions, and receive on-the-job training that is closely tied to classroom instruction. This will serve as a model for dynamically changing technical apprenticeship programs that serve the needs of an entire region as manufacturing technologies continue to advance. Specifically, four local community colleges sill work together to adopt the knowledge, skills, and abilities recommended by the business and industry leadership team to create a foundational mechatronics program that serves as the basis of the technical instruction of the apprenticeship program, including standardizing a core set of lab equipment. Roving trainers will align the on-the-job training with classroom instruction using detailed technical lessons adapted from the German dual system of technical education, and a coordinator will align the progress of apprentices as they move between participating community colleges. Participating community colleges will host a series of STEM summer camps to attract a continuous pipeline of students interested in advanced manufacturing to meet the increased demand of this regional apprenticeship program. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055708	Industry Aligned Rural Engineering Program	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/30/2021	James Fisher	jim.fisher@imperial.edu	CA	Imperial Valley College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$300,000.00	Oscar Vazquez-Mena	380 E ATEN RD	IMPERIAL	CA	922.519.653	7.603.556.241	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Diversifying the economic and industrial base of rural communities is challenging. For example, rural communities can struggle to produce a workforce aligned with local industry needs. This struggle is especially true for isolated communities in areas with challenging environmental conditions like those found in Imperial County, CA, where the temperature can exceed 110 degrees for an extended period of time in the summer. This area has the second highest poverty rate and the highest ratio of migrant agricultural workers in the state. Although the agricultural sector dominates the workforce, a small group of committed industrial partners has a keen interest in developing a home-grown, local pipeline of engineering students. These industrial leaders have failed to attract qualified candidates to the inhospitable region, leaving higher paying jobs unfilled. The industries represent the energy, water, and mining industries whose employees have overlapping skill sets. This award will enable Imperial Valley College, a rural Hispanic Serving Institution, to develop a one-year Engineering Technology Certificate that will produce the skilled technical workers needed by these industries. By preparing workers for high paying, stable jobs in the local economy, this project the potential to help mitigate the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on rural and Hispanic communities. The certificate program will provide Imperial Valley College students with the classes needed to achieve their educational goals and meet the needs of the local industries. The project builds on three things: an existing partnership between Imperial Valley College and the University of California San Diego, a baseline survey of Imperial Valley College students that indicated a strong interest in an engineering program, and the commitment of local industry partners. To develop the new certificate program, Imperial Valley College will create a new makerspace, adopt curriculum from UCSD, and place students who complete the certificate into internships with local industries. The new makerspace will help educate students and their families about high wage technician job opportunities in industry. The evaluation of this project will inform industry and education stakeholders about how to effectively build and strengthen a relationship between a community college and a four-year institution. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2132510	Community College Presidents Initiative - STEM (CCPI STEM)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/26/2021	Clayton Railey	raileyca@pgcc.edu	MD	Prince George's Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2021	09/30/2025	$4,448,629.00	Elizabeth Hawthorne, Vera Zdravkovich, Charlene Dukes, George Boggs	301 LARGO RD	UPPER MARLBORO	MD	207.742.109	3.015.460.722	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	According to the National Science Board, by 2022 the U.S. will experience a workforce shortage gap of approximately 3.4 million skilled technical jobs. This and other similar statistics are a call to action for community colleges to address the impending shortage and existing need for STEM education and workforce development. This project, the Community College Presidents Initiative in STEM (CCPI-STEM), serves the national interest through its efforts to galvanize, enlighten, and inspire community college leadership including college presidents, board members, and vice presidents to promulgate and support local, state, and regional STEM Education, NSF ATE funding, and Workforce Development on their campuses. The project has two major emphases: (a) the important leadership role of administrators and Boards of Trustees in community college external funding for STEM education, and (b) the institutional infrastructure and capacity necessary for effective grant development and implementation, overcoming challenges to success. Four objectives will guide the execution of this project. First is to catalyze the engagement of community college presidents, boards of trustees, and other senior administrators in developing STEM action items for their colleges and communities. Second is to identify and analyze the needs and issues of interest and importance to community college leaders by region. Third is to develop and pilot test instructional curricular materials for existing and future community college presidents and leaders that will strengthen their understanding of STEM education issues. Fourth is to strengthen collaborations with the business community that investigate and promote the economic impact of the ATE program. Seven Regional Networks (RNs), each led by a community college president in close collaboration with national organizations including AACC, ACCT, and the League of Innovation, as well as with representatives of business and industry will be developed. Each RN will formulate its own list of initiatives with input from member community colleges, businesses and its community at large. CCPI-STEM will also work with external organizations, such as Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) and Burning Glass, to assess the economic impact of ATE awards in select colleges. Curricular materials on ATE funding and program implementation will be developed and tested in collaboration with leaders of community college graduate programs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education will be addressed in the initiatives of the RNs and through the prism of external funding and institutional infrastructure. CCPI-STEM results will be broadly disseminated through the RNs, a website, and national, regional and local conferences and venues. Specific guides and publications, including “Models that Work,” will be developed and broadly disseminated. The CCPI-STEM Annual Summit, to be held in conjunction with the AACC National Convention, will provide a forum for interaction and dissemination on a national level. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1955360	Improving Student Career Readiness through Experiential Learning and Internships	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/28/2020	Elizabeth Cheung	cheungep@piercecollege.edu	CA	Los Angeles Pierce College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	08/01/2020	07/31/2024	$504,999.00	Beth Abels	6201 WINNETKA AVE	WOODLAND HILLS	CA	913.710.001	8.187.196.489	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The demand for skilled technicians at manufacturing and construction companies in the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area exceeds the capacity of local manufacturing and architecture technology programs. In addition to seeking employees with technical skills, employers are also looking for graduates who have strong employability skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem solving. To increase student enrollment in technology programs at Pierce College and prepare students for successful technical careers, this project will develop a program for students to integrate the skills and knowledge from their coursework with practical applications in a professional setting. The project will include activities that inform and inspire prospective students about careers in manufacturing and architecture technology. By increasing the supply of skilled technicians for the regional workforce, this project will address industry needs and support the regional economy. The goal of this project is to establish a recruitment, retention, and internship model to increase enrollment in career and technical education programs. Recruitment activities will include the development of a hands-on summer program and outreach events for high school students in which current students serve as ambassadors. Traditional technician education often neglects the employability skills that are needed for career success. This project will assist students in developing a broader range of career-readiness skills by actively engaging students in experiential learning through service learning projects, developing a new internship program established through partnerships with local employers, and creating workshops that focus on employability skills. These student learning strategies will be disseminated to the technical education community through NSF and Advanced Technological Education Program (ATE) events, and through ATE project centers and the project’s website. This project is designed to improve recruitment, retention, and employment for technical students, providing a pathway to successful technical careers. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1900165	Improving Mechatronics Education by Pairing Mechatronics Courses with General Education Math and Science Courses	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/17/2019	Elizabeth Weaver	weaverea@roanestate.edu	TN	Roane State Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2019	12/31/2023	$299,793.00	Eric Bouldin, Gordon Williams	276 PATTON LN	HARRIMAN	TN	377.488.615	8.653.543.000	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	By 2024, in the area surrounding Roane State Community College, employment in electrical and electronics repair of commercial and industrial equipment is expected to increase by five percent. In contrast, the national growth rate is only two percent. Regional employers report that they have difficulty finding "business-oriented" or "well-rounded" technicians to fill their positions. In particular, many candidates do not have the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities, such as critical thinking, applied knowledge, and complex problem-solving skills. Based on a recent survey of employers, defining and solving problems, particularly numerical problems, and thinking critically were among recent graduates' weakest skills. To better meet industry needs for a highly-skilled technical workforce, this project will pair mechatronics courses with general education courses in math and science. The general education courses will be enhanced with mechatronics-related problems and examples, thus providing a context that is relevant to the students' career goals. Local area employers will be integrally involved in course development and provide examples of complex mechatronics issues that can be incorporated into problem-based learning scenarios within the courses. It is expected that these paired courses will result in mechatronics graduates who are better prepared both academically and technically for work in mechatronics fields. Roane State Community College aims to improve the technical skills of mechatronics students by designing and implementing three co-requisite course pairs. Each course pair will include a mechatronics course and one of the following: (a) a general education math course, (b) a learning support (developmental) math course, or (c) a general education science course. The project expects that these curricular changes will increase students' attainment of related learning outcomes, the number of students completing the general education core courses and programs, and employer satisfaction with graduates' knowledge, skills, and abilities. The co-requisite course pairs may provide replicable examples for enhancing mechatronics education at other institutions. In addition, the process used to develop this co-requisite model for teaching general education and mechatronics may be extended to other career-technical areas at Roane State Community College and at other colleges and universities. This project is expected to increase the degree completion rate of first-generation students for whom math and general education courses often pose a major hurdle to degree attainment. Because both faculty and industry partners will be involved in the development of the co-requisite courses, graduates of the program should be better prepared to meet employer expectations for mechatronics technicians in the workplace. Furthermore, the implementation plan and training materials could be adapted to co-requisite pairings in other post-secondary STEM education programs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2025298	NNCI: Nebraska Nanoscale Facility (NNF)	ECCS	Advanced Tech Education Prog, National Nanotechnology Coordi	07/27/2023	Christian Binek	cbinek@unl.edu	NE	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	Cooperative Agreement	Richard Nash	09/01/2020	08/31/2025	$2,800,000.00	Stephen Ducharme, Jeffrey Shield, Rebecca Lai, Xia Hong	2200 VINE ST	LINCOLN	NE	685.032.427	4.024.723.171	ENG	7412, 7601	1032, 7237, 9150, 9178, SMET	Non-technical Description: The Nebraska Nanoscale Facility (NNF) will continue to function as an NNCI regional user facility serving the nanotechnology and materials characterization needs of small colleges, universities, small and large companies in the western region of the US Midwest. Users have access to state-of-the-art advanced instrumentation facilities and expertise at the NNF. It facilitates cutting-edge research in nanomaterials science and nanotechnology with increasing emphasis on emerging quantum materials and technologies and fabrication of nanotechnology enabled devices, which can lead to new consumer products. The renewed NNF continues its contribution to the United States research and educational infrastructure for transformative advances in the fabrication, characterization, understanding and utilization of novel nanostructures, materials and devices. These structures and devices play an increasingly critical role in contemporary technologies including information technology, digital communication, energy processing, sensors for threat detection, and biomedicine. The strong education-outreach (E/O) program at NNF is focused on increasing diversity and inclusiveness through summer research experiences for students, after school middle-school programs, community-college programs, minicourses, and others. NNF’s E/O activities include programs with Native Americans and tribal colleges in Nebraska associated with the Winnebago, Santee Dakota, and Omaha tribes and help attracting students to engineering and science careers. Technical Description: As an integral part of the NNCI the Nebraska Nanoscale Facility (NNF) provides open and affordable access to advanced instrumentation facilities, expertise, training, and services in nanoscience, nanotechnology, materials science, and engineering to users from academia, industries, and government labs in the western region of the US Midwest. The NNF provides a single door access to eight core facilities and two shared facilities associated with it. NNF is the only facility in the western region of the US Midwest that houses an advanced array of state-of-the-art research instrumentation with a combination of cutting-edge technologies, intellectual capabilities and expertise that are open to all users in the region. The renewed NNF provides external users easy access to systems dedicated for advanced nanofabrication, nanomaterials characterization, chemical analysis, and additive manufacturing. NNF is equipped to support the investigation of nanomaterials, quantum materials, and metamaterials as well as nanomagnetic and nano-biodevice fabrication and testing. Research at NNF is bolstered by strong research groups in nanoscale electronics, nanomagnetism, nanophotonics and materials and structures for energy. The NNF also supports major sponsored research programs at the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, UNL and neighboring universities. Hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral associates, visiting scientists and engineers continue to benefit from the state-of-the-art facilities in NNF. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000568	Developing Pathways to Engineering Technology Careers	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/02/2020	eugene mahmoud	emahmoud@mtsac.edu	CA	Mount San Antonio College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	08/01/2020	07/31/2024	$594,293.00	Martin Mason, Brandon Saller, Carolyn Robinson	1100 N GRAND AVE	WALNUT	CA	917.891.341	9.092.745.417	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	To help meet an increased demand for engineering technicians in the Los Angeles, California region, this project will create multiple academic pathways to obtain engineering technician skills and credentials. These pathways include programs for associate degrees or certificates in software, civil, mechanical, or electrical and computer engineering technology. A summer bridge program will assist high school students in making a successful transition from high school to the new engineering technology programs. The core courses of the academic pathways will use project-based learning to engage students in challenging technical problems and provide opportunities for students to work on their projects in the college’s new makerspace facility. The primary goals of this project are to: (1) to help students develop workplace-relevant skills by integrating project-based learning into the curriculum; (2) provide student support services to successfully orient, retain, and matriculate students from underserved populations: (3) create multiple pathways from college to career, via certificate and degree programs in engineering technology, and (4) support academic transfer to four year programs. An on-campus summer bridge program will engage incoming students in engineering projects, provide access to real-world engineering tools and the college’s makerspace, and provide experiential learning in laboratory activities. This project will study the effects of student participation in project-based learning and the summer bridge program on student retention and completion rates in the degree and certificate programs. Disaggregation of the data will be used to understand the impacts on underserved student populations. Lessons learned about best practices for makerspace-facilitated project-based learning will be disseminated to other community colleges through the American Society for Engineering Education conference and the High Impact Technology Exchange Conference. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2025490	NNCI: Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest (NCI-SW)	ECCS	Advanced Tech Education Prog, National Nanotechnology Coordi	07/27/2023	Trevor Thornton	t.thornton@asu.edu	AZ	Arizona State University	Cooperative Agreement	Richard Nash	09/01/2020	08/31/2025	$3,440,000.00	Jameson Wetmore, Mariana Bertoni, Gabriel Montano, Inès Montano	660 S MILL AVENUE STE 204	TEMPE	AZ	852.813.670	4.809.655.479	ENG	7412, 7601	1032, 7237, 7601, 9178, SMET	Non-Technical Description: The Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest (NCI-SW) advances regional and national STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) opportunities by providing open access to faculty expertise, staff know-how, and a state-of-the art toolset for nanotechnology discovery, innovation, and education. Based on the campuses of Arizona State University (ASU) and Northern Arizona University (NAU), the NCI-SW works hand in hand with facility users to address grand challenges that the southwestern US and the nation as a whole will be confronting in the coming decades. These challenges include developing healthcare solutions for global pandemics; creating new materials for quantum security and computation; achieving water and food sustainability; and enabling new industries through workforce development and low volume manufacturing. We provide technician training through advanced laboratory classes for students enrolled in community colleges offering two-year degree and certificate programs in nanotechnology. With a focus on developing opportunities for Hispanic and Native American students at community colleges in Arizona and New Mexico we provide remote on-line access to a scanning electron microscope, and recruit participants for summer research experiences. And we are studying the impact of nanotechnology on society in Arizona and across the NNCI network to provide government agencies, non-governmental organizations, industrial stakeholders as well as scientists and engineers the tools they need to better inform science policy outcomes. Technical Description: The goals of the NCI-SW are to build a regional infrastructure for nanotechnology discovery and innovation, while addressing societal needs through education and entrepreneurship. By providing access to three core facilities and faculty-led centers of excellence we provide intellectual and infrastructural strengths in bio-synthetic nanomaterials; semiconductor device, sensor, and micro-electro-mechanical systems fabrication; advanced electron microscopy and materials characterization; quantum materials; renewable energy; the environmental impact of nanotechnology; geosciences to understand natural nanomaterials; and computational nanoelectronics. By providing access to a new compact x-ray free electron laser (CXFEL) source we will enable new materials characterization opportunities for the wider NNCI community. The CXFEL will allow the study of semiconductors, quantum materials, and nano-bio systems at timescales and energy levels that would otherwise require access to a synchrotron or linear accelerator. The NCI-SW will partner with other NNCI sites to provide intellectual leadership and anticipate future needs of the nano earth-systems research community. Social scientists working with NCI-SW faculty will explore ways to better align nanotechnology research and development with the public good as part of a network wide research community focused on the societal and ethical implications of nanotechnology. We shall disseminate best practice in cleanroom management though a regional association of laboratory managers from ASU, and the Universities of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The NCI-SW will continue the network-wide Science Outside the Lab program to educate the next generation of nanotechnologists about science policy decision making. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2133600	Increasing STEM Persistence by Supporting Apprentice Research Experiences (AREs) as a Model for Institutional Change in Community Colleges	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/19/2023	Jacquelyn Swanik	jtswanik@waketech.edu	NC	Wake Technical Community College	Standard Grant	Julio Soto	10/01/2021	09/30/2026	$1,399,976.00	Sarah Horstman, Stephanie Rollins, Chris O'Riordan-Adjah, Jacquelyn Swanik	9101 FAYETTEVILLE RD	RALEIGH	NC	276.035.655	9.198.665.076	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 8209, 9178	This project aims to serve the national interest by iteratively assessing and improving the STEM Academic Research and Training (START) program, an Apprenticeship Research Experience (ARE) at Wake Technical Community College. The project will contribute to understanding the effects of AREs - especially uncommon and understudied at 2-year colleges - on community college students’ persistence in college and in STEM careers. This project will develop a sustainable model for co-curricular apprenticeship-style mentored undergraduate research programs and help build the case for state and donor funding for undergraduate research experiences and internships at community colleges across North Carolina. The project will enhance a current program, recruit students from populations underrepresented in STEM, and further develop relationships with numerous research partners. By supporting students with paid internships, the project will increase access to STEM careers for low-income students. Training modules for mentors and students will also be developed. The project offers a distinct opportunity to recruit underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students into STEM research and prepare them for successful academic and professional careers. The project goal is to develop a sustainable and scalable undergraduate research and internship program model for 2- and 4-year colleges to partner in undergraduate research. Such partnerships are expected to foster student success in transfer and persistence in bachelor’s degree programs in STEM. Funds will support approximately 50 student interns each semester resulting in 400 paid internships over the course of the project. This project will develop a Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework-based model for strengthening undergraduate research experiences in the community college context. The project will utilize a randomized controlled trial that meets the "What Works Clearinghouse" standards, and includes research questions on the impact of participation in START undergraduate research on student outcomes, e.g. retention and persistence in college and in STEM fields, academic confidence, student identity and awareness, and scientific literacy and research skills. Furthermore, the research questions examine the impact of START on the college, e.g. the impact on the diversity of student participation in STEM fields, the skills and comfort of mentors in engaging in mentoring activities, and the institution’s support for mentors and research. The external evaluator and project faculty will prepare manuscripts of findings for publication and disseminate them via national conferences, reaching audiences of both practitioners and researchers. Academic partners include North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. By creating undergraduate research and internship opportunities for community college students the project is a model to build the STEM pipeline. Funding for this project comes from the Advanced Technological Education program through the program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education (PD 21-7980) which promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education in the community college sector. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055061	Hybrid Curriculum for Upskilling Photonics Technicians in Advanced Optics and Quantum Research Enabled Technologies	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Moamer Hasanovic	mhasanov@irsc.edu	FL	Indian River State College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	06/01/2021	05/31/2025	$531,087.00	Alexei Glebov, James Pearson, Chrys Panayiotou	3209 VIRGINIA AVE	FORT PIERCE	FL	349.815.541	7.724.624.703	EDU	7412	1032, 7203, 9178, SMET	A significant gap exists between the state of quantum science and its practical uses in industry. Part of the gap results from the lack of the advanced technical workforce needed to implement quantum technologies. The people best poised to enter the new quantum technological workforce are incumbent photonics technicians. Their current qualifications provide a foundation on which to build the new quantum-related competencies. This project aims to produce a freely available curriculum that will enable photonics technicians to acquire new quantum-related competencies. This curriculum will contain a three-course sequence with freely accessible textbooks, lab manuals, and interactive online content. Availability of the courses via an open-access educational platform will reduce geographical barriers between colleges, students, and industry. The proposed platform can also promote inclusion and diversity in the high-tech quantum workforce by increasing access to education in quantum technologies. The proposed quantum technology curriculum is expected to help U.S. businesses maintain global leadership in advanced laser and quantum technologies. This project will pioneer the introduction of quantum science into advanced technological education. It will do so by developing, testing, and disseminating a three-course hybrid curriculum in quantum-enabled technologies. The project will begin with an assessment of the industry demand for quantum-related skills, continue with curriculum and course development, and end with establishment of a sustainable learning platform. The three courses will be designed to meet the highest level of Quality Matters certification. The curriculum will be promoted by academic and industry collaborators and validated through data collected via the learning platform in real-time as students interact with the course material. The open-access learning platform will make the entire educational content accessible and transferrable to other institutions. Through these efforts, this project will contribute to the new quantum STEM workforce development needed to propel quantum technology forward. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000764	Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Develop Advanced Laboratory Skills in Collaboration with Industry	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/29/2023	Jason Gagliano	jgagliano@forsythtech.edu	NC	Forsyth Technical Community College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	05/15/2020	05/31/2024	$428,082.00	Russ Read	2100 SILAS CREEK PARKWAY	WINSTON SALEM	NC	271.035.150	3.367.347.177	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Biotechnology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country. To meet the growing biotechnology workforce needs, the National Center for Biotechnology Workforce at Forsyth Technical Community College has been supporting nationwide education and training of technicians in biotechnology, bioprocessing, and related programs at community colleges. Biotechnology industries increasingly need workers with hands-on training in high-resolution mass spectrometry. This project aims to expand the breadth and relevance of its support for biotechnology technician education by acquiring a high-resolution mass spectrometer. This state-of-the-art analytical tool can identify specific chemicals in a sample, even when the sample contains only a trillionth of a gram of that chemical. Such information is used in industries ranging from environmental testing, and food and beverage production, to drug discovery and manufacturing. The project proposes to use this spectrometer to train students and faculty in state-of-the art high-resolution mass spectrometry technology, thus aligning technician education with emerging workforce needs. The project has two goals. First, it plans to acquire a high-resolution mass spectrometer and collaborate with industry partners to use real-world bioscience projects to provide students with skills-based instruction in how to use this technology. Second, it plans to provide workshops that will help high school STEM educators increase their understanding of the bioscience industry, including the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry. These workshops are intended to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to guide students into community college technician education programs that lead to bioscience careers. The College will partner with educators, employers, and entrepreneurs in and around Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, to develop instructional labs using high-resolution mass spectrometry on industry-related projects. Labs will include standard operating procedures on how to use the instrument to collect high-resolution mass spectrometry data, as well as how to interpret these data. This skills-based learning will serve faculty and students from the College and high school STEM programs, as well as those at other local universities. The workshops will also serve educators from across the nation who will be selected for their interest in and potential to develop advanced skills training that connects their local industry with the classroom. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1700496	Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence: Growing the Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/25/2023	Vincent DiNoto	Vince.DiNoto@kctcs.edu	KY	Kentucky Community & Technical College System	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2017	06/30/2024	$4,535,517.00	Ken Yanow, Richard Schultz, Ann Johnson, Nicole Ernst	300 N MAIN ST	VERSAILLES	KY	403.831.245	8.592.563.397	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	The National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence (GeoTech Center) is a collaborative effort of two-year colleges, universities, and industry to accomplish the vision of increasing the number and diversity of learners and workers who possess industry-defined geospatial technology (GST) skills and competencies. The need for a GST workforce that possesses current industry-defined skills and competencies is expanding at a rapid rate. Today, GST is becoming an essential tool in fields including (but not limited to) emergency response, sustainability, agro-science, energy, and a variety of STEM disciplines. These occupations require a skillset in the analysis of spatial data and geo-visualization. One impact of this project will be the national expansion and diversification of a GST workforce that possesses relevant and current industry-defined GST skills and competencies. GeoTech Center research has identified a lack of educational materials to meet the needs of the broad geospatial community of users. Curricula that are standardized and contextual, and that can be used in traditional college learning environments, as well as by individuals for self-improvement, is desperately needed. The GeoTech Center will design and develop industry-aligned educational materials that can be used in a modularized format and portable to different learning environments. The GeoTech Center has four integrated Goals: 1) Research emerging trends and uses of GST; 2) Develop industry-aligned curriculum for new and incumbent users of GST; 3) Investigate best practices to increase (and retain) the number of underserved and underrepresented populations (including veterans, women, minority groups, and persons with disabilities) into GST and STEM fields; and 4) Develop and implement professional development opportunities and resources for secondary and post-secondary faculty. In order to successfully accomplish its Goals, the Center will build on strong, documented relationships with professional GST organizations and provide new and current workers access to educational resources to assist them in filling any gaps in their GST skillset (and for them to receive recognition of those skills through micro-credentials and professional certifications). The Center will expand its Community of Practice and address specific educational needs of targeted audiences, including underserved and underrepresented students, veterans, and faculty in STEM disciplines. The efforts of the Center to accomplish its Goals will provide the optimum framework and resources to increase the number and diversity of learners and workers who possess industry-defined GST skills and competencies.
1939876	Phase II IUCRC at University of South Carolina: The Center for Rational Catalyst Synthesis	EEC	Catalysis, IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/20/2023	John Regalbuto	regalbuj@cec.sc.edu	SC	University of South Carolina at Columbia	Continuing Grant	Prakash Balan	01/01/2020	12/31/2024	$597,600.00	Christopher Williams, John Monnier	1600 HAMPTON ST # 414	COLUMBIA	SC	292.083.403	8.037.777.093	ENG	1401, 5761, 7412	1032, 123E, 5761, 9150, 9178, 9251, SMET	The science of catalysis drives the creation of novel materials called catalysts that make chemical transformations occur that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. Catalysts are perhaps best known in automobile catalytic converters to reduce pollution in automobile exhaust. Catalysts are used to produce a wide variety of products of societal importance such as fuels, textiles, plastics, food and pharmaceutical products to name a few. Catalysts are used to produce common chemicals such as gasoline, textiles, plastics, food and pharmaceutical products to name a few. It has been estimated that catalysis accounts for over 95% (by volume) of all products and over 80% of added value in the chemical industry. About one third of the world’s economy depends directly or indirectly on catalysis. Yet in spite of their immense importance, the development of new catalysts is still largely done by trial-and-error, and is therefore time-consuming and expensive. A grand challenge of catalysis research is the precise design and controlled synthesis of catalytic structures. Discoveries which transform catalyst synthesis from an art to a science will serve to enhance the productivity, energy efficiency and economic impact of a very broad industry base that involves the conversion of raw materials into finished products through chemistry. The Center for Rational Catalyst Synthesis (CeRCaS) is the world’s first and only research center with the focus on understanding the chemical fundamentals of catalyst synthesis. CeRCaS brings to bear powerful, complementary expertise at the University of South Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth University, and in Phase II. CeRCaS research projects, which the industrial partners help develop, select and mentor, are in three thrusts. First, the Fundamentals of Metal Deposition including in-situ observation of metal deposition mechanisms and a variety of methods for nanoparticle genesis; second, Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Solid-Solid Bonding, using theory and experiment to allow prediction of the wetting or sintering of metal oxides on support surfaces, and prediction of the size, shape and, in the case of bimetallics, composition of supported nanoparticles; and third, Precision Site Synthesis for Specific Reactions, in which nanoparticles will be synthesized with specific size, content (single or multi-metals) and shape and so be optimized for particular reactions or to minimize the content of expensive precious metal ingredients. Graduate students will be actively mentored with a practical mindset. Educational outreach will include the active recruitment and eventual industrial placement of underrepresented groups in science and engineering. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1744627	Strengthening Impact, Supporting Collaboration, and Sustaining Access in the ATE Community	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/30/2020	Rachael Bower	bower@scout.wisc.edu	WI	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2018	09/30/2024	$6,165,806.00	Edward Almasy	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	537.151.218	6.082.623.822	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Born out of a need recognized by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program community for a centralized resource portal, ATE Central initially grew out of a collaboration between a group of ATE centers and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Internet Scout Research Group. ATE Central provides a browseable and searchable portal and a suite of tools and services that support grantee work, along with a digital archive that preserves and sustains NSF's valuable investment in ATE. ATE Central will continue to support the successful efforts already under way, including the archiving service, resource collection, and PI meeting app, but will also respond with new and innovative solutions to meet evolving ATE community needs. ATE Central will support community-responsive tools, services, and solutions. Community-building technology will help bring grantees together with a chat service and monthly online "office hours" to help support collaboration and communication amongst grantees. Annual Spotlight Focus workshops and webinars will provide expertise from within and beyond ATE on topics indicated by grantees as critical to their work. The new Curriculum Dissemination Service will develop and deploy documentation and mechanisms to help ATE projects and centers ensure the content they develop is Learning Management System (LMS)-friendly, and to provide access to those ATE-authored materials and curriculum to faculty within their local LMS. These and a host of other tools and services will create neoteric approaches to supporting grantee work and take advantage of diverse pathways for disseminating the deliverables and results of the community. ATE Central will continue to broaden the impact of the work of ATE grantees by showcasing data and deliverables, and disseminating metadata about the projects and centers and the resources they develop and collect. The collective work of the ATE program and ATE Central impacts a diverse set of stakeholders including students, faculty, industry partners and evaluators. By utilizing a variety of pathways, from conferences to social media to webinars, and with a deep commitment to Universal Design, the project will ensure access to all stakeholders, including those with disabilities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2332856	A New Approach to Evaluate Student Learning Outcomes Resulting From Participation in Remotely Operated Vehicle Competitions	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/30/2023	Jill Zande	jzande@marinetech.org	DC	MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY, INC.	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	02/01/2023	09/30/2024	$140,698.00		1 THOMAS CIR NW	WASHINGTON	DC	200.055.800	7.038.705.272	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	There is a growing national demand for students with the content knowledge and skills needed to enter college level technician education programs and the skilled technical workforce. Robotics competitions are popular venues for engaging students in STEM disciplines. Such competitions can connect students, mentors, and institutions to a variety of successful and engaging technology-based programs. The Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE) has supported the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition since 2001. The goals of the ROV competition include sparking student interest in STEM, helping them develop 21st Century workplace skills, and enabling them to envision themselves on STEM career pathways. This project will support the ability of participating students to identify the knowledge and skills they need to gain through this activity, to see clearly the areas where they need to improve, and to use this knowledge to their advantage as they continue their education and/or prepare to enter the workforce. The project focus includes high school, community college, and college/university students who participate in national or international ROV competitions. This project builds upon and extends findings obtained using comprehensive post-competition surveys that support the value of the ROV competitions for participating students, and is aligned with the goals of the NSF ATE program. In addition to the MATE Center at Monterey Peninsula College, the project brings together the State University of New York College at Buffalo, and the technical resources available through the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College. This project builds on a successful approach for evaluating of undergraduate research developed at SUNY Buffalo State. This approach, Evaluate Undergraduate Research (EvaluateUR), assesses desirable student outcomes, including both content knowledge and workplace skills, such as communication skills, creativity, autonomy, an ability to overcome obstacles, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. EvaluateUR also helps students develop metacognition skills, which in turn promote student understanding of their academic strengths and weaknesses. The project will adapt EvaluateUR to serve students participating in MATE's regional and international ROV competitions, support faculty advisors as they mentor students who are designing and building ROVs, and provide reliable feedback to MATE about the academic value of the competitions. The following objectives will be supported: 1) Ensure that all students involved in the competitions know at the outset of their participation what specific knowledge and skills they should be mastering to prepare for additional education and/or the workplace; 2) Measure more precisely how much growth each student participate has demonstrated toward achieving such mastery; 3) Accomplish these goals in a way that strengthens student metacognitive abilities; and 4) Use data from all institutions involved in the competition to create a database of reliable, statistically validated findings showing student growth on specific knowledge and skills. It is also anticipated that other robotics competitions, such as FIRST, VEX, Botball, and the Association of Unmanned Vehicle System International's suite of land, air, and sea programs, represent potential users of this methodology. Dissemination of project results will include these robotics communities as well as other national associations and the NSF ATE community. This project is funded by the NSF Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2200761	Improving Technician Training in Industry 4.0 technologies Using Competency-Based Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/27/2023	Sheri Plain	sheri.plain@kctcs.edu	KY	Kentucky Community & Technical College System	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	05/01/2022	04/30/2025	$556,314.00	Leslie Ashton, Jason Simon, Katie Vincent	300 N MAIN ST	VERSAILLES	KY	403.831.245	8.592.563.397	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	Technician education programs that include competency-based education in Industry 4.0 technologies can provide entry points for students into technical careers at advanced manufacturing companies. There is a recognized need for more skilled technicians that can implement and maintain these technologies in manufacturing facilities. This project will develop and pilot a new competency-based educational approach that supports greater access to technician training and improves postsecondary student learning in emerging Industry 4.0 technologies. This should result in a pipeline of highly skilled, next generation manufacturing technicians. This will also address the growing worker shortage in manufacturing, which will help ensure future economic health for Kentucky, as well as the nation. This project will include model practices to recruit and retain students from traditionally underrepresented groups in manufacturing education programs. Competency-based education components will help prepare students for the technician workforce by engaging learners and improving the learning process. The project will increase partnerships between academia, industry, and other stakeholders to ensure that the competency-based education is aligned with the needs of industry. The goal of this project is to develop a competency-based educational approach to help current and future manufacturing technicians learn new skills in Industry 4.0 technologies. Additionally, the project will encourage students from underserved groups to consider manufacturing as a career choice and provide students with personalized support so that they have a successful learning experience and transition to the workforce. The project team will redesign seven existing advanced manufacturing courses that fulfill the academic requirements for six, credit-bearing, industry-recognized certificates and two national certifications. The courses will be restructured to focus on helping students learn content, related skills, and competencies followed by assessments to determine if they have achieved specific learning objectives. These competencies will focus on the technical areas of fluid power, maintaining industrial equipment, circuits, electrical motor controls, industrial robotics and robotics maintenance, and programmable logic controllers. The project will recruit incumbent manufacturing technicians and/or dislocated and underemployed workers as well as students from underserved groups to earn industry credentials. The effectiveness of the competency-based education will be assessed using student and industry survey data. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2142868	Strengthening the Industry 4.0 Workforce through Virtual Reality Training Modules	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/19/2021	Jason Simon	jason.simon@kctcs.edu	KY	Kentucky Community & Technical College System	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$593,464.00		300 N MAIN ST	VERSAILLES	KY	403.831.245	8.592.563.397	EDU	7412	097Z, 102Z, 1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	As manufacturing contributes to higher export potential, better standards of living, and more jobs in America, addressing the need for a skilled technical workforce is crucial to support the future economic prosperity of the country. Moreover, as a result of the multiplier effect, manufacturing also impacts the broad economy, with every 100 jobs in a manufacturing facility creating 250 jobs in other sectors. In 2018, Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute conducted a study on the manufacturing skills gap that revealed artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, automation, analytics, and the Internet of Things are emerging to transform the world of work (Industry 4.0) and are likely to create even more jobs than they replace. Since mid-2017, job openings in manufacturing have grown at double-digit rates, with a growing gap between open jobs and an available skilled talent pool to fill them. To help bridge this gap, this project of the Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (https://amtecworkforce.org/) will create a virtual reality (VR) application built on the zSpace platform that students can use to troubleshoot ten scenarios on an industry simulator. These scenarios will be integrated into a credit-bearing post-secondary capstone course for manufacturing students developed and designed with input from industry and education subject matter experts. This partnership between representatives of industry and advanced technological education will ensure that the project strengthens the competency and global competitiveness of the advanced manufacturing workforce. The VR application and curricula will be field tested at targeted Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative partner sites across the country, as well as with students and instructors currently using zSpace’s virtual reality platform. In addition, an exploratory curriculum will be developed to engage K-12 students in gaming-like simulations to recruit youth into advanced manufacturing technical training. Several objectives will guide the execution of the project. First is to engage secondary students in Industry 4.0 advanced manufacturing concepts through field-testing a newly created virtual reality “game-like” application. Second is to train post-secondary students preparing to be manufacturing technicians to enter the workforce with a basic understanding of Industry 4.0 technologies and the ability to apply them successfully in the workplace setting. Third is to increase the aptitude of secondary and post-secondary faculty in Industry 4.0 concepts and the use of virtual reality technology by providing comprehensive professional development. Three primary contributions to the field are anticipated. One is an expanded set of partnerships between academia, industry, and others to develop technician training that aligns with the growing Industry 4.0 infrastructure. Two is the improvement of secondary and post-secondary student learning in emerging Industry 4.0 technologies and virtual reality applications. Third is the lessening of disruptions of manufacturing technician training during a pandemic or similar event that creates a need for remote learning. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. As a result, the project has the potential to contribute to improving the national STEM workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000177	Bridging the Skills Gap in Smart Manufacturing through a New Technician Education Program	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/10/2020	Elizabeth Azhikannickal	azhikannickale@mtc.edu	OH	Marion Technical College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	10/01/2020	09/30/2024	$477,868.00	James White, feng hua	1467 MOUNT VERNON AVE	MARION	OH	433.025.628	7.407.254.078	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	As the rapidly developing field of Smart Manufacturing introduces advanced technologies into traditional manufacturing facilities, technical education must keep pace. Such technologies include smart machines, advanced control systems, the industrial internet of things, and cloud services. This project aims to address the growing gap between the skills employers need in Smart Manufacturing and the skills students develop from traditional technical education programs. By creating new academic pathways, this project plans to increase the number of skilled technicians who can meet the demand from key regional employers. The project will support professional development activities to help college and high school instructors understand new trends in manufacturing. The new curriculum will focus on enabling students to learn the skills needed to be successful in a Smart Manufacturing environment. This project may also provide a model for other colleges that want to implement a Smart Manufacturing technical education program. The primary goal of this project is to create a manufacturing industry-aligned technician education pathway in Smart Manufacturing, with the goal of increasing the supply of qualified technicians with proficiency in advanced technology applications. A job skills analysis will be performed to identify the set of technical skills that are needed in Smart Manufacturing facilities. Based on the results of the analysis, a curriculum in Smart Manufacturing will be developed to include multiple pathways leading to Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates. The pathways will also include entry points and fast track options for incumbent workers in manufacturing and information technology fields. A Smart Manufacturing career pathway initiative will be designed to recruit underrepresented students, promote careers in manufacturing to high school students, and establish transfer agreements with four-year programs. The project will also organize an annual Smart Manufacturing Summit to bring together industry practitioners, community college instructors, and high school instructors to promote dissemination of best practices in technical education for Smart Manufacturing. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202008	Expanding Pathways and Support for Transportation Technology Education and Careers at an Urban Minority Serving Institution	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	11/03/2022	Richard Saxton	rsaxton@ccp.edu	PA	Community College of Philadelphia	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$546,538.00	Pam Carter, Arielle Norment	1700 SPRING GARDEN ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	191.303.936	2.157.518.010	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This Community College of Philadelphia ATE project will redesign outreach and recruitment strategies to attract, recruit and enroll more female students in the Transportation Technologies (T-Tech) programs. This will create a “Learn and Earn” approach to successfully close the gender gap for women in technology and train and place more technicians into sustainable employment. As a designated Minority Serving Institution and Predominantly Black Institution where the majority of students are low-income; this project focuses on supporting the completion of short-term training and work-based learning experiences where students can earn higher wages and advance within their chosen career path while still enrolled in school. This project has the potential to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM majors and STEM fields while encouraging more women to choose career paths that provide higher wages and growth potential. This project will advance knowledge and understanding within T-Tech education and technical STEM education through an integrated approach that synergistically addresses industry and student needs. Program design accesses both college and industry resources and expertise to provide a program for students that effectively supports them from enrollment through completion and transition to sustainable jobs in the workforce, meeting industry needs for entry-level and advanced technicians. This ATE project is designed to broaden the participation of women in the T-Tech program and support all enrolled students both academically and professionally as they complete the program. In partnership with the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science (IWITTS), the Community College of Philadelphia will engage more female students in T-Tech and create recruitment, retention, and job placement plans that can be replicated and scaled to improve overall student success in STEM. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202236	Providing Opportunities for Women in Next Generation Electric Vehicle Technologies	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/13/2022	John Frala	JFrala@riohondo.edu	CA	Rio Hondo College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$504,839.00		3600 WORKMAN MILL RD	CITY OF INDUSTRY	CA	906.011.616	5.624.637.368	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project serves the national interest by developing a new Women’s Academy called Providing Opportunities for Women in Next Generation Electric Vehicle Technologies (WINGS-EV). WINGS-EV, as a learning community model, is industry-driven, standards-centered, and STEM-based, and will result in the development of new educational materials, curricula, coursework, lab exercises, internship opportunities, and comprehensive student support services. Even as the automotive industry moves forward with electric mobility and self-driving cars, it is held back by a deepening talent crisis. Today, women account for only 27 percent of the US auto manufacturing workforce as compared to roughly 47 percent of the overall labor force. Rio Hondo College’s WINGS-EV Women’s Academy will extend current research on barriers faced by women desiring to enter the electric vehicle technician workforce and barriers that arise in transitioning from high school to a community college (especially those that serve underserved communities) to baccalaureate-granting institutions. As a learning community model, WINGS-EV intentionally links together courses or coursework to provide greater curricular coherence, more opportunities for active teaming, and interaction between students, faculty, and industry partners. There are two overarching goals of WINGS-EV: 1) to meet the workforce needs of employers who require trained, qualified, and experienced technicians; and 2) to increase the number of female students in the hydrogen and electric battery technicians’ program. The broad impacts of WINGS-EV include integrating the high-performance electronics, computer management skills, customer management, and advanced technology diagnostic skills that ready participating students for employment. At the same time WINGS-EV will assist diverse high school populations by encouraging female students to enroll in dual enrollment, thereby attaining two- and/or four-year technology degrees more quickly. By focusing on recruitment, retention, and support strategies required to increase female enrollment for one specific automotive subject (EV technicians), future growth can be accommodated by adopting the same strategies for other interdisciplinary STEM fields within technology education programs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202205	Flying High for New Careers in Aviation Technology	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	12/20/2022	Ryan Stephens	rstephens@johnson.edu	PA	JOHNSON, O.S. TECHNICAL INSTITUTE	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	05/15/2022	04/30/2025	$307,706.00	William Burke, Kellyn Williams, Jeanine Engelmann	3427 N MAIN AVE	SCRANTON	PA	185.081.438	5.707.028.908	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts overall employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians to grow 11 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. About 14,400 openings for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development found that Northeastern Pennsylvania’s demographic challenges slow down economic growth in the region while estimating there to be a regional need for aviation mechanics. Johnson College will develop and implement a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Aviation Technology associate degree program that successfully recruits and trains students to fill a growing, essential regional and national high technology workforce development needs in the aviation industry. Project objectives include the establishment of a working airport-based training laboratory; relationships to engage military veterans who desire training as part of their transition to civilian life; and faculty development activities to remain current with FAA practices. Additional objectives include expansion of College-Industry partnerships to provide training and career guidance; expansion of the College’s dual enrollment program with regional school districts and Career Technology Centers; and development of or participation in middle/high school career awareness activities. The Aviation Technology two-year associate degree program will prepare students to fill a growing number of essential positions in the aviation industry. The curriculum will align with the latest FAA technology and education requirements so that graduates are prepared at the highest level to pass FAA licensure and meet the growing demand for aviation technology mechanics. Students will be recruited from a variety of diverse backgrounds, including prior military service, age, gender, race, cultural, economic, and educational experience. It is expected that the program developed will create a replicable format for institutions looking to create a similar program and meet their own regional workforce development needs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100047	Developing a Flipped Classroom Approach to Enhance Access and Improve Learning in Electro-Mechanical Technology	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	12/01/2021	Jim Pytel	jpytel@cgcc.edu	OR	Columbia Gorge Community College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	01/01/2022	12/31/2024	$457,270.00		400 E SCENIC DR	THE DALLES	OR	970.583.456	5.415.066.033	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	The nation has an expanding need for electro-mechanical technicians, who have expertise in both mechanical technology and electrical/electronic circuits. These technicians apply their knowledge and skills in many fields, from generation and transmission of power to advanced manufacturing. This proposal aims to improve the education of electro-mechanical technicians. To do so, it will develop online teaching and learning resources that support a flipped classroom experience. In flipped classrooms, students engage in more passive learning, such as listening to a lecture, before coming to class. Then, in the classroom, they are guided by the instructor to work on hands-on applications of what they learned. This project will develop teaching resources for electro-mechanical technology with input from industry and other two-year colleges. It is expected that implementing these resources in an online flipped classroom will be more effective at helping electro-mechanical technicians and instructors gain both technical knowledge and practical hands-on experience. Columbia Gorge Community College is a Hispanic-serving institution. Thus, by preparing students for well-paying, high-demand electro-mechanical technician jobs, this project can help to mitigate the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Hispanic communities the College serves. This project leverages the results of a successful previous NSF ATE award that developed free, high-quality online resources to support flipped classroom courses for electrical engineering, industrial maintenance, and renewable energy technicians. The project has three major aims: (1) develop high-quality online learning modules that support a flipped classroom approach for teaching electro-mechanical technologies, (2) cultivate the next generation of instructors and workforce-ready technicians for high-demand fields, and (3) advance the knowledge base about use of the flipped classroom approach to enhance technician education. The flipped classroom structure and materials can be easily updated and repurposed for other technical programs, thus increasing access to technical education and decreasing cost. U.S. economic and national security depends on the industries supported by knowledgeable, skilled technicians. This project intends to train new electro-mechanical technicians and serve practicing electro-mechanical technicians who want to stay current in their jobs. This project is funded by the NSF Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055412	Enhancing Career Pathways to Green Jobs in High-performance Building Technology	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	12/12/2022	Charles Setterfield	charles.setterfield@sinclair.edu	OH	Sinclair Community College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$559,624.00	Robert Gilbert, Dalya Ismael, Eric Dunn	444 W 3RD ST	DAYTON	OH	454.021.421	9.375.124.573	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Buildings account for a major portion of the total U.S. energy consumption. Making buildings more energy efficient is a goal of the high-performance building technology industry. Achieving this goal requires hiring more building performance technicians, but the demand for these technicians outstrips the supply. Building performance technical work includes all aspects of facility operations and maintenance, including whole-system analysis and energy management. Thus, success in the building technology workforce requires the knowledge and skills needed to install, implement, and maintain complex building systems. This project intends to increase the pipeline of highly skilled building performance technicians by creating a new stackable certificate program, offering dual enrollment courses for high school students, providing training for high school teachers, and conducting outreach activities. By expanding career pathways into the building performance workforce, the project aims to broaden participation of women and other groups that are underrepresented in the building technology workforce and that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will address a significant and growing demand for entry-level high performance building technicians in Southwest Ohio. The overall goal of the project is to expand the pipeline of skilled technicians who have the skills to reduce energy consumption in buildings. To this end, the project will develop a stackable short-term certificate with embedded industry-recognized credentials. Students who earn this credential will be prepared to take industry certification exams and enter the building performance workforce. Specific aims of the project include to: (1) create a new postsecondary certificate program that can be completed by high school students; (2) train high school teachers to deliver postsecondary course content; (3) pilot an outreach program to raise awareness of technical career opportunities among youth, particularly from communities not equitably represented in the building technician workforce; (4) provide a structured approach to guide high school students and unemployed/ underemployed adults onto building performance career pathways; and (5) improve student learning by upgrading labs with the latest building technologies. Using student surveys, student interviews, and institutional data, the project will assess the impact of the certificate program on student learning and the impact of outreach activities on recruiting students from communities that are underrepresented in the technical workforce. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055555	Smart Start to Skilled Technical Careers in Energy Management Technology	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/26/2023	Howard Herrild	howard.herrild@nwtc.edu	WI	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$489,293.00	Brooke Holbrook, Holly Valentine	2740 W MASON ST	GREEN BAY	WI	543.034.966	9.204.985.615	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The future of energy use is changing as smart technologies integrate with traditional mechanical systems to control lighting, ventilation, security, and other functions in residential and industrial buildings. For example, modern building controls now include devices such as Wi-Fi enabled lighting controls with daylight sensors, carbon-dioxide sensors to control ventilation rates, and power load alarms for critical needs like food refrigeration. As a result, the need for skilled energy technicians has grown and the skills they need are more complex. In Northeast Wisconsin, the demand for energy management technicians continues to exceed the supply of qualified applicants. Thus, new strategies are needed to address shortages and create a workforce of skilled technicians to manage these technologies. In this project, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College will partner with local employers to increase the number of skilled energy management technicians. Specifically, the project intends to develop an energy management educational program that bridges mechanical equipment engineering skills with information technology and computational skills. The program will be designed to prepare a skilled technical workforce that will address energy management needs in an increasingly internet-connected, global society. Faculty in the existing Energy Management Technology program and the College’s K-12 relations manager will collaborate with industry and secondary education representatives to educate students, instructors, and educational leaders about today’s smart technology-driven building control systems. Through this partnership, the project plans to: create an Energy Controls Career Pathway Certificate as an entry-level pathway credential; increase energy career and education awareness, with attention to recruiting more women to a field traditionally dominated by men; provide curriculum, hands-on resources, training, and supports for high school instructors to deliver a one-credit course in the Certificate; and launch the full Certificate as an entry-level credential through dual credit delivery for high school juniors and seniors. This project has the potential to create a replicable model for meeting employer demand for skilled technicians. Ultimately, it is anticipated that the project will support reductions in the cost of smart energy installations and maintenance, benefiting the environment, as well as consumer health and finances. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1820830	Scaling Up through Networked Improvement (SUNI): Testing a practical theory about improving math outcomes for developmental students at scale	DUE	S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math, IUSE, Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/02/2023	Ann Edwards	aedward@wested.org	CA	WestEd	Continuing Grant	James A. M. Alvarez	10/24/2017	08/31/2024	$2,959,558.00	Shandy Hauk, Yvonne Kao, Karon Klipple, Ann Edwards, David McKinney	730 HARRISON ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	941.071.271	4.156.153.136	EDU	1536, 1998, 7412	8209, 9178	Scaling effective programs is critical for dramatically improving educational outcomes. Too often, however, innovations that prove promising in one context fail to achieve success at scale. The aim of the Scaling Up through Networked Improvement (SUNI) project is to learn how a complex educational innovation, the Carnegie Math Pathways (CMP), is effectively taken to scale across a variety of institutions of higher education. The CMP initiative is a systemic reform effort to dramatically improve the outcomes of college students who place into developmental mathematics. Roughly 1.7 million first-time undergraduates are placed into developmental mathematics courses each year across the country and must complete prerequisites as well as a college-level mathematics course to complete a degree or transfer. However, in community colleges, approximately 80% of such students do not complete a college-level mathematics course within 3 years, and in comprehensive 4-year institutions 60% fail to do so within 2 years. The CMP consists of two course pathways, Statway and Quantway, that accelerate students who place into developmental mathematics to and through college-level mathematics in a single year. CMP's instructional design provides students with opportunities to learn mathematics content that is engaging and relevant to their academic goals using a student-centered and problem-centered approach that supports students' persistence and engagement. A distinctive feature of the effort is that institutions implementing pathways courses are organized as a Networked Improvement Community (NIC). The CMP NIC provides support for institutional leaders to learn about how to effectively implement pathways courses and share their learning across and within member institutions. Since their launch in 2011, Statway/Quantway have been implemented in 58 institutions of higher education and have impacted over 22,000 students improving developmental mathematics and college credit completion success rates from around 6% to 50% or higher. The SUNI project will bring an additional 12 colleges into the NIC, impacting at least 280 instructors. Based on current course success rates, 10,000 more students across participating sites are expected to complete developmental mathematics courses and be successful in college than would have done so with traditional remediation. The SUNI project will test and refine a practical theory about scaling complex educational innovations within institutions through a NIC, while scaling the CMP program nationwide. Three cohorts of institutions of higher education will implement the CMP at scale. Leadership teams in those institutions will be supported to undertake a set of implementation activities (the CMP Implementation Framework) through a structured series of learning engagements utilizing formal improvement methods and leveraging the NIC as a social learning structure. Through broad statistical study and deep case study of leadership learning, the project will build understanding about what works, for whom, and under what conditions for the SUNI approach. The resulting evidence about institutional implementation of innovation at scale, as well as the concrete products derived from that knowledge, are of significant value to educational research, policy development, and classroom practice. The project's dissemination of findings will inform innovation, organizational change, and reform, particularly about large-scale efforts to implement system-wide changes in higher education settings.
2202107	Developing PLC and Robotic Automation Technician Training for Service Industries	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/03/2022	Shouling He	shouling.he@vaughn.edu	NY	Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	06/15/2022	05/31/2025	$284,549.00	Douglas Jahnke	8601 23RD AVE	EAST ELMHURST	NY	113.691.000	7.184.296.600	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by addressing the shortage of technicians with the skills to maintain the programable logic controllers (PLCs) and robots in the service industries. The project at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology provides a PLC and Robotic Automation (PRA) Technician certificate program to address this shortage in the service industries in the greater New York City (NYC) area. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Vaughn has embraced students from low-income and first-generation college families, as well as from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The one-year certificate program reduces the financial and time commitments for students who want to pursue education to improve their upward mobility. Providing this additional pathway not only meets the needs of service industries but also increases diversity in PRA technicians. The goal of the project is to create a one-year 24-credit program to provide PRA technicians with the skills they need for employment in service industries. To ensure graduates of the program have the desired qualifications, the project (a) collaborates with its Business and Industry Leadership Team to determine the service industry needs and develop curriculum to meet them; (b) supports faculty to obtain certifications; (c) recruits both high-school students and incumbent workers using newly developed informational materials; and (d) increases diversity in the PRA technician workforce by partnering with Vaughn’s existing programs to recruit students from groups underrepresented in the technician workforce including women and racial and ethnic minorities. Additionally, advancements in the understanding of technical education for service industries are shared through ATE Central and at regional and national conferences. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055344	Emerging Cloud Hub Opportunities (ECHO)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	01/10/2023	Norge Pena Perez	npenaper@mdc.edu	FL	Miami Dade College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	05/01/2021	04/30/2025	$599,181.00	Elodie Billionniere, Zhiqi Zhang, Ernesto Lee, Mindy Knowles	300 NORTHEAST 2ND AVE	MIAMI	FL	331.322.204	3.052.373.910	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The goal of this project is to address local and regional workforce needs by increasing the number of certified advanced cloud computing technicians from the region. Cloud computing is a rapidly growing field that continues to change the nature of the information technology industry. Cloud-based solutions allow businesses to scale computing services to fit their needs and the needs of their users, while saving thousands of dollars on computing infrastructure costs and maintenance. As more businesses transition to cloud-based computing solutions, there is a critical need for an advanced cloud-computing workforce. To meet these needs, the project team will develop a new College Credit Certificate with advanced technical certifications in cloud-based technology. This project will serve a population of students who are predominantly low-income and minoritized. As a result, it has the potential to increase the number of certified cloud computing technicians from underrepresented groups. This project will enhance advanced cloud and multi-cloud technology education by providing faculty with professional development opportunities that include obtaining cloud certifications from prominent Cloud platforms, creating a new advanced college-credit certificate with advanced technical certifications for students and working technicians, and encouraging collaboration through the virtual networking summit Cloud on Demand Series. In this project, Miami Dade College will partner with leading cloud solutions providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud to provide access, technical support, and training to faculty and students. The project aims to advance and share knowledge about student success and upskilling of STEM students at Hispanic-serving institutions. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902211	Information Technology Career Pathways through a Flexible Apprenticeship Model	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/20/2022	Lawrence McWherter	lmcwherter@cscc.edu	OH	Columbus State Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2019	12/31/2023	$560,501.00	Michael Greer, Shannon Niedzwicki, James White	550 E SPRING ST	COLUMBUS	OH	432.151.722	6.142.872.639	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Working with industry, high school, and college partners, this project aims to create a model for a work study-based associates degree in Information Technology. To accomplish this goal, the project will complete three specific aims. First, it will establish an industry-aligned work study model for information technology education. The program of study will align with flexible industry-recognized apprenticeship approaches and enable students to synergistically learn and earn. The curriculum will be designed to provide foundational science, technology, engineering, and mathematics knowledge, balanced with specific technology competencies. The second specific aim is to establish a dual credit information technology pathway for high school students, with professional development to enable high school teachers to teach the dual credit courses. The third specific aim is to publish a technical guide to facilitate replication of the program and pilot the program at Marion Technical College in Ohio. The project has the potential to produce a replicable, flexible work study program designed for the information technology industry that could be implemented nationwide. As a result, it will contribute to building capacity in the nation's cybersecurity workforce. The project goal is to leverage a collaboratively-developed and industry-led curriculum, leading to the creation, pilot, and scaling of an experiential learning model for students in Information Technology (IT) pathways starting in cybersecurity. An Associate Degree in Cybersecurity will be adapted to incorporate the work study experience. Work study orientation in the first year of the program and work study opportunities in the second year will prepare students to enter the workforce upon graduation. Wrap around services, including a comprehensive orientation and intrusive advising will inform students about the details of the program, and support them as they progress through it. Flexible schedules and learning experiences will facilitate student/employer interactions. With guidance from industry, essential skills and job tasks will be identified and moved earlier in the program of study to better prepare students for their work study experiences. Work study placements will include production-level roles that are re-conceptualized to support student completion of a two-year degree. To support veterans, current military codes and skills will be mapped to the curriculum and the project team will provide training and strategies for supporting military and veteran students in the classroom. Following development of the cybersecurity work study model, the program will be scaled to other IT pathways. The project team will collaborate with regional high schools to engage students in IT dual credit pathways. A Cyber Institute recruiting event will raise awareness of and interest in cybersecurity and IT, as well as recruit students into the program. Project components include conducting work readiness activities and providing competency-based modules to high school teachers to credential them to teach dual credit IT courses. The project will develop products that will be disseminated to other institutions, including a new industry-led replicable work study model in IT pathways, Early IT Pathways Initiative for high school, and a technical guide for replication and piloting at other institutions nationwide. This project is funded by NSF's Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902225	Scaling Elements of a Competency-Based Hybrid Instructional Model into Advanced Manufacturing Courses	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/03/2019	Thomas Wylie	twylie@northweststate.edu	OH	Northwest State Community College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	06/01/2019	05/31/2024	$500,005.00	William Chaplin, Thomas Bowes, Sarah Stubblefield	22600 State Route 34	Archbold	OH	435.029.517	4.192.671.335	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	A nationwide shortage of qualified manufacturing technicians and the demand for training that keeps pace with rapidly changing technology has driven collaboration between education and industry partners. To fill the need for qualified manufacturing technicians, Northwest State Community College (NSCC) will work with industries to improve a competency-based advanced manufacturing program and promote its broader adoption. NSCC plans wide-spread implementation of its instructional model through a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) of partner colleges and their local industries across four states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and North Carolina. Through mentorship, professional development, and focused cooperation, this project will improve the effectiveness of advanced manufacturing courses, increase access to technical education programs, and prepare technicians with the skillsets that employers require. On a broad scale, this project will promote diversity by increasing opportunities for underserved populations to pursue high-demand, family-sustaining occupations in the technical workforce. The goals of this project are to: provide a more accessible method of instruction, remove barriers for existing and potential college students, align students' skills attainment with workplace demands, and increase the knowledge of implementing a competency-based hybrid instructional model for advanced manufacturing courses. NSCC will demonstrate the process of converting two traditional courses to the new model, and partner colleges in the NIC will determine which elements of the model are best suited to adapt within their programs. NSCC will then work with the partners to incorporate the model into specific courses. In addition, NSCC will administer nine, two-day professional development workshops for technical faculty from additional colleges in the state-wide networks of the NIC partners, with the potential to impact ninety colleges. NSCC will continue to mentor faculty on scaling elements of the model into programs at their institutions and will provide assistance with implementation efforts. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2113873	IUCRC Phase II Boise State University: Center for Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings (ATOMIC)	EEC	IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/21/2023	David Estrada	daveestrada@boisestate.edu	ID	Boise State University	Continuing Grant	Crystal Leach	08/01/2021	07/31/2026	$530,240.00	Harish Subbaraman, Elton Graugnard	1910 UNIVERSITY DR	BOISE	ID	837.250.001	2.084.261.574	ENG	5761, 7412	1032, 123E, 5761, 8808, 9150, 9178, SMET	The Center for Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings (ATOMIC) investigates the fundamental science of 2-dimensional (2D) material systems to enable a wide range of industrial and defense related applications. Phase II of the ATOMIC IUCRC adds a new site to the ATOMIC Center at Boise State University, thus extending the geographical reach of ATOMIC into the Pacific Northwest. A large focus of the work at the Boise State site is related to the fundamental chemistry needed to accelerate industry-scale synthesis of 2D materials via atomic layer deposition and large volume synthesis of 2D material inks for additive electronics manufacturing via inkjet, aerosol jet, plasma jet, and micro dispense/extrusion-based printing. The partnerships between ATOMIC universities, the industry members, and government partners are designed to serve the national interest by promoting the progress of 2D materials in science and engineering. Undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to engage in research projects across all three sites, interacting with a diverse range of faculty and industry partners. Phase II builds on the robust foundation of scientific innovation in 2D materials at Penn State and Rice University and expands it into scalable 2D materials printing enabled by the addition of Boise State University. Penn State and Rice have successfully pioneered fundamental research programs in novel 2D materials, such as graphene, hBN, MoS2, and WS2; and Boise State has excelled in the area of nanomaterial ink development and controlled precision printing such as inkjet, plasma jet, aerosol jet, and micro-dispensing. This combination of expertise will ensure relevant pre-competitive research of interest to the industrial members in areas related to large-scale production processes, electronics, sensing, energy, and protection. The joint research efforts chosen and designed by ATOMIC will concentrate on addressing key societal and industrial problems in areas of U.S. national interest that can be mitigated through advanced multifunctional coatings, such as infrastructure protection, internet of things (IoT) sensing, electronics, energy harvesting/storage, autonomous systems, and biological threat reduction. Student-centric activities include transformational and applied research, developing intellectual property, low-cost nano-manufacturing and industry internship opportunities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1764225	A Bridge to Bio-Link's Future	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/08/2023	Sandra Porter	sandra@digitalworldbiology.com	WA	Digital World Biology	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2018	12/31/2023	$531,166.00	Linnea Fletcher, Thomas Tubon, Todd Smith	2449 NW 60TH ST	SEATTLE	WA	981.073.256	2.062.407.912	EDU	7412	096Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Employment in the biotechnology industry offers good benefits, job satisfaction, and opportunities for advancement. Despite these advantages, the lack of knowledge on the part of students and teachers concerning biotech careers has made it difficult to recruit students to enroll in biotech education programs. This project will add features and services to the website, Biotech-Careers.org, which currently serves to inform students about the types of job opportunities in biotech, to identify where biotechnology students have been hired, and to help biotech education programs learn what companies are doing in their local areas. The site contains descriptions of careers in biotech companies, stories and photos from graduates of two-year programs, and a database of biotech-related employers tagged by their business area. Additions to the site will enable it to improve student awareness of the different types of job opportunities in biotechnology and help them learn where they can find college programs that can prepare them for these different types of biotech careers. To complement these services, the project team will also identify and recruit faculty who are committed to being part of a distributed national leadership council to promote improvements in biotechnology education. The project will pursue two primary objectives. First, the project team will introduce capabilities to Biotech-Careers.org that help improve students? knowledge of opportunities in biotech and ability to find employment. Second, the principal investigators will improve and sustain the digital infrastructure connecting the biotech-education online community. Through these efforts, students will be provided with new tools for identifying and planning their career objectives and locating educational programs that can prepare them for biotech careers. These resources will include better descriptions of career pathways, better links to community college biotech programs, more information about where students are getting hired, and new tools designed to help students overcome barriers when applying for jobs. The directory and database of community college and high school biotech programs at a companion site, Bio-Link.org, will also be improved and will continue to serve as a tool for assessing biotech education on a national level. The broader impacts of this project will be to increase the number and diversity of appropriately educated students entering biotechnology and bioscience careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2113695	IUCRC Phase II: Iowa State University: Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites [CB2]	EEC	IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/21/2023	Eric Cochran	ecochran@iastate.edu	IA	Iowa State University	Continuing Grant	Prakash Balan	08/01/2021	07/31/2026	$513,774.00	Nacu Hernandez-Cantu	1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	500.112.103	5.152.945.225	ENG	5761, 7412	1032, 123E, 5761, 9150, 9178, 9251, SMET	The Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2) at Iowa State University (ISU), University of Georgia (UGA), Washington State University (WSU), and North Dakota State University (NDSU) seeks to develop and build on an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) that focuses on bioplastics and biocomposites. The mission of CB2 is to develop fundamental knowledge related to bioplastics and biocomposites, to disseminate research-based findings to industry to promote sustainability, and to educate future scientists and engineers. As such, there is an expressed industrial interest in leveraging research efforts to accelerate systematic development of standardized material and processing data for these novel plastics and composites. The center focusses on the development of jobs in the area of sustainable manufacturing and the conversion of agricultural and woody crops to bio-based materials that contribute to job creation in the United States. The center also strives to support education and diversity through engagement of undergraduate and graduate students in research on sustainable materials. The goal of CB2 is to improve the basic knowledge of synthesis, processing, properties, and compounding of bioplastic and biocomposite materials, to develop reliable materials characteristics data for industrial partners, and to support large-scale industrial implementation of renewable materials. The vision of the center is to develop knowledge that will facilitate the production of an array of high-value products, including plastics, coatings, adhesives, and composites, from renewable feedstocks. The materials are compatible with current industrial manufacturing systems and promote rural development as well as national growth. The goals of the Phase II are fourfold: 1) expand the knowledge and develop the science for recycling and end of life treatment of sustainable materials, in particular as they are mixed with petrochemical plastics; 2) expand membership by engaging new companies that have expressed a need for recycling and end of life treatment; 3) develop fundamental knowledge on sustainable materials; 4) prepare students to join the workforce equipped with the knowledge and skills required by industry. The team of researchers includes experts in the fields of polymer processing, polymer chemistry, materials science, and crop utilization. WSU’s research focuses on utilizing industry-relevant technology platforms to develop bio-based composites, coatings and adhesives, and polymers for various industry applications, as well as to recycle bio-based composite materials. ISU’s research focuses on agricultural biomass valorization, monomer and polymer development, adhesives and coatings, chemical recycling and upcycling, and packaging and construction materials markets. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100575	Training the Skilled Biomanufacturing Workforce Through Innovative Internships in Protein Biomanufacturing	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/22/2023	Aron Kamajaya	kamajaa@laccd.edu	CA	Los Angeles Pierce College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2021	08/31/2024	$520,304.00	David Micklos, Eric B. Nash	6201 WINNETKA AVE	WOODLAND HILLS	CA	913.710.001	8.187.196.489	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Due to rapid growth in the biotechnology industry, the demand for skilled biotechnicians in the Los Angeles region continues to increase. Out of the ~3,200 projected annual openings in biotechnology-related jobs, more than 2,000 require an associate degree or less. The most recent statewide data indicate a massive gap in availability of these trained biotechnicians, with an annual average production in Los Angeles county of only ~50 individuals. The largest demand is for quality control and manufacturing technicians. This project will help fill this demand by providing comprehensive training and internships in biomanufacturing, a process that uses cells (or parts of cells) to produce useful products such as proteins. The biotechnology industry is one of the sectors that has been most resilient and least impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, people from the communities served by the college, including students who are Hispanic, have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. By training biomanufacturing technicians, this project will help put people back to work in more secure, well-paying jobs, and contribute to mitigating the financial impacts of COVID-19 on these individuals. This project aims to address major regional needs for biotechnology talent by establishing a protein biomanufacturing training program. By accomplishing this goal, the project will provide a pipeline for students from high school to two-year college, and then to employment or transfer to a four-year biomanufacturing program. To create the program, three new courses will be developed, implemented, and evaluated. Complementing the coursework, the project will establish a student-centered Contract Manufacturing Organization that will provide internship opportunities for students in protein biomanufacturing. The protein (Taq polymerase) will be produced by student interns working in college laboratories, and provided at low cost to local high school and community college bioscience classrooms, as well as to national course-based undergraduate research experiences programs, including the DNA Learning Center’s DNA Barcoding experience and the Amgen Biotech Experience. By providing affordable enzymes to bioscience classrooms in less-resourced institutions, the project can help mitigate COVID-19 impacts on the institutions and support greater learning opportunities for the students they serve. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055036	Developing Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experiences in Antibody Bioengineering	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/13/2021	Sandra Porter	sandra@digitalworldbiology.com	WA	Digital World Biology	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	05/15/2021	04/30/2024	$583,053.00	Margaret Bryans, Todd Smith, Aron Kamajaya, Sheela Vemu	2449 NW 60TH ST	SEATTLE	WA	981.073.256	2.062.407.912	EDU	7412	096Z, 102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	Antibodies are proteins involved in vertebrate immune responses. They are also used for medical and other purposes. For example, nearly 300 employers across the United States develop antibody-based drugs or diagnostic tests, sell antibodies as bioreagents, or provide antibody-related laboratory services. Not surprisingly, antibodies are an important front-line tool for diagnosing and treating COVID-19 infections. Bioengineering antibodies is an active area of applied biotechnology research. Bioengineered antibodies have the potential to reduce the costs of antibody manufacturing and storage, as well as to improve antibody-based drug delivery. This project will enlist faculty, industry-representatives, and two-year college students from across the United States to participate in developing and implementing research projects in antibody bioengineering. The research projects and laboratory protocols that derive from this work will help two-year colleges incorporate high-impact and relevant technologies into new or existing courses, thus providing a mechanism to engage students while preparing them to work in fulfilling careers. In addition, the project will provide expert information about COVID-19 vaccine development and testing, thus benefitting students, instructors, and the public. The specific aims of the project include 1) developing laboratory modules to support course-based undergraduate research experiences related to antibody bioengineering, and 2) investigating the feasibility of using hackathons as a novel strategy for engaging participants in collaborative curriculum development. The project will develop learning modules that each address computational skills (e.g., data science, structural biology, bioinformatics), technical skills (e.g., mutagenesis, protein purification, assays, staining), and employability skills (e.g., poster presentations, communication, leadership). The modules will list related skill standards and learning outcomes, making it easy for instructors to incorporate the modules in their courses and for employers to evaluate portfolios of students participating in the research. The project team has assembled a national advisory board comprised of individuals with expertise in antibody technologies from biotechnology companies, research institutions, and core laboratories. Board members have agreed to provide guidance concerning project ideas and industry needs, as well as to evaluate modules. An annual hackathon will be held where the participants will organize in teams around one of the industry-suggested projects or other new project ideas. During the hackathon, the teams will work to refine the ideas, and to identify the modules and materials needed for each project. Project pitches at the end of the hackathon will be used to determine which projects will be selected for development and implementation. The project team and faculty collaborators will continue to develop the selected modules, implement the projects with students, and share findings. The ubiquitous presence of antibodies in industry and research labs ensures that students who learn antibody-related workforce-skills will be employable in nearly any locale. The project can, thus, contribute to mitigation of COVID-19 impacts on individuals who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000535	Improving Student Mastery of Welding Skills through Real-Time Assessment and Feedback	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/07/2020	Scott Laslo	slaslo1@cscc.edu	OH	Columbus State Community College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	10/01/2020	03/31/2024	$385,594.00	Darryl Sims	550 E SPRING ST	COLUMBUS	OH	432.151.722	6.142.872.639	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Welding technology is essential for producing many different types of products. As a result, highly skilled welders are critical in industries including manufacturing, construction, and energy. In particular, the rapid growth of manufacturing amplifies the need to prepare more welding technicians to meet industry demand. This project will expand the use of welding training systems to provide students with real-time feedback during training sessions. The welding trainer and virtual tracking system will capture and evaluate each action a welder makes to complete an assignment and will create a success score for the activity. The project will use this assessment to provide students with credit for existing skills, to create a student portfolio for employment, and to train incumbent employees or develop customized training profiles for specific workplaces. This assessment-driven approach is expected to contribute to the development of standardized welding practices. By engaging with precollege students interested in welding pathways and employer partners interested in providing students with experiential learning opportunities, the project also expects to strengthen partnerships with industry and high schools. The goal of this project is to create a standardized welding pathway that can be scaled to other institutions and partnerships. Students will be able to develop their technical skills through efficient, industry-standard training. Performance data will be collected from professional welders in industry to construct a baseline model for student welding skills. Students’ actions during welding exercises will be captured using a welding trainer and virtual tracking system. The baseline model will be used to evaluate and automatically generate a formative assessment of student performance. The project will provide professional development opportunities for K-12 and community college instructors and will partner with Weld-Ed at Lorain Community College for additional professional development. A veteran outreach plan will expedite the assessment process to validate Prior Learning Assessment experiences for veterans and will map the current military training to formal welding education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1821721	Increasing Retention of Veterans in Engineering and Science Through Student Engagement	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/08/2020	Armando Rivera-Figueroa	riveraa2@lacitycollege.edu	CA	East Los Angeles College	Standard Grant	Thomas Kim	10/01/2018	09/30/2024	$1,676,028.00	Gerard Wong, Djuradj Babic	1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez	Monterey Park	CA	917.546.001	3.233.883.782	EDU	7412	8209, 9178	Project SERVES (Success, Engagement & Retention of Veterans in Engineering and Science) aims to provide participating student veterans with the skills needed for successful careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Almost half of undergraduate student veterans enroll in a community college after separation from service. However, veterans are considerably under-represented in STEM. In this project, East Los Angeles College (an HSI community college) and the University of California Los Angeles (a research university) will collaborate to offer a coordinated series of classroom performance interventions, internships, and counseling that focus on understanding and meeting veterans' needs. By evaluating effective practices to increase engagement and retention of student veterans, this project has the potential to model a way for other postsecondary institutions to meet the needs of student veterans and their transition into civilian STEM careers. Project SERVES is designed to broaden participation of veterans in STEM careers. The project will use three assessments, developed by the Center for Community College Student Engagement, to track multiple benchmarks of student engagement. Many veterans possess unique strengths as potential college students, including commitment, strong work ethic, discipline, accountability, and teamwork. Veterans may also have undergone highly specialized technical training in a Military Occupational Specialty. However, veterans face challenges that may be compounded when they encounter traditional STEM education. Research indicates that confidence levels, curriculum overload, STEM faculty teaching styles, and inadequate advising/counseling are responsible for poor retention of STEM students, including veterans. SERVES will pilot and disseminate results of their research, which will assess the effectiveness of STEM student engagement strategies. This program may provide a replicable model for increasing the success of community college?s in recruiting and retaining student veterans in STEM disciplines. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301294	Preparing STEM Technicians for Bioscience Data Acquisition and Analysis	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/19/2023	Candy Mintz	cmintz@peralta.edu	CA	Merritt College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$349,997.00	Marie Amboy	12500 Campus Drive	Oakland	CA	946.193.107	5.102.321.764	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Addressing global challenges in health, climate, energy, and agriculture requires a highly skilled STEM workforce that is knowledge-based and science-driven. Benchtop multimode plate readers, digital imagers, and RNA/DNA sequencers, generate enormous amounts of data requiring employees to be data literate. Life Science employers are looking for employees who have expertise in lab bench skills and in computing, data analysis, and bioinformatics. The goal of this project at Merritt College is to develop a Bioscience data analysis certificate program that will prepare students to perform data analysis in applied bioscience research. The program will train STEM students to design, set up and execute experiments; operate and collect data from automated equipment; and conduct data analysis of large data sets. This project will help fill the Bioscience, Biotechnology and Life Science pipelines with well-trained individuals with both experimental and data analysis skills that are in high demand by industry. This project will educate STEM technicians to design bioanalytical, sequencing, and imaging assays on High Throughput and High Content equipment. Students will collect, clean, and organize the resulting large data sets and conduct data analysis utilizing biostatistics, Excel, Tableau, and the programming languages R and Python. Three specific aims will guide the work of the project. First is to develop a new Bioscience program with three integrated courses leading to a Certificate of Achievement. Second is to design and implement physical and digital infrastructure to support the program. Third, and finally, is to put in place a sustainable recruitment and retention plan to fill each new cohort of students, with an emphasis on increasing the number of underrepresented minorities enrolling and completing the Bioscience Data Acquisition and Analysis Technician Certificate of Achievement program. The results of this work will be disseminated locally, regionally, and nationally through websites, social media, industry advisory meetings, and conferences. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301161	Advanced Technological Education in Manufacturing	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/19/2023	Bryan Coddington	bcoddington@blackhawk.edu	WI	BLACKHAWK TECHNICAL COLLEGE DISTRICT	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$345,365.00	John Dorcey	6004 S COUNTY RD G	JANESVILLE	WI	535.469.458	6.087.576.344	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	As manufacturing continues to become more technologically advanced regionally and nationwide, industry has indicated that many more skilled technicians are needed to maintain, support, and implement these advancements. With an aging workforce moving into retirement, companies will need job-ready graduates who are capable of working independently within six months of employment rather than the typical 1-2 years. This project will research the effectiveness of implementing work-based learning in a technical education setting by shortening the time required for graduates to be job-ready and confident in their abilities. Over the 3-year project, 57 students will be recruited to complete credit-bearing courses in one of two cohorts that will result in an associate level degree within the manufacturing field of mechatronics. Through collaboration with a 20-member advisory council, and guidance from a Business Industry & Leadership Team (BILT) key competencies will be defined and implemented into the work-based learning courses that will utilize a faculty and student designed automated manufacturing cell to simulate real world work experience. The first cohort will complete the degree using the current courses while a second cohort will have select courses replaced with work-based learning to make up the two research groups. A skills assessment will be developed to measure the effectiveness of the two instructional methodologies and inform the need for future work. Because Blackhawk Technical College has a significant number of non-traditional students in the mechatronics program, this project has the potential to increase the number of workers who are underrepresented in STEM related fields. This project will also provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of work-based learning in preparing students for gainful employment. The goal of the project is to shorten the time required for graduates to become confident in their skills and be capable of working independently through relevant classwork and work-based learning experiences. 57 students are expected to enroll over the 3-years of the project. The first cohort (A) will consist of half of the students and will complete the credit-bearing coursework in its current form, as a control, while another cohort (B), will have four, single-credit courses replaced with 288 hours of work-based instruction. Cohort B will also have a mini capstone project added to select courses to further enhance hands-on learning opportunities. Qualitative and quantitative data will be used to determine the effectiveness of the work-based learning modality with results being shared regionally across the Wisconsin Technical College System and nationally through NSF ATE conferences. Collaboration between faculty, advisory council, industry partners, and the Business and Industry Leadership Team will provide students with relevant and up-to-date information on advanced technology within the workplace. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300513	Creating a Workforce Pipeline of Agriculture Drone Operators and Remote Sensing Technicians	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/17/2023	Zachery Harber	Zach.harber@uaccb.edu	AR	UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SYSTEM	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$279,924.00	Joseph Howard	2005 WHITE DR	BATESVILLE	AR	725.018.540	8.706.122.000	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are experiencing technological shifts in the knowledge and equipment necessary to operate environmentally friendly and economically efficient agribusinesses. Research has been conducted on the use of drone-based geospatial technologies in agriculture for some time, and their applications at the farm and in the field are expanding rapidly. The goal of this project is to enable the University of Arkansas Community College Batesville (UACCB) to enhance the education of aspiring agriculturalists and conservationists by creating a comprehensive educational pipeline. This project will enable the emerging and current agricultural workforce to apply these advanced technologies in a region where they are not yet prevalent. Upon program completion students will have earned an FAA Part 107 drone license, Commercial Applicator Technician License, as well as demonstrate proficiency using remote sensing and GIS data analysis software. The pipeline for geospatial agriculture technicians will begin with academic exposure through summer youth enrichment workshops. Familiarity with state-of-the-art agriculture technologies will serve as a springboard for excitement and understanding of applications for drone technologies in the emerging workforce. The proposed pipeline will feed into UACCB’s Certificate of Proficiency in Agriculture Drone Technology, where students will engage in theory-based instruction and apply knowledge through field-based laboratory exercises. The project will expand existing credit-based agricultural course offerings to include a sixteen-week Certificate of Proficiency (CP) program focused on educating licensed drone operators and remote sensing technicians. Faculty will redesign existing coursework and develop curriculum for new courses embedded in the certificate program, provide professional development for high school and postsecondary faculty, as well as enhance student awareness of geospatial technologies in agriculture through youth enrichment activities. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902524	Meeting Industry Needs through a Two-Year Data Science Technician Education Program	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	02/02/2022	David Singletary	david.singletary@fscj.edu	FL	Florida State College at Jacksonville	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2019	09/30/2024	$566,953.00	Ernest Friend, Pamela Brauda	501 WEST STATE STREET	JACKSONVILLE	FL	322.023.099	9.046.323.327	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	According to the Business-Higher Education Forum, well over half of employers surveyed expect that candidates with data science and analytics skills will get preference during the hiring process for job openings in 2021. In fact, the data science technician is predicted to be one of the fastest growing jobs by 2030, as employers address the velocity, volume, value, variety, and veracity of the Big Data that inundates businesses. However, less than a quarter of college and university leaders report that their graduates will have those skills. To help address this gap, this project aims to develop Florida's first Associate of Science in Data Science program. With the support of higher education partners, government entities, and industry partners, the project will develop educational and career pathways to prepare students for data science roles, particularly in entry and middle-skill data science jobs. Preparation of these students will help to address the growing state-wide and national demand for a data science workforce. The project includes professional development for college faculty to adapt the A.S. program for implementation at other institutions, thus building state-wide capacity in data science education. Because the data science technician program will be on-line, it will be accessible to a broader range of students, including non-traditional students and incumbent workers. This A.S. degree framework has the potential to serve as a model to enhance the state's educational infrastructure and will be available to 28 institutions in the Florida College System and publicly shared. The project will investigate the development of students' knowledge of data science, technical skills, and analytical abilities to provide entry- or technician-level career pathways. The data science technician program will enroll 100 undergraduate students who will have the opportunity to earn up to six industry-recognized certifications and two college credit certifications in data science as they move toward completing their A.S. degree. The project will develop online formats and resources for each course to expand student access and provide distance learning options through both hybrid and online courses for rural technician education. The data science technician courses will advance students' knowledge and competencies in core foundational data science skills including statistical software, data management and analysis, and data visualization. Sixty college faculty across multiple disciplines will participate in forty hours of faculty development in data science, to enable the data science technician program to be replicated at other institutions. The project team will measure the impact of the data science technician courses on student learning and determine their effectiveness in meeting industry partners' needs for qualified data science technicians. The team will also work with industry partners to explore opportunities for internships and career employment as a data science technician. In addition to the A.S. Degree in Data Science Technology, the program will also feature milestone-based recognition, such as local certifications and industry certifications, which will serve as motivational instruments. The project will emphasize recruitment of students from groups that are underrepresented in data science, including women, veterans, students from underrepresented minorities, and adult learners. This project is funded by NSF's Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2100176	Electronics and Engineering Technician Training in High Technology for the 21st Century	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/23/2021	Peter Maritato	maritap@sunysuffolk.edu	NY	Suffolk Community College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$597,961.00	Gordon Snyder, Wesley Francillon, David Macholz, Laura Galletta	533 COLLEGE RD	SELDEN	NY	117.842.851	6.314.514.760	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	As technological innovation continues to determine the competitiveness of U.S. industries, businesses are seeking employees who possess the skills to engage with new technologies being adopted across a variety of sectors. In response, Suffolk County Community College’s (SCCC) Electronics and Engineering Technician Training in High Technology for the 21st Century (ETECH-21) will develop advanced technological training and virtual hands-on lab activities that incorporate some of these latest technologies, such as applied artificial intelligence and machine learning and microcontroller electronic devices. With guidance from industry, the initiative will engage 120 college students, 12 high school teachers and 30 high school students in new curriculum and lab activities; design and implement an innovative remote lab, which will provide 24/7 access to virtual lab equipment for students, faculty and industry partners; offer internships with industry partners such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Tesla, and Curtis Wright, among others; and provide training to faculty and high school educators. To increase the participation of underrepresented students, SCCC will collaborate with area high schools and women-focused STEM organizations to promote enhanced STEM educational pathways among K-12 women and minority students. Dissemination of project innovations and best practices will be achieved through presentations at regional, state, and national conferences. Project evaluation will focus on several key components. First is the extent project activities are completed with quality and within the anticipated timeline. Second is the degree to which the activities result in the proposed outcomes. Third is to investigate how much the project increases regional capacity to grow and train the advanced technological workforce. Fourth is to gauge the extent to which the project creates a seamless pathway for inquiry-based STEM learning, particularly for the participation of underrepresented students. And fifth is to examine the extent to which the project fosters collaboration among scientific, engineering, industry, higher education, and secondary schools to expand ATE knowledge. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2026822	NNCI: nano@stanford	ECCS	Instrumentation & Facilities, Advanced Tech Education Prog, National Nanotechnology Coordi	07/27/2023	Debbie Senesky	dsenesky@stanford.edu	CA	Stanford University	Cooperative Agreement	Richard Nash	09/01/2020	08/31/2025	$4,700,000.00	Bruce Clemens, Yuri Suzuki, Nicholas Melosh, H S Philip Wong, Katharine Maher	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	943.052.004	6.507.232.300	ENG	1580, 7412, 7601	081E, 083E, 084E, 1032, 7237, 7601, 9178, 9251, SMET	Non-Technical Description: The National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure site at Stanford University, nano@stanford, promotes nanoscience and engineering by making experimental resources and the know-how to use them available to all. At the core of nano@stanford are four advanced research facilities that are open for use by any researcher, from other universities, industry, or government: the Stanford Nano Shared Facilities (SNSF), the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF), the Stanford Microchemical Analysis Facility (MAF), and the Stanford Isotope and Geochemical Measurement and Analysis Facility (SIGMA). These facilities are staffed with technical experts dedicated to supporting the progress of science and together span the full range of fabrication and characterization methods to serve the broad user community. The site welcomes all disciplines; researchers use the facilities to solve real world problems in energy, environment, medicine, and beyond. The site also hosts artists and teachers, as its mission is to train and educate, not only the researchers in the facilities, but anyone anywhere wanting to learn about experimental nanoscience and technology. nano@stanford cultivates a library of just-in-time educational materials aimed at building foundational knowledge for the newest researchers and is available to everyone everywhere. nano@stanford has developed and will expand programs in workforce development, teacher training, and K-12 outreach. Through its partners in the NNCI network, nano@stanford will continue to expand these efforts to educate beyond the classroom and beyond the lab. Technical Description: nano@stanford offers a comprehensive array of nanofabrication and nanocharacterization equipment and expertise, housed in facilities that encompass ~30,000 ft2 of lab space, including 16,000 ft2 of cleanrooms, 6,000 ft2 of which is low vibration. Fabrication capabilities are anchored by a full electronics device fabrication cleanroom and a nanopatterning laboratory that are supplemented by a dozen lab spaces providing specialized and flexible processing systems. Characterization capabilities encompass the full suite of tools for imaging and chemical/physical property identification of materials. nano@stanford offers advanced capabilities not normally available to the research community at large. These specialized capabilities include: MOCVD for growing crystalline films of III-V materials; Electron-Beam Lithography for wafers up to 200 mm; NanoSIMS for isotope analysis at high lateral resolution; scanning SQUID for high resolution mapping of surface magnetic fields. Experienced, technical staff support all researchers, who have used the facilities to develop and characterize advanced structures, such as photonic crystals, photodetectors, optical MEMS, inertial sensors, optical/electronic biosensors, cantilever probes, nano-FETs, new memories, batteries, and photovoltaics. nano@stanford welcomes researchers in non-traditional areas of science and engineering, such as the life sciences and medicine, earth and environmental sciences, and offers personal consultations, seed grants, fabrication and characterization services, seminars and webinars, to the nano-curious. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000190	A New Technician Training Program for Advanced Building Technologies	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/25/2022	Andrew Smart	adsmart@waketech.edu	NC	Wake Technical Community College	Standard Grant	Nasser Alaraje	07/01/2020	06/30/2024	$455,641.00	Lora Eddington, Constance Keen, Zachary Taylor	9101 FAYETTEVILLE RD	RALEIGH	NC	276.035.655	9.198.665.076	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to prepare future Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration (AHR) technicians for the rapidly changing technological advances in Building Automation Technology. Knowledge and skills in Building Automation Technology are not included in traditional AHR training. This project intends to address a serious workforce shortage in AHR by training skilled technicians to install and maintain advanced building technologies. The project team will work with industry to develop educational materials, equip a new laboratory, recruit students into the Building Automation Technology pathway, and share best practices. Qualified Building Automation Technology technicians will serve the national interest by ensuring that buildings reach their potential energy efficiency, contributing to energy savings that have positive environmental impacts and national security implications. Properly implemented building controls, which students will learn in apprenticeships and in a new Building Automation Technology laboratory, will also improve occupants’ productivity and health. This project will create a new Building Automation Technology program to prepare students for new and high-demand technical careers. Goals include developing four new Building Automation Technology courses and a building technology laboratory to support the courses; providing faculty professional development opportunities; and recruiting new students into the program, especially women and underrepresented minorities. The project will work with the Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow Center and industry partners to ensure that the program will be aligned with industry workforce needs and will result in high quality educational resources, including a Building Automation Technology laboratory that emulates actual building conditions. The Building Automation Technology program will support life-long educational pathways including work-based learning, apprenticeships, and four-year options. Upon validation of the curriculum and laboratory best practices, materials will be disseminated across the North Carolina Community College System and through the Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow Center. This project will help inform the technical education community about effective practices for recruiting women and underrepresented minorities, implementing apprenticeship programs, and developing Building Automation Technology programs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1902318	Bridging the Instruction-Industry Divide: Multidisciplinary Approaches to 3D Technology Education and the Future of 3D Technology Certification	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/22/2021	Uichung Cho	ucho@dcccd.edu	TX	Dallas County Community College Dist Mountain View College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2019	12/31/2023	$298,272.00	Yasmin Gulzar, Kristine Massey, Alison Starr, Natalie Macellaio	4343 HIGHWAY 67 AT I30	MESQUITE	TX	75.150	9.722.733.283	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Over the past decade, rapid advances have been made in 3D technologies, including 3D printing, 3D scanning, and 3D graphics programming. As a result, the workforce increasingly needs technicians with skills in 3D technologies and the education of these technicians is increasingly important for maintaining the Nation's skilled technical workforce. However, a gap often exists between classroom instruction related to 3D technologies and the current skills required in industry. To help narrow this gap, Mountain View College in Texas will work closely with industry to develop a curriculum that provides relevant instruction in current 3D technology areas. The project partners will design courses that align with the knowledge and skills valued by experts in the field. To this end, instruction about 3D technologies will be integrated into courses across technician disciplines at the institution. Mountain View College is a Hispanic-serving institution with a long history of advancing the education of underserved student groups. As a result, this project has the potential to not only improve the skills of the entry-level workforce to meet regional and national employment needs, but also to broaden participation in the skilled technical workforce. The overarching goal of the project is to provide educational experiences that enable students to leave college with highly-marketable and valuable skills in 3D technologies, ready to enter the technician workforce. To achieve this goal, the project will: 1) perform a gap analysis to uncover mismatches between course content and industry needs; 2) develop interdisciplinary modules on topics in 3D printing, scanning, and modeling that address identified gaps, and implement the modules within courses across multiple disciplines; 3) develop and implement a capstone course on 3D technologies and their application; 4) organize and host bi-annual workshops for faculty professional development and a 3D Technology Conference to share project findings; and 5) use results and best practices from these activities to design and propose a new industry-endorsed 3D technology certificate program at the institution. The project team will collaborate with local and regional industry professionals to identify areas for optimal implementation of content and hands-on learning with 3D technologies into existing coursework. The new capstone course will provide cohesive, progressively complex learning and hands-on experiences with 3D technologies, culminating in student capstone projects that feature 3D technology. The approach may augment partnerships between higher education, research, and industry across the region and pave the way for other two-year institutions to expand and enhance their instruction on 3D technologies. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300800	Expanding Hands-On Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Experience for Diverse Student Populations	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/18/2023	Terri Quenzer	tquenzer@miracosta.edu	CA	MiraCosta College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$649,986.00	Ying-Tsu Loh, Emily Quach	1 BARNARD DR	OCEANSIDE	CA	920.563.820	7.607.956.809	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to promote awareness of Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing career pathways for diverse, underrepresented community college and high school students. The BioSCOPE (Bioscience Supply Chain Operations Projects for Education) model provides students with project-based activities to learn about biomanufacturing and gain hands-on, industry-relevant skills by producing laboratory reagents and consumables compliant with industry quality standards and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Products are typically components of laboratory kits that are packaged and distributed to high schools for use by biology and biotechnology students. This is important because connections established between community colleges and high schools create awareness and pathways for students from high schools to enter community college bioscience courses and programs. The project provides students with hands-on experience that prepares them for entry-level employment in livable-wage jobs with upward mobility. Fear of science is a barrier for many students, including those who are underserved and underrepresented in their participation in the pursuit of such careers, as many falsely believe a career in life sciences requires an advanced degree. BioSCOPE removes this barrier and helps students that like to work with their hands by giving them experience that introduces them to opportunities for a rewarding career in life sciences. These student populations benefit by entering rewarding, high-paying careers, and industry benefits by gaining an inclusive, diverse, and skilled workforce. This project is a collaboration between the Bioscience Workforce Development Hub at MiraCosta College, the Bay Area Bioscience Education Community (BABEC), and Laney College, and includes partners throughout California from community colleges, the Bioscience industry, state industry trade associations, workforce development organizations, and related NSF ATE project PIs. The project specifically aims to train community college biotechnology faculty to equitably implement BioSCOPE activities, create a pipeline for enrollment in biotechnology at community colleges by increasing awareness and providing hands-on experience in biotechnology through doing BioSCOPE activities, and provide mentorship to prepare diverse, underrepresented community college students for careers in Biomanufacturing. These students are often not aware of Biotech or of the accessible high-wage careers Biotech can provide that suit their interests, talents, and skills. The project personnel aim to learn if the project builds awareness of Biotech, whether it bolsters a pipeline of students into community college Biotech programs, and how it impacts students getting industry internships and jobs. Participating community college faculty will be surveyed to track the frequency of BioSCOPE activities implemented, the number of students that participate in BioSCOPE, who continues on to industry internships or jobs, and the number of students that enroll in community college Biotech courses from partner high schools. By expanding knowledge and understanding of Biotech and Biomanufacturing among a diverse population of historically underserved students, the project aims to prepare them for growth and innovation within an industry that provides solutions for many global challenges that impact both health and environmental issues. The findings of this work will be disseminated in California and nationally through websites, social media, in-person and virtual trainings, state and national presentations at conferences and industry advisory meetings. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2229983	Microelectronics and Nanomanufacturing Partnership for Veterans	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/18/2023	Osama Awadelkarim	ooa1@psu.edu	PA	Pennsylvania State Univ University Park	Continuing Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2022	08/31/2026	$3,467,483.00	Richard Vaughn, Juan Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Seung Paik, Anthony Fontes	201 OLD MAIN	UNIVERSITY PARK	PA	168.021.503	8.148.651.372	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The United States (U.S.) has been experiencing a semiconductor chip shortage due in part to the pandemic. This shortage has impacted businesses and industry, including automotive, consumer electronics, data science, and cybersecurity to name a few. Efforts are underway to support semiconductor and microelectronics technologies in the U.S., which will require a prepared and diverse skilled technical workforce to support these critical economic engines. A strong nanomanufacturing workforce will enable the U.S. to be competitive in the global economy and will support the U.S. leadership in microelectronics and semiconductor technologies. This project led by the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization at Pennsylvania State University will support members of the U.S. military, veterans, and family members to gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to move into the semiconductor and microelectronics workforce. Many of these individuals have relevant experience with military technology as members of teams responsible for building mechanical, electrical and communication systems. Veterans without direct military technology experiences also have skills such as teamwork and project management skills that industry recognizes as needed skills within their workforce. This project will provide educational opportunities for military personnel, veterans, and family members to gain the KSAs needed to enter the nanomanufacturing workforce. Members of the collaborative include 2-yr and 4-yr institutions, microelectronics companies, and the Global SEMI Trade Association. The project will leverage a successful pilot that involved the U.S. Navy, Tidewater Community College and Norfolk State University, which will be adapted and scaled to involve additional academic institutions and branches of the military. The project will: (1) adapt and implement the content of the pilot and offer a Microelectronics and Nanomanufacturing Certificate Program (MNP) supported by community and technical colleges and universities, (2) continually assess and adjust the content in consultation with industry for skillset needs, (3) work to secure the endorsement of the MNP by departments of veteran services for different military branches, and (4) elevate the role of community and technical college faculty in the delivery of the MNP minimizing the dependence on the research universities. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202217	HVAC Fast Track: Establishing A Competency-Based HVAC/R Apprenticeship Program	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/18/2023	Steve Tornero	stornero@starkstate.edu	OH	Stark State College of Technology	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$650,000.00	George Cardinal	6200 FRANK AVE NW	NORTH CANTON	OH	447.207.228	3.304.946.170	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The United States heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) industry is projected to see an increase in value from $26.5 billion in 2019 to $35.8 billion in 2030. It is projected that over the 10-year period from 2016-2026, HVAC/R jobs nationally will grow 15%. This project will design an accelerated HVAC/R apprenticeship program to support the HVAC/R industry in Northeast Ohio. The program will be responsive to input from regional industry partners regarding the design and implementation of the apprenticeship. It is expected that the competency-based apprenticeship model will allow apprentices to complete the program in three years rather than the five years for a traditional, time-based apprenticeship as apprentices will be assessed for competencies rather than tracked for completion of hours. The apprenticeship will provide a guided pathway that pays participants while they learn and offers apprentices the opportunity to earn a Journeyman credential upon successful completion of the program. The project team will develop a state-approved, accelerated, competency-based, HVAC/R apprenticeship program to help meet employment demand in the HVAC/R industry and provide students the field experience necessary to quickly move from an entry-level technician role to a Journeyman-certified HVAC/R position. Project objectives include: 1) establish a state-approved, competency-based HVAC/R registered apprenticeship program at Stark State College; 2) enroll students into the apprenticeship with a focus on veteran students and high school students/recent graduates; 3) retain at least 80% of students/apprentices enrolled in the program; 4) prepare students for HVAC/R Journeyman certification upon completion of the accelerated apprenticeship; and 5) evaluate project outcomes and widely share best practices for replication purposes. By working with regional HVAC/R industry partners, local public school districts, community veterans agencies, and area workforce development agencies, the project will recruit apprentices into a career pathway leading to well-paying, high-demand occupations in the HVAC/R sector. The model of a competency-based apprenticeship may be adapted for other industry areas. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2331454	Collaborative Research: Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Luis Perez	lperez@cast.org	MA	CAST, Inc.	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$169,947.00		50 SALEM ST BLDG B	LYNNFIELD	MA	19.402.600	7.812.452.212	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Extended reality (XR) technologies are being rapidly integrated into industry and society, yet their integration into technician education lags. These technologies, which include 360° photography and videography (360), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), have tremendous potential to enhance student learning and are poised to revolutionize the educational experience. This project will create an innovative ecosystem supporting XR technology utilization in technician education, foster new collaborations, develop community standards, and enhance technician workforce pathways to ensure national industry competitiveness. The project will improve STEM technician education through the accelerated integration of XR technologies into technician education programs. The goals of the project are: 1) Assess XR technology adoption and attitudes in NSF ATE program domains and create implementation and dissemination resources for two-year colleges; 2) Develop and implement XR technology faculty professional development for direct instruction; 3) Develop an XR technology website and products repository for ATE projects and Open Educational Resources using XR technology; and 4) Grow and broaden XR implementation by connecting high schools, academia, and industry. It is expected that the project’s findings will contribute to the development of best practices and inform the design of effective XR experiences for technician students, provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of XR technologies in technician education programs, establish design principles for XR simulations, aiming to create inclusive and accessible experiences for all users, including those with disabilities, varied learning styles, and diverse cultural backgrounds, and offer designers best practices to ensure these technologies benefit and impact all learners effectively. The project will fill critical gaps in the current understanding of how to effectively integrate XR technologies into technical education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2052807	IUCRC Phase I: University of Arkansas: Center for High-Frequency Electronics and Circuits for Communication Systems (CHECCS)	EEC	IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, ,	09/18/2023	Samir El-Ghazaly	el-ghazaly@uark.edu	AR	University of Arkansas	Continuing Grant	Prakash Balan	07/15/2021	08/31/2026	$900,480.00	Shui-Qing Yu, Gregory Salamo, Uchechukwu Wejinya	1125 W MAPLE ST STE 316	FAYETTEVILLE	AR	727.013.124	4.795.753.845	ENG	5761, 7412, X203, X246	1032, 170E, 5761, 8036, 9150, 9178, SMET	The University of Arkansas, University of Tennessee, and Florida International University have established the Center for High-Frequency Electronics and Circuits for Communication Systems (CHECCS), an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). The efforts at the three universities will provide cooperative opportunities to develop new research knowledge to support U.S. competitiveness in wireless communications technologies, including 5G/6G and beyond. CHECCS addresses the potential to increase accessibility to high-frequency circuits and communication-system services. The center’s research will be seamlessly integrated with educational activities, and findings will be incorporated into courses for training undergraduate and graduate students. The center is also committed to broadening participation of underrepresented groups. Underrepresented faculty, graduate and undergraduate students will be actively recruited by each site to work on and participate in the center’s research and educational activities including outreach events. The technical area of high-frequency devices, circuits and communication systems is critically important to U.S. industry, its economy, and national security. CHECCS’ mission is in developing different levels of integrated components for future multi-scale systems on a single chip. CHECCS brings strength and expertise from a wide range of disciplines to significantly advance knowledge and bridge the gap between universities and industry. The research areas cover a broad range of disciplines from electrical engineering, to computer engineering, materials science, transportation, and physics. The center will work closely with industry and government agencies in addressing multidisciplinary research challenges by combining knowledge from participating research groups and creating a culture that links engineering research to technological innovation. This linkage will be achieved through sustained partnerships with industry/practitioner organizations and technology transfer offices. Core strengths of CHECCS include a dynamic team that has both academic and industry research experience, with emphasis on comprehensive electromagnetic modeling, monolithic microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits, radiofrequency high-power components and systems, antenna design, and digital and analog circuit design up to terahertz frequency. The team has access to advanced fabrication, testing, and high-performance computational resources, as well as strong ties to industry that will enable refinement of the research areas. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055411	Expanding the Data Analytics Technician Pipeline from High School into College and High Demand Jobs in Southwest Ohio	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/19/2023	Paul Hansford	paul.hansford@sinclair.edu	OH	Sinclair Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	07/01/2021	06/30/2024	$576,315.00	NAJAT BAJI, Jeff Sommer, Jessica Jones, Martha Taylor	444 W 3RD ST	DAYTON	OH	454.021.421	9.375.124.573	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Data analytics is having an enormous impact on society and the economy. As the field of data analytics evolves, there will be an increasing need for technicians with skills in data analytics who can work in a wide range of job roles. Unfortunately, the number of students pursuing careers in data analytics is not keeping pace with workforce demand, particularly among populations underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This project aims to prepare the future workforce by establishing pathways that generate interest in data analytics careers, support the transfer of data literate high school students into postsecondary programs, and prepare them to fill the growing demand for data analytics technicians. Project activities will provide multiple opportunities for high school students to explore and begin a data analytics pathway. The project will leverage several strategies for attracting and retaining populations typically underrepresented in STEM careers and support student success. These strategies include equitable and inclusive instructional design, experiential learning, accelerated credential completion, affordability, and comprehensive student support. In this project, Sinclair Community College will partner with local industry in southwest Ohio to develop a data analytics technician pathway for students that will facilitate their transfer into college and support their postsecondary credential completion in preparation for careers in data analytics. A stackable certificate model will be developed to prepare students for entry-level data analytics jobs and be beneficial to those who need to earn a credential quickly to enter the job market. The model will also provide clear pathways to further education that can lead to higher-paying jobs. The project will share data literacy concepts and information about data science careers with high school students and teachers. Dual high school/college credit courses will be offered to accelerate college credential completion while students are still in high school. The project will engage high school teachers in data literacy professional development opportunities to increase learning in statistics using R and Python for data analytics. College students will benefit from enhanced experiential learning opportunities designed to increase data career-related technical skills and connections with potential employers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1822147	Phase I IUCRC at University of Massachusetts Lowell: Center for Science of Heterogeneous Additive Printing of 3D Materials (SHAP3D)	EEC	GOALI-Grnt Opp Acad Lia wIndus, IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, , , , , , , , , , ,	09/18/2023	Joey Mead	Joey_Mead@uml.edu	MA	University of Massachusetts Lowell	Continuing Grant	Prakash Balan	07/01/2018	06/30/2024	$1,440,741.00	Nese Orbey, Carol Barry, David Kazmer, Christopher Hansen	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 212	LOWELL	MA	18.543.624	9.789.344.170	ENG	1504, 5761, 7412, U246, V210, V274, V308, V309, W244, W334, W335, W363, X239, X341	019Z, 1032, 1504, 170E, 5761, 8025, 8037, 9178, 9251, SMET	The IUCRC Science of Heterogeneous Additive Printing of 3D Materials (SHAP3D) will serve the diverse interests of industry, government, and academia to address fundamental research challenges to meet the commercial needs of industry for heterogeneous 3D printing of materials. The additive manufacturing (AM) is viewed as a research area for global competitive advantage by industries such as automotive, medical, aerospace, and consumer products. SHAP3D aims to accelerate expansion and competitiveness of the domestic AM industry and its customers by addressing two critical market needs: (1) the growth of AM into more complex topologies, heterogeneous, and multi-functional applications that command high margins commensurate with their increased performance, and (2) the expansion of AM into lower margin industries via order-of-magnitude improvements in throughput, material-per-performance cost reductions, and ease-of-use design rules that enable SMEs and large companies to rapidly adopt advanced techniques. The Center will disseminate its design, material and process research to industrial members and practitioners, and the broader academic community. SHAP3D will provide a technically trained workforce, with industrial perspective, through the close collaboration between industry and academia. UML site-specific educational programs associated with this I/UCRC include K-12 modular block, freshman Co-op Scholars and online education programs. The SHAP3D Center research will be driven by the performance requirements of industry, built from a technical foundation of the fundamental structure-processing-property relationships associated with the voxel-level control and integration of diverse processes and materials. The enormous number of material combinations possible in these multi-material systems multiplied by the parameter space represented within processes with voxel-level state-variable control requires fundamental understanding of the material (constituent matrices, fillers/additives, interfaces) properties, processing protocols, and design rules to reliably predict the properties of products and parts. Despite the diverse materials and process combinations, they are unified by many underlying physical principles related to melting, processing, and solidification, and interfacial physics for heterogeneous additive printing of materials.. The Center will support members' choice of AM methods and envisions research that encompasses numerous additive printing methods, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF), stereolithography/digital light projection (SLA/DLP), and other additive approaches. The University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML) site will add research strength in modeling, material characterization, processing, rheology, multi-material printing, and new materials for additive manufacturing. The Center and UML site will add significant value for industry by addressing their vision to additively manufacture dissimilar materials into heterogeneous, valued-added products imbued with previously unattained biological, chemical, electrical, and mechanical functionality. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1822146	Phase I IUCRC at Colorado School of Mines: Center to Advance the Science of Exploration to Reclamation in Mining (CASERM)	RISE	GOALI-Grnt Opp Acad Lia wIndus, IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, Integrat & Collab Ed & Rsearch, , , , , , , , ,	09/21/2023	Thomas Monecke	tmonecke@mines.edu	CO	Colorado School of Mines	Continuing Grant	Barbara Ransom	09/01/2018	08/31/2024	$2,414,438.00	Wendy Harrison, Thomas Monecke, Elizabeth Holley	1500 ILLINOIS ST	GOLDEN	CO	804.011.887	3.032.733.000	GEO	1504, 5761, 7412, 7699, U213, v224, v272, W151, W230, W233, X120, X248, X287	019Z, 068P, 1032, 1504, 170E, 1733, 5761, 9178, 9251, SMET	Mining is intrinsic to modern society's transition to a sustainable existence. Meeting the global demand for earth resources represents a grand challenge. The Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Advanced Subsurface Earth Resource Models is a collaborative effort between Colorado School of Mines, Virginia Tech, and industry partners. The Center's activities will transform the way geoscience data are used in the exploration and mining industry sector, beginning with the mineral exploration stage and continuing through mine closure and environmental remediation. Research activities of the Center will fundamentally change the way global exploration and mining of natural resources is done, replacing industry experience- and empiricism-based decisions with innovative science and technology-based solutions that inform decision making, increase the chances of exploration success, and reduce financial risk. The goals of the Center will promote socio-economic prosperity and help to reduce the environmental impact of mining. Workforce development is an essential component of the Center activities and will include graduate and undergraduate students, and industry employee participation in research activities and training opportunities. The Center will strengthen and promote cross-disciplinary discoveries in geophysics, geochemistry, mineralogy, computational science and statistics. Knowledge transfer to the geothermal industry sector will form one of the Center's key activities. The Center for Advanced Subsurface Earth Resource Models is focused on advancing the exploration/mining industry sector through a cooperative partnership conducting pre-competitive research and workforce development programs that benefit industry, academia, and society. The purpose and long-term vision of this Center is directed toward challenges in developing 3-D geologic models for mineral deposits, integrating diverse geoscience data, to inform decision making and minimize geological risk, beginning with locating and mining subsurface earth resources and continuing through mine closure and environmental remediation. Four research thrusts are envisioned: (1) development of geophysical and geochemical instrumentation, analysis, and interpretation methods for enhanced characterization of rock properties; (2) integration, scaling, and inversion of diverse geological, petrophysical, and geophysical data types of dissimilar spatial resolution and distribution to identify and characterize earth resources; (3) development of information methodologies for reducing risk associated with decision making; and (4) computational imaging and development of graphical and exploratory data analysis solutions and visualization tools. Achieving this broad vision requires interdisciplinary collaborations: Mines' expertise in economic geology, geochemistry, mineralogy, petrophysics, high performance computing, and applied mathematics, including geo-statistics, spatial statistics, inversion, and numerical methods, and strong traditional ties to mineral resource industry sectors will promote Center success. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301165	Cultivating Career Pathways for Advanced Manufacturing Technicians	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	Brooks Jacobsen	jacobsbr@lakeareatech.edu	SD	Lake Area Technical College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$342,504.00	Steven Trautner	230 11TH ST NE	WATERTOWN	SD	572.012.869		EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	The South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation recently reported nearly 3,000 manufacturing job openings and the industry is projected to add 3,500 jobs by 2030. This report and other indicators highlight the significant need for skilled technicians to fill the state’s high-demand, high-wage Advanced Manufacturing jobs. Lake Area Technical College’s three-year effort will encourage learning and career pathways at an earlier age, provide regional manufacturers with an expanded and diversified talent pipeline, and strengthen relationships between education and industry. The project was developed with the support of secondary education, workforce development, and industry partners who share LATC’s vision for expanded employability and earning potential for workers and a growing state economy. The overall goal of the project is to recruit larger classes of college-ready students into the college’s Advanced Manufacturing programs and increase the number of technicians entering the workforce. The project will provide the opportunity for middle and high school students to explore careers and technical education options not often emphasized in South Dakota’s secondary schools. Teachers, administrators and other influencers will also learn the importance of these careers and find resources for improving secondary technical education programs and supporting students in their career and education decisions. Over the course of the three-year project, STEM-related recruiting events will reach 1,050 students. In addition, 30 secondary educators will join LATC’s STEM learning community and 60 incumbent workers will receive additional technical training through the college. This project will help break the manufacturing industry stigma in the region; introduce students, parents, educators and incumbent workers to new career opportunities; and share examples of how individuals with a variety of STEM-related aptitudes can succeed in today’s manufacturing industry. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1822049	Phase II IUCRC at University of Rochester: Center for Freeform Optics	EEC	GOALI-Grnt Opp Acad Lia wIndus, IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, , , , , , , , , , ,	09/14/2023	Jannick Rolland	rolland@optics.rochester.edu	NY	University of Rochester	Continuing Grant	Crystal Leach	08/31/2018	08/31/2024	$1,844,096.00	John Lambropoulos	910 GENESEE ST	ROCHESTER	NY	146.113.847	5.852.754.031	ENG	1504, 5761, 7412, S179, S204, S296, U177, U290, V115, v163, V204, v367, W287, X276	019Z, 1032, 1504, 170E, 5761, 8036, 8990, 9178, 9251, SMET	The Center for Freeform Optics (CeFO) is a partnership between the University of Rochester (UR) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). CeFO is advancing research and education in the science, engineering, and applications of freeform optics through dedicated, long-term partnerships with industry and government laboratories. CeFO is motivated by the need for compact, affordable, high-performance optical systems to support the precision technologies of the 21st century. Freeform optics specifically enables compact optical solutions for complex light mapping as well as folding optical systems in three-dimensions. Applications with immediate benefit include 3-D imaging and visualization, augmented and virtual reality, infrared and military optical systems, efficient automotive and LED lighting, energy research, remote sensing, semiconductor manufacturing and inspection, and medical and assistive technologies. CeFO enables freeform optics to permeate the marketplace through integration of fundamental and applied research and significant advances in design, fabrication, and testing. CeFO creates a fertile, dynamic, inclusive multidisciplinary environment to move this technology to the forefront. The partner universities are dedicated to the recruitment and retention of women and students from underrepresented groups (i.e. 34% underrepresented students in CeFO in Spring 2017) to create a diverse and skilled workforce for the 21st century. The Center for Freeform Optics (CeFO) vertically integrates mathematics, materials science, optical science, optical instrument design, optomechanics, and precision optical manufacturing, measurement, and testing to transform the optics industry in the 21st century. CeFO constitutes a unique research environment combining the strengths of two world class research universities with specialized experiences, insights, and interdisciplinary talents for designing, building and measuring advanced optical systems. The University of Rochester's expertise in?optical theory, design, and metrology?complements UNC Charlotte's excellence in?fabrication, metrology and precision opto-mechanical design. Research topics of immediate interest to industry include the mathematical description of freeform surfaces, the quantification of mid-spatial frequency errors on optical performance, and wave-based modeling of freeform systems and new bases for 3D optical design. Additional challenges include use of difficult optical materials, characterization and elimination of mid-spatial frequency errors, volume manufacturing (e.g. replication, molding, 3D printing), and advanced metrology for freeform surfaces. Freeform optical systems will enable innovation in sensing, imaging, visualization and diagnostic instrumentation by directing light in 3D. The partner Universities demonstrate excellent records in recruiting women and minority students (>30% of graduate students in the program). Students work with CeFO industrial members to communicate and transfer key enabling technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055293	Advancing NextGen Technicians: Addressing New Industry Demand for Robotics Because of COVID-19	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/12/2021	Robert Franken	robert.franken@niacc.edu	IA	North Iowa Area Community College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	10/01/2021	09/30/2024	$499,871.00	Brian Mason	500 COLLEGE DR	MASON CITY	IA	504.017.213	5.154.231.264	EDU	7412	097Z, 102Z, 1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing the number of technicians in the workforce who have intermediate level training in robotics. It is designed to be directly relevant to industry’s needs for the permanently re-designed manufacturing environment caused by COVID. Manufacturing comprises the largest industry sector in North Iowa and a 2020 survey of regional manufacturers confirmed the need for industrial technicians with more advanced robotics skills. This project will help to engage students with new robotics instrumentation focused on safety and efficiency and will help to keep industries in the North Iowa region, some of which have already been deeply affected by the loss of workers and useable square footage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The region and the college have a high proportion of first-generation low-income students. Thus, this project’s focus on advancing robotics training for manufacturing may help many individuals with financial need move more quickly into highly skilled technician jobs. Working closely with industry partners, Northern Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) will develop an intermediate robotics course using a broad range of robotics instrumentation including vision, cobots and mobile industrial (MIR) robots. Such robots allow manufacturers to provide adequate separation for workers, reducing congestion, and increasing efficiency. NIACC's innovative plan will embed a newly developed Level 2 National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) credential into a new intermediate robotics course to enhance middle-skilled industrial technician education. The new Applied Robotics class for Industrial Systems Technology (IST) students, and a new optional robotics certificate for Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance (IMM) students, will build on previous efforts at the institution. The proposed project will feature four key activities. First is to acquire advanced robotics equipment and develop curriculum to train technicians in robotics that are applicable to local manufacturing needs. Second is to train faculty on new robotics technology, including MIR robots and cobots with vision capabilities. Third is to train and credential all NIACC IST degree students in a newly created Applied Robotics course, using NC3 credentialing coursework embedded into the course. Fourth is to train additional IMM degree students with an optional robotics certificate add-on. The project evaluation plan includes feedback from stakeholder groups, key evaluation questions and a data collection and methods blueprint for each year of the project. Project materials and results will be shared with community college, manufacturing, and business sector peers. Information will be shared through a project website, industry publications, and ATE Central. This curricular may provide a model for other community colleges and their industry partners about how to incorporate more advanced robotics and instrumentation into manufacturing technician preparation. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. As a result, the project has the potential to contribute to improving the national STEM workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000281	The Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC)	DUE	NSF-Intel Semiconductr Partnrs, Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/21/2023	Jared Ashcroft	jmashcroft@pasadena.edu	CA	Pasadena City College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2020	06/30/2025	$10,481,317.00	Imelda Cossette, Gregory Kepner, Peter Kazarinoff, Neda Habibi	1570 E Colorado Blvd	Pasadena	CA	911.062.003	6.265.857.722	EDU	241Y, 7412	1032, 5761, 7556, 9178, 9251, SMET	Micro- and nanotechnology enhances the performance of thousands of commonly used devices. For example, micro- and nanotechnology is used to make components of electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, wearable activity monitors, and medical sensors. It is also used to improve products, such as making tennis balls that last longer, cloth that repels water, and bandages that prevent bacterial growth. As micro- and nanotechnologies are increasingly used to improve products and create new ones, micro- and nanotechnology industries are expected to experience double-digit growth into the foreseeable future. Consequently, a highly skilled technical workforce is needed to keep pace with the demands of and the changes in micro- and nanotechnology industries. To support preparation of this workforce across the United States, this project will establish and support the NSF Advanced Technological Education Program’s Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC). The MNT-EC will directly increase the numbers of community college faculty participating in micro- and nanotechnology technician education, thus supporting an increased number of students who receive technical education degrees and certificates in micro- and nanotechnology fields. As a result, this project will support preparation of a skilled technical workforce in a field that has enormous impact on the nation’s economy, security, and health. This project will be led by Pasadena City College in collaboration with Edmonds Community College, Portland Community College, and Northwest Vista College. In addition, the MNT-EC will connect existing micro and nano NSF ATE Resource Centers (NACK, SCME, NEATEC, and MatEdu). As a result, MNT-EC will leverage a broad set of expertise to prepare a nationwide skilled technical workforce for manufacture of micro and nano products. Each member of the MNT-EC will bring resources, such as cleanrooms, educational materials, and remote operation of lab instruments, to support and inform the development of a common curriculum for associate degrees and certificates in micro nano technologies. The content of this curriculum will be informed by the needs of industry members and be updated via annual reviews between academic and industry members. The faculty of the academic institutions will remain current in micro- and nanotechnology innovations via periodic workshops or webinars across the various specializations (such as safety, fabrication, operations) provided by the academic and industry members. The MNT-EC will map where the micro- and nanotechnology industry is greatest and where it is growing and promote adaptation of the MNT-EC curriculum at regional two-year institutions near these locations. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2329904	Broadening Participation in Plant/Agricultural Biotechnology through Stackable Credentials Leading to an Associate in Science Degree	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/13/2023	Jill Mikulecky	jcmikulecky@waketech.edu	NC	Wake Technical Community College	Standard Grant	Kalyn Owens	10/15/2022	04/30/2024	$449,001.00		9101 FAYETTEVILLE RD	RALEIGH	NC	276.035.655	9.198.665.076	EDU	7412	102Z, 1032, 9178, SMET	In response to changing agriculture priorities, the plant/agricultural biotechnology industry is growing in the California Central Coast region. Individuals from Hispanic communities continue to be underrepresented in biotechnology. This project is led by Alan Hancock College, a rural, federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution in central California. The project is designed to increase the participation of individuals from Hispanic communities in plant/agricultural biotechnology. To do so, the project team will develop stackable credentials that prepare students to enter the region’s plant/agricultural biotechnology workforce and can lead to an new associate degree in plant/agriculture biotechnology. This degree program will be designed in collaboration with local industry partners and stakeholders in K- 14 education. The project will train local high school teachers in biotechnology skills aligned with the new curriculum, thus creating a pathway from high school into plant/agricultural biotechnology. The project expects this approach will increase the interest and success in the skilled biotechnology workforce for second-generation Hispanic youth. As a result, the project has the potential to help diversify the STEM technical workforce and ensure that students of color become members of the next generation of scientists. In doing so, the project can help to mitigate the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the communities it will serve. Using evidence-based strategies identified for Hispanic Serving Institutions, the project will: 1) develop two stackable certificates, based on courses in biotechnology, plant tissue culture, and genetics, that lead to an associate of science degree in plant/agricultural biotechnoloy; 2) provide high school faculty with professional development and create a pipeline of prospective students into the associate degree program by increasing awareness and providing hands-on experience in biotechnology; 3) offer institutional, student-centric support and engage students in work-based learning experiences in plant/agricultural biotechnology; 4) expand collaboration and partnerships with local agriculture biotechnology industries that can prepare Hispanic students for emerging technical jobs, including those in the field of agricultural biodiagnostics. This training will enable Hispanic students to develop skills that are transferable to other sectors and help to alleviate the shortage of skilled technical workers in the state. In addition, this funding can generate revenue needed to sustain the degree program, helping to alleviate COVID-19-related impacts on the College itself. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2113931	IUCRC Phase I, San Jose State University: Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC)	RISE	IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, XC-Crosscutting Activities Pro, Cross-BIO Activities, Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/04/2023	Craig Clements	craig.clements@sjsu.edu	CA	San Jose State University Foundation	Continuing Grant	Barbara Ransom	08/01/2021	07/31/2026	$673,075.00	Ali Tohidi, Katherine Wilkin, Adam Kochanski, Amanda Stasiewicz	210 4TH ST 3RD FL	SAN JOSE	CA	951.125.569	4.089.241.400	GEO	5761, 7222, 7275, 7412	019Z, 068P, 1032, 5761, 9178, 9251, SMET	This Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) on Wildfires, located at San Jose State University, provides tools, observational and predictive, and research results for use by first responders, those interested in risk analysis, and policy makers for communities and companies/utilities impacted by, and concerned about, wildfires. Center research thrusts include fire weather and atmospheric modeling and forecasting; fire behavior monitoring and modeling; wildfire management and policy, and climate change and wildfire risk. IUCRCs are innovative collaborations between universities and industry where funding from the National Science Foundation is used to fund Center administrative costs and industry provides financial support via membership fees, and other funding, to support Center research projects and student/postdoc salaries. Industry members contributing to the Center form its industrial advisory board that helps select research projects, proposed by Center faculty, that address the members’ collective research needs. Thus, research in an IUCRC is pre-competitive and fundamental with topics directed by its industrial advisory board to remove obstacles that are preventing their sector of the economy from moving forward. The San Jose State University IUCRC on wildfires will be working with industry, utilities, and government agencies to increase our knowledge of wildfires and their spread and explore their social and economic implications. It will also examine means of generating better evacuation compliance from impacted populations. The Center will develop tools and models resulting in better and more accurate simulations of wildfire initiation and simulation. The broader impacts of this Center are strong and multifaceted with significant societal and economic relevance because wildfires in the western US and around the world are a serious problem that cause loss of life, loss of property, and serious environmental and ecosystem damage that lasts for decades. The present exacerbation in global warming will increase wildfire occurrence, so research products produced by this Center will help industry, communities and countries impacted by wildfires. Products to be generated include improved understanding of file and firebrand transport, modeling tools to help utilities better manage their assets in times of high fire danger, provision of critical information to first responders during the fire season, and prediction of fire front paths and fire line rates of advance. Other impacts include education and workforce training efforts and the involvement of groups underrepresented in the sciences and engineering. Underserved communities, impacted by wildfires, will be targeted for wildfire education and informational efforts as these populations tend to be the most negatively impacted by wildfires. Interest in the Center by organizations in foreign countries impacted by wildfires, like Australia and Portugal, will extend the results of this Center’s work globally. The Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC) is an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center whose purpose is to conduct high-impact wildfire research to provide tools and informed policies to communities and industry stakeholders around the world. Its mission is to develop new prediction and observational systems to better understand extreme fire behavior in a changing climate. The Center will also develop an integrated approach to solving the nation’s wildfire problem by providing cross-disciplinary solutions that span the physical, social, and economic scientific fields. The Center will contribute to the following wildfire sciences: fire weather and coupled fire-atmosphere modeling and forecasting which will involve the development of new fire danger metrics for industry stakeholders; fire behavior monitoring and modeling for which new theories, observations, and fire and fire brand spread models for will be developed for forecast systems; wildfire management and policy which examines the nexus of the social and natural contexts of wildfire management and adaptation across wildfire prone landscapes; and climate change and wildfire risk. For these research thrusts, high-resolution reanalysis and in-situ data will be used to determine historical trends and models will be used to quantify the influence of these determinants on fire behavior. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2203123	Enhancing Design and Construction Technology Education Through the Context of Mass Timber	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/28/2022	George Berghorn	berghorn@msu.edu	MI	Michigan State University	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/01/2022	07/31/2025	$648,121.00	Linda Nubani, Chad Richert	426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2	EAST LANSING	MI	488.242.600	5.173.555.040	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by creating a national standard design and construction curriculum for mass timber. Mass timber, a broad term for a variety of engineered wood building materials, is an emerging construction technology in the US with up to 2,500 mass timber buildings expected to exist in the US by 2023, supported by an expected architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) workforce of over 90,000 technicians by 2029. Much of the interest in increasing use of mass timber stems from the materials’ enhanced sustainability performance via carbon storage and avoided emissions from conventional building materials, as well as from potential construction time and cost savings associated with substituting mass timber for other common building materials. But several industry, government, and academic sources have suggested that greater adoption of mass timber in the United States is limited by a lack of focus on workforce education. This project will create new opportunities for technician-level students in postsecondary AEC educational programs acquire knowledge and skills in mass timber design and construction. This content will be developed as a series of modules that can be readily integrated into academic programs, facilitating uptake by a national audience. The project will prepare students to move into technician-level design and construction careers that include the pursuit and execution of mass timber projects. The specific components and activities to be developed through this project will be determined through interaction and collaboration with AEC industry. Previous data collection efforts have indicated that modular curriculum frameworks and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) environments are in high demand among AEC faculty members for both students and faculty lacking access to nearby mass timber buildings. This project will benefit the AEC industry and broader society by providing a trained workforce for mass timber design and construction in the United States. Efforts to maximize uptake of curricular products by faculty include the creation of a faculty community of practice and inclusion into the project leadership team diverse representatives from a variety of institution types (2-year schools, 4-year schools, and minority serving institutions) from across the country into the project leadership team. By partnering with schools that have strong high school outreach programs and diverse student bodies, the team expects to serve a greater cross section of students and faculty than are traditionally part of AEC programs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000779	Collaborative Research: Developing Business Communication Skills in Manufacturing Technician Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/14/2021	Mesut Akdere	makdere@purdue.edu	IN	Purdue University	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	08/15/2020	07/31/2024	$383,059.00	Kris Acheson-Clair	2550 NORTHWESTERN AVE STE 1900	WEST LAFAYETTE	IN	479.061.332	7.654.941.055	EDU	7412	097Z, 1032, 9178, 9251, SMET	The advanced manufacturing and production fields have growing need for skilled technicians who can communicate effectively in teams. In response to this workforce demand, the project team will develop and test an adaptive virtual reality (VR) platform to help manufacturing technician students learn business communication skills. The platform will deliver interactive case studies that allow students to practice business communication skills needed in a smart factory context. To support integration of these adaptive VR case studies within courses, faculty in advanced manufacturing programs will participate in extensive professional development as they collaboratively develop new VR business communication case studies. In addition, the project will support faculty externships in industry to enhance their knowledge of current trends, skills requirements, new tools, and career opportunities in advanced manufacturing. This knowledge will help them improve their teaching and better serve their students. To strengthen the alignment between coursework and job tasks, the project draws on the long-standing partnership between Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Purdue University, and industry partners. Recognizing that the incumbent manufacturing workforce is maturing, the project also focuses on fostering and investigating the communication skills that facilitate the transfer of highly specialized technical skills, knowledge, and expertise across the multiple generations in the manufacturing workforce. The intellectual merit of the project rests on the implementation of a research and development cycle that facilitates the development, testing, investigation, and revision of project activities and deliverables for improvement and goal attainment (e.g., advanced manufacturing technicians who develop the technical knowledge and skills, as well as the soft skills to work efficiently and effectively in modern manufacturing). To answer a priori and emerging questions, the project will conduct a mixed methods study to advance knowledge of the effectiveness of integrating the learning of technical knowledge/skills with soft skills in curricular and educational materials (i.e., case studies within a virtual reality platform). The quantitative and qualitative study will examine the integration of manufacturing and communication job tasks through pre-post outcomes assessments, structured interviews and focus groups, descriptive and trend analyses, analyses of the quality of deliverables and products, and thematic content analyses of information from interviews, focus group discussions, and open-ended survey questions. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202070	Incorporating a course-based research experience in high school and community college courses in Southeast Nebraska	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/22/2022	Misty Wehling	mwehling@southeast.edu	NE	Southeast Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$617,232.00	Tracy Niday, Gabrielle Johnson	301 S 68TH ST PL	LINCOLN	NE	685.102.449	4.023.233.410	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	Centered around an accessible and generally well-loved companion animal, dogs, this project will increase scientific literacy and engagement with science and technology by high school and college students and their teachers. A summer workshop for biology and agriculture teachers will focus on the content and training in laboratory techniques to implement the canine course-based research experience. Canine (K-9) kits containing all the supplies and equipment needed for the activity will be available for teachers to check out and use in their classrooms. To directly connect biotechnology to the student’s lives, students will collect DNA samples from their own pets as they engaged in the course-based research project aimed to examine the role a dog’s genes play in its social behavior. This project provides a model for supporting high school teachers, including those in resource-limited areas, as they incorporate new engaging curricula. It also serves as a model for partnering with industry and other organizations to increase awareness, knowledge, and skills related to biotechnology careers important to developing a competitive STEM workforce. This project will extend the capacity building and infrastructure established over the past five years that has led to Southeast Community College (SCC) offering three stackable credentials in biotechnology. Within the context of biotechnology, authentic research experiences developed in collaboration with industry have the potential to attract high school student interest in this high-growth field. This project will leverage existing partnerships with Nebraska’s regional bioscience industry and educational associations to expand implementation of such a research experience, offering insight into the rules of life in dogs. Ultimately, it is expected that outreach activities targeted to high school and SCC students will foster an interest in biotechnician careers in the region and greater Nebraska. Graduates from SCC’s biotechnology program will be prepared to work in a regulated environment and fill the need for middle-skilled technicians, critical to the Nebraska and global economy. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202179	Improving and Modernizing Machinist Training and Education for Machining Workforce Preparation in the Finger Lakes Region of New York	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Rui Liu	rleme@rit.edu	NY	Rochester Institute of Tech	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$649,257.00	YUNBO ZHANG, John Troy, Kenneth Nowicki	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	146.235.603	5.854.757.987	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Machining is an essential component of the manufacturing process that has played a significant role in every industrial revolution. Machinists, as machine tool operators, are important members of the skilled technical workforce, and require long-term and professional training or education. As many new concepts and technologies are being introduced in the machining industry to satisfy the requirements of Industry 4.0, the corresponding revision of machinist training must also take place. This project will improve and modernize existing machinist training and education in response to the new requirements of the machining industry in the era of Industry 4.0. It is expected that the local machining industry, an important economic pillar of the Finger Lakes region in New York State, will benefit significantly from increasing the pool of available skilled workers and meeting the new demands of machining knowledge and skills. The overall goals of this project are to 1) improve existing machining training and education programs in response to the skill and knowledge requirements of 21st century interdisciplinary themes, 2) modernize existing machinist training and education using innovative methods and advanced technologies to improve trainee engagement and learning efficiency, 3) expand the machining workforce by increasing the accessibility and flexibility of machinist training and education to various stakeholders, and 4) facilitate machinist training/education interworking and resource sharing among training providers. All project results will be disseminated throughout New York State as well as the entire United States through collaborations with New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) of New York State to maximize their impact. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2331452	Collaborative Research: Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Eric Wooldridge	eric.wooldridge@kctcs.edu	KY	Kentucky Community & Technical College System	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$383,081.00	Elaine Kohrman	300 N MAIN ST	VERSAILLES	KY	403.831.245	8.592.563.397	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Extended reality (XR) technologies are being rapidly integrated into industry and society, yet their integration into technician education lags. These technologies, which include 360° photography and videography (360), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), have tremendous potential to enhance student learning and are poised to revolutionize the educational experience. This project will create an innovative ecosystem supporting XR technology utilization in technician education, foster new collaborations, develop community standards, and enhance technician workforce pathways to ensure national industry competitiveness. The project will improve STEM technician education through the accelerated integration of XR technologies into technician education programs. The goals of the project are: 1) Assess XR technology adoption and attitudes in NSF ATE program domains and create implementation and dissemination resources for two-year colleges; 2) Develop and implement XR technology faculty professional development for direct instruction; 3) Develop an XR technology website and products repository for ATE projects and Open Educational Resources using XR technology; and 4) Grow and broaden XR implementation by connecting high schools, academia, and industry. It is expected that the project’s findings will contribute to the development of best practices and inform the design of effective XR experiences for technician students, provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of XR technologies in technician education programs, establish design principles for XR simulations, aiming to create inclusive and accessible experiences for all users, including those with disabilities, varied learning styles, and diverse cultural backgrounds, and offer designers best practices to ensure these technologies benefit and impact all learners effectively. The project will fill critical gaps in the current understanding of how to effectively integrate XR technologies into technical education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2331451	Collaborative Research: Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	David Anderson	david.anderson@sctcc.edu	MN	St. Cloud State University	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$1,887,239.00	Alan Srock, Mark Gill	720 4TH AVE S	SAINT CLOUD	MN	563.014.442	3.203.084.932	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Extended reality (XR) technologies are being rapidly integrated into industry and society, yet their integration into technician education lags. These technologies, which include 360° photography and videography (360), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), have tremendous potential to enhance student learning and are poised to revolutionize the educational experience. This project will create an innovative ecosystem supporting XR technology utilization in technician education, foster new collaborations, develop community standards, and enhance technician workforce pathways to ensure national industry competitiveness. The project will improve STEM technician education through the accelerated integration of XR technologies into technician education programs. The goals of the project are: 1) Assess XR technology adoption and attitudes in NSF ATE program domains and create implementation and dissemination resources for two-year colleges; 2) Develop and implement XR technology faculty professional development for direct instruction; 3) Develop an XR technology website and products repository for ATE projects and Open Educational Resources using XR technology; and 4) Grow and broaden XR implementation by connecting high schools, academia, and industry. It is expected that the project’s findings will contribute to the development of best practices and inform the design of effective XR experiences for technician students, provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of XR technologies in technician education programs, establish design principles for XR simulations, aiming to create inclusive and accessible experiences for all users, including those with disabilities, varied learning styles, and diverse cultural backgrounds, and offer designers best practices to ensure these technologies benefit and impact all learners effectively. The project will fill critical gaps in the current understanding of how to effectively integrate XR technologies into technical education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2331455	Collaborative Research: Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	David Presley	dpresley@mscc.edu	TN	Motlow State Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$104,607.00		6015 LEDFORD MILL RD	TULLAHOMA	TN	373.887.972	6.154.558.511	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Extended reality (XR) technologies are being rapidly integrated into industry and society, yet their integration into technician education lags. These technologies, which include 360° photography and videography (360), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), have tremendous potential to enhance student learning and are poised to revolutionize the educational experience. This project will create an innovative ecosystem supporting XR technology utilization in technician education, foster new collaborations, develop community standards, and enhance technician workforce pathways to ensure national industry competitiveness. The project will improve STEM technician education through the accelerated integration of XR technologies into technician education programs. The goals of the project are: 1) Assess XR technology adoption and attitudes in NSF ATE program domains and create implementation and dissemination resources for two-year colleges; 2) Develop and implement XR technology faculty professional development for direct instruction; 3) Develop an XR technology website and products repository for ATE projects and Open Educational Resources using XR technology; and 4) Grow and broaden XR implementation by connecting high schools, academia, and industry. It is expected that the project’s findings will contribute to the development of best practices and inform the design of effective XR experiences for technician students, provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of XR technologies in technician education programs, establish design principles for XR simulations, aiming to create inclusive and accessible experiences for all users, including those with disabilities, varied learning styles, and diverse cultural backgrounds, and offer designers best practices to ensure these technologies benefit and impact all learners effectively. The project will fill critical gaps in the current understanding of how to effectively integrate XR technologies into technical education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055324	Supporting Instructors to Embed Design Thinking in Digital Fabrication Courses	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/21/2021	Josh Labrie	jlabrie@nvcc.edu	VA	Northern Virginia Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2021	08/31/2024	$299,897.00	Mohamed BELGHITH, Richard Sewell	8333 LITTLE RIVER TPKE	ANNANDALE	VA	220.033.743	7.033.233.000	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Manufacturing and engineering industries face a looming gap in skilled workers, with an estimated 2.4M positions projected to go unfilled by 2025. This project aims to help fill this gap by improving the preparation of the needed technical workforce. To do so, it will establish a Professional Learning program in design thinking pedagogy for secondary and postsecondary educators. The curriculum will focus on design thinking projects that involve digital fabrication techniques, including 3D printing, laser engraving, and Computer Numerical Control milling. The Professional Learning program is expected to improve the educator' teaching practices and enable them to update existing curricula and lesson plans to better align with industry relevant skills and techniques. The project also intends to create a community of practice around design thinking in digital fabrication that will build a beneficial network among secondary teachers, community college faculty, makerspace educators, and regional employers. It is expected that the project will support 36 secondary and postsecondary educators who will teach more than 3,000 K-12 and undergraduate students in the northern Virginia region. These students will have greater interest in and be better prepared for technical careers in manufacturing and engineering. The overarching goal of the project is to use Professional Learning to move digital fabrication instruction beyond the reproduction of simple objects. Instead, the project will train educators to use pedagogy and cognitive strategies to embed design thinking into their digital fabrication lessons and courses. As a result, students will learn to use design thinking to build complex, useful objects. The project’s specific aims include to: (1) create a professional learning institute; (2) host digital fabrication summer camps at NOVA and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington; (3) host a semiannual design and digital fabrication challenge; and (4) establish an online resource library of projects and lesson plans created and refined by educators in the community of practice. The project is expected to advance: understanding of the pedagogies that help to develop student interest in manufacturing and engineering; the capacity for Professional Learning to facilitate integration of design thinking into classrooms and makerspaces; and the extent to which a capstone design challenge may foster sustainable change in instructional practices. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301204	Success In Mathematics through Project-based Learning Experiences	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	Tim Haynes	thaynes@indycc.edu	KS	Independence Community College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$233,905.00	Allen Shockley, Brian Southworth	1057 W COLLEGE AVE	INDEPENDENCE	KS	673.018.556	3.163.314.100	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	A growing number of American industries have voiced a need for a large pool of skilled technicians to fill available and emerging jobs in a variety of economic sectors. Community Colleges are uniquely suited to align with regional industries to train the skilled technical workforce. Many career and technical education (CTE) courses require pre-requisite mathematics courses that have been a barrier for students. There is a well-documented fear of mathematics that has been shown to keep otherwise capable students from pursuing degrees and certificates in CTE programs. Independence Community College (ICC) will use an evidence-based, hands-on approach that will leverage the capabilities of a 3D fabrication lab to provide context for CTE specific mathematics courses. Through active learning strategies, the team will encourage students to embrace relevant connections between mathematical concepts and skills that are essential in fields like advanced manufacturing. Independence Community College will establish a Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) to further guide and contextualize mathematics content to address the needs of regional employers. Over the three-year period, ICC expects to increase success rates in mathematics courses, and persistence rates in CTE programs. Two parallel strategies that inform this project are: 1) the establishment of a BILT, and 2) utilization of an on-campus Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) certified fabrication laboratory to contextualize mathematics instruction using active learning strategies. In addition to curriculum guidance, the BILT will augment CTE programs with mock interviews, guest lectures, and other personalized interactions. The ICC fabrication laboratory will make use of their digital fabrication equipment, design software, and studio space to add context to traditional mathematics instruction for students in CTE programs. The ICC Fab Lab is a member of the International Fab Lab network, originally initiated by MIT. The Fab Lab manager at ICC will work with ICC’s mathematics instructors to develop curricula that aligns with skills desired by regional industry, and the natural curiosity of students. Successful practices from this project will be disseminated throughout the state, and beyond through the International Fab Lab network. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300117	Building an Academic Pathway for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Maintenance Technicians	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/08/2023	Andrew Shepherd	andrew.shepherd@sinclair.edu	OH	Sinclair Community College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$650,000.00	Joseph Riehle, Joshua Bohun, David Miller, Douglas Hammon	444 W 3RD ST	DAYTON	OH	454.021.421	9.375.124.573	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by training the next generation of aircraft maintenance technicians to service and maintain Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft, thus safeguarding the nation’s position at the forefront of the global aerospace industry. The aerospace industry is shifting toward increased reliance on semi- or fully autonomous electric or hybrid aircraft, which will soon be used more frequently and in expanded roles. At the same time, upcoming additions and changes to federal regulations will require that these new aircraft types are regularly serviced to ensure their airworthiness and safety of operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). To support the domestic growth of the industry and to keep the expanding fleet of UAS and AAM aircraft performing at its full potential while remaining in compliance with federal regulations, the nation will require a sufficient number of aviation maintenance technicians. These technicians will need to have the skills to maintain these aircraft and to diagnose and repair any problems with inherent advanced technologies including sensors, avionics, communications, electric propulsion, and battery systems. This project will help address this need by enabling access to training and resources to develop these skill sets for both incumbent aviation maintenance workers and individuals who are new to the aviation field. This project will develop educational pathways by which a diverse pool of technicians will be trained to maintain and repair UAS and AAM aircraft. It will also advance a shared understanding of the skills and competencies needed to fill such roles and embed these skills into a post-secondary short-term technical certificate curriculum. The development of this curriculum will be undertaken in coordination with partners having regional and national reach, validated by industry representatives, and widely disseminated and replicated at colleges across the country. These efforts will be key to addressing the projected workforce shortage of technicians capable of servicing these new types of aircraft. Training workshops will be developed for current aviation maintenance workers exploring the innovations in UAS and AAM and orienting them to the skills needed to service these aircraft. Additionally, to develop the recruitment pipeline for future UAS and AAM maintenance technicians, the project will develop high school STEM content and train-the-teacher modules. Further, the project will conduct workshops to provide high school teachers with innovative curriculum, multimedia, and learning activities introducing the AAM paradigm, the components of UAS technologies, and opportunities for aviation maintenance technicians. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000563	Preparing Cybersecurity Technicians with the Technical and Entrepreneurial Skills Required to Work as Independent Contractors	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/13/2020	Skip Berry	skip.berry@rcc.edu	CA	Riverside Community College District/Riverside City College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	07/01/2020	06/30/2024	$299,974.00	Don Wilcoxson	4800 MAGNOLIA AVE	RIVERSIDE	CA	925.061.242	9.512.228.755	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Across the nation, thousands of high-wage technician positions are available in cyber defense fields. Filling these positions would greatly increase the ability of businesses to prevent cyber breaches and to remediate them when they occur. Many businesses hire contractors to fill this workforce need. Clearly, these contractors must have knowledge and skills in cyber defense. However, to be successful independent entrepreneurs or serve as entrepreneurs within consulting firms, they also need business knowledge and skills. This project aims to prepare cyber defense technicians with both technical and business skills. To do so, it will create a cyber defense technician certificate program that integrates entrepreneurial skills with cybersecurity skills to train Cyberpreneur specialists. The Cyberpreneur program will include both new and existing courses to provide technical and business training. Through focused recruiting and retention activities, the project also intends to increase diversity within the cyber defense workforce. Individuals who complete the Cyberpreneur program will help to address cyber defense workforce needs within the Inland Empire region of Southern California and elsewhere in the country. This project will develop a certificate program that teaches theory and enables students to develop technical expertise in cyber defense, auditing of systems, incident response, remediation of vulnerabilities, and the use of artificial intelligence tools. Students will also complete coursework in entrepreneurship, finance, and accounting. A Business and Industry Leadership Team will guide curriculum development and provide advice regarding curriculum modifications and experiential learning requirements. The project includes outreach activities such as presentations at local high schools, participation in career fairs, and advertising in media outlets that reach large underrepresented communities. Best practices for recruiting and retention of students from underrepresented groups, including those developed by the National Center for Women in Technology, will be leveraged to increase diversity in cyber defense education programs and the workforce. An external evaluator and the project leadership team will conduct assessments to establish benchmarks for increasing inclusion within the program. The program will leverage existing NSF ATE Center websites (including the National Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance, National CyberWatch, and the National Convergence Technology Center) to promote new content modules and support the dissemination of project-related information. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2332143	EvaluATE: The Evaluation Hub for Advanced Technological Education	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Lyssa Becho	lyssa.becho@wmich.edu	MI	Western Michigan University	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	01/01/2024	12/31/2028	$6,211,812.00	Lori Wingate, Ayesha Boyce, Tiffany Tovey, Megan Lopez	1903 W MICHIGAN AVE	KALAMAZOO	MI	490.085.200	2.693.878.298	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Recognizing the value of systematic and effective evaluation and current and emerging issues in the education of the skilled technical workforce, the Evaluation Hub for Advanced Technological Education: EvaluATE supports a comprehensive effort to provide evaluation support services and materials/resources for the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program and its community of PIs, evaluators, project staff, and other stakeholders. The EvaluATE Hub seeks to advance and sustain a community in which evaluation is driven by principles; is valued, systematic, and effective; and is used to improve the education of technicians in advanced technological fields. In conjunction with programmatic evaluation activities, EvaluATE will also conduct a series of studies to advance knowledge about evaluation and evaluation practice, which focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and evaluative activities; and the use of evaluation for improvement and accountability. The project aims to address documented needs of the ATE community for current and emerging evaluation of the ATE program and technician education, more broadly. In addition, it seeks to build on, enhance, and advance the activities and impact of EvaluATE through its programming, resources/services, and research. Four goals guide the execution of this effort. First, is to enhance the number, diversity, proficiency, and visibility of potential ATE evaluators through increasing the pool and diversity of qualified evaluators for ATE. Second, is to increase awareness and use of evaluation by ATE project and centers. Third, is to enhance the empirical understanding of the ATE program’s activities, achievements, and other ATE-related activities. Fourth, and finally, is to advance innovation in evaluation methods and develop an empirical knowledge base about ATE evaluation. EvaluATE activities include: 1) administration of the ATE Annual PI Survey; 2) investigation of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the ATE community; 3) creation of an ATE Outcomes Bank and supportive resources; 4) establishment of an ATE Evaluation Ambassadors/Champions program; 5) establishment of a badging or credentialing process associated with qualifications for ATE evaluators and professional development for current and future evaluators; and 6) creation and dissemination of evaluation resources, materials, and support services for current and future PIs and their activities. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1650503	I/UCRC Phase II: I/UCRC for Identification Technology Research	CNS	Special Projects - CNS, IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,	09/14/2023	Stephanie Schuckers	sschucke@clarkson.edu	NY	Clarkson University	Continuing Grant	Mohan Kumar	03/01/2017	02/29/2024	$1,850,673.00	Joseph Skufca	8 CLARKSON AVE	POTSDAM	NY	136.761.401	3.152.686.475	CSE	1714, 5761, 7412, Q224, Q287, R121, R267, R321, R336, S332, S333, S364, U217, U366, V312, V328, W324, X332, X405, X406	022Z, 1032, 5761, 7218, 8237, 9102, 9178, 9251, SMET	The goal of the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR) as an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center is to serve an enabling role in the development of identity systems. Having a provable and verifiable identity is necessary for an individual to function in modern society. Your identity is what allows you to have a job, maintain a bank account, and drive a car. Identity is also what allows society to be free and safe, as dangerous individuals can be excluded from the public, for instance through placing suspected terrorists on no-flight lists and by capturing known criminals. In particular, CITeR research, education, and technology transfer is focused on confirming identity as well as development of privacy-enabling technology. The universities that make up CITeR include West Virginia University, University of Arizona, The University at Buffalo and Clarkson University. CITeR affiliates (members) at Clarkson include both government agencies as well as public and private companies. In addition, CITeR's focus on identification technology impacts "improved national security" by meeting the research needs of other government agencies that depend on this technology. CITeR's overall research focus is human analytics, identity science, biometric analysis, and policy/privacy; Clarkson's specific focus is vulnerabilities/countermeasures, novel and behavioral biometrics, and advanced computing. Clarkson University as the lead institution adds complementary Center capabilities for measurements and signal processing to identity humans and human intent. In conducting research, CITeR faculty actively engages undergraduate students in their research, involving them in active roles beginning as early as their freshman year. CITeR is active in outreach to K-12; hosting STEM outreach activities in for elementary and high school students. Clarkson specifically has worked to identify and address educational needs of next-generation professionals in the identification technology arena, and is providing broad-reaching and positive impact to higher education in these areas.
2300650	Preparing Manufacturing Technicians for the Challenges of Industry 4.0	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/18/2023	Doug Parrish	parrishd@edgecombe.edu	NC	Edgecombe Community College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$306,236.00	MERDIKAE WILLIAMS	2009 W WILSON ST	TARBORO	NC	278.869.361	9.198.235.166	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Due to the fast pace of technological advancements in the manufacturing industry, employers have identified a need for more highly-trained manufacturing technicians. Desired skills for manufacturing technicians now include data acquisition, computer integration, machine maintenance, and troubleshooting. This project from Edgecombe Community College (ECC) will align the existing Manufacturing Technology degree and Electrical Systems Technology diploma with the current and emerging Industry 4.0 needs of local manufacturing employers in Edgecombe County and an adjacent jurisdiction, Nash County. Over this three-year project, ECC plans to recruit and enroll up to twenty students who will be on track to complete these programs, and obtain industry recognized credentials along the way. ECC faculty will participate in certified professional development from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) to better prepare them to enhance the curriculum at ECC. Through continuing education classes, ECC will engage with incumbent manufacturing technicians who are in need of re-skilling. To address the under- and unemployment of populations in Edgecombe and Nash counties who are underrepresented in their pursuit of careers in manufacturing, the college will collaborate with the Tar River Area Boys and Girls Club to actively recruit teens with an aptitude towards technical and science topics, specifically Black male teens, and on-site mentoring with peer student mentors. The overall goal of this project is to meet the needs of manufacturing employers in Edgecombe and Nash counties with respect to emerging workforce skills in maintenance and troubleshooting. ECC intends to grow the skilled technical workforce with recruitment efforts that will include under-employed incumbent manufacturing workers and high school graduates. These students will benefit from a focused STEM curriculum tailored towards the data-intensive needs of Industry 4.0 which relies increasingly on smart sensors, cloud computing, data acquisition, and cloud analytics. ECC intends to enroll forty to sixty individuals over three years and engage ECC faculty to complete the training necessary to deliver this curriculum. Each cohort of high school students and incumbent workers will be able to complete five courses in the first year of this project, which can ultimately result in a Manufacturing Technology degree. Students may gain additional relevant experience as they participate in available internships. Initial course completers may be eligible to enter the workforce or continue to complete the Manufacturing Technology or Electrical Systems Technology degree program. Through an actively engaged Advisory Board, ECC faculty and administration will pursue additional workforce engagement opportunities to ultimately improve employment outcomes for ECC students. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education Program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2333039	Increasing Community College Participation in the Marine Advanced Technology Education's Remotely Operated Vehicle Competition	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/18/2023	Jill Zande	jzande@marinetech.org	DC	MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY, INC.	Continuing Grant	Paul Tymann	02/01/2023	09/30/2024	$751,180.00		1 THOMAS CIR NW	WASHINGTON	DC	200.055.800	7.038.705.272	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center created a global remotely operated vehicle (ROV) competition in partnership with the Marine Technology. This competition challenges students to build underwater robots to tackle tasks based on the real world situations. Through this work, students develop and apply a range of technical, scientific, and workplace skills. These skills among the most in demand by employers today, and include creativity, adaptability, teamwork, and communication. Community college students are currently underrepresented in MATE ROV Competitions. This project at Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey California, aims to increase the number of community college students who participate in the MATE ROV competition. It is expected that this participation will increase the number of community college students who have the scientific and workplace skills needed to enter and thrive in the STEM technician workforce, a critical sector for the nation’s economy and security. The overarching goal of the project is to increase the number of community colleges that participate in the MATE ROV Competition. To accomplish this goal, the project will: 1) identify and recruit community colleges to participate in the competition; 2) use experienced community college faculty ROV team advisors to serve as mentors; 3) provide resources and other support to community college faculty preparing for the competition; 4) use MATE’s Evaluate-Compete methodology as a mentoring and feedback vehicle for competition teams and as a tool to recruit new community colleges; 5) enhance the resources in the MATE Regional Coordinators’ Toolkit to assist coordinators in recruiting and supporting participation in competitions; and 6) identify and disseminate examples for sustaining long-term participation in the competition that could be applicable to other undergraduate research experiences. This project leverages the experiences and best practices from other successful NSF-funded projects including the MATE Center and ITEST Scale-Up. In addition, the project will use an online undergraduate research evaluation instrument also supported by NSF, EvaluateUR, to measure the efficacy and impact of the project activities. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2201631	CREATE Energy National Center	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/12/2023	Kenneth Walz	kwalz@madisoncollege.edu	WI	Madison Area Technical College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2022	06/30/2027	$7,914,445.00	Kathleen Alfano, Jennifer Clemons, Kevin Cooper, Andrew McMahan	1701 WRIGHT ST	MADISON	WI	537.042.599	6.082.466.676	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Most of the current energy infrastructure in the U.S. was built in the five decades from the 1920s to the late 1970s. The U.S. is now faced with the challenge of replacing this aging and soon to be obsolete infrastructure, while a tremendous opportunity exists globally to create new sustainable industries and economies through renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency and other advanced, smart, and clean energy technologies. More than 80% of all new electrical generation added in 2020 was from renewable energy sources, largely in the form of wind and solar power led in large part by three of the world’s largest economies: China, Germany, and the U.S. This project will address the rapidly changing energy landscape to develop and promote exemplary programs in support of the education of a skilled technical workforce for the American energy sector. The CREATE National Energy Center proposes to become the preeminent source of faculty professional development and instructional materials for energy educators, increase the visibility of energy careers and broaden participation of groups historically underrepresented in these careers, and build academic, industry, and international partnerships to advance energy technician education. The CREATE Center will empower two-year college faculty and academic programs to champion new energy technologies to ensure American competitiveness in this fast-changing sector. The Center will: provide models and leadership in support of two-year colleges working with four-year universities, secondary schools, business, industry, economic development agencies, and government to promote a skilled technical workforce for the energy sector; establish an effective dialogue and collaborations between existing and new ATE projects in energy technology and related fields across the nation; mentor faculty to broaden the impact of ATE in the energy sector; promote energy technician careers and visibility and the public image of advanced energy technology; address energy technician knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for the evolving, converging, and emerging technical workplace including re- and up-skilling of the incumbent workforce; and provide faculty professional development opportunities in advanced energy technology and areas of rapid growth. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000730	Collaborative Research: Improving the Educational Experiences, Outcomes, and Career Pathways of Welding Technology Students	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/23/2022	Joi-Lynn Mondisa	jmondisa@umich.edu	MI	Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$815,982.00	Ece Yaprak, Parmeshwar Coomar, Timothy Pawlowski, Mark Jewett	1109 GEDDES AVE, SUITE 3300	ANN ARBOR	MI	481.091.079	7.347.636.438	EDU	7412	097Z, 1032, 9178, 9251, SMET	Despite the increasing demand for welding technology professionals at local, regional, and national levels, the number of welding technology (WT) graduates has declined. This project aims to address this need, as well as to help develop a deeper understanding of WT career pathways. To do so, the project team will investigate the experiences and perceptions of WT students who begin their education and training at community colleges and the expectations of WT faculty, higher education administrators, and employers. The purpose of this exploratory research study is to: (1) identify personal/social/life factors that affect the career pathways of WT students and their decision to obtain credentials (associate degrees, certificates) and matriculate into a four-year program; (2) identify obstacles and issues that contribute to WT student attrition; and (3) create materials and activities to support retention, associate degree attainment, and matriculation into a 2+2 program in welding technology. The project is a collaboration between researchers and technician educators from the University of Michigan, Macomb Community College, Monroe County Community College, and Wayne State University. Guided by a conceptual framework that draws on the work of Hisrchy, Bremer, and Castellano (2011) and Phelps and Prevost (2012), this qualitative and quantitative exploratory mixed methods research project is guided by the overarching question: What are the factors and experiences associated with the career pathways of welding technology students? The research team will investigate (1) specific welding technology program features (e.g., articulated dual-credit high school courses, internships, etc.) that are associated with optimal student outcomes (e.g., retention, degree completion, matriculation, employment). They will also examine ways in which key stakeholders (e.g., faculty; administrators) can use the findings to inform strategic program improvement and decision-making. Thematic analysis of qualitative data will be applied to uncover and test the elements of the career pathways framework. Survey data will be analyzed using analysis of variance to test the mean differences and interaction effects that may occur among variables/elements of the career pathways framework. This approach will identify non-significant and significant differences across different groups of students, variables, and institutions and provide insights into the phenomenological aspects of education and career development. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2332393	Advancing STEM Technician Education & Innovation: The Community College Leadership Role	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/13/2023	Ellen Hause	ehause@aacc.nche.edu	DC	American Association of Community Colleges	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	12/01/2023	11/30/2026	$7,478,103.00		STE 410	WASHINGTON	DC	20.036	2.027.280.200	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Community and technical colleges have long been leaders and innovators in STEM reform and improvement efforts in the United States. As community-based institutions, they are uniquely positioned to keep pace with advances in technology to offer technician education programs that meet growing and evolving workforce needs. By providing affordable and accessible entry points into higher education and enrolling nearly 40 percent of all U.S. undergraduate students, community colleges represent a significant national pathway to meeting the growing and diverse needs of a global workforce critical to our nation’s competitiveness and future economic growth. As workplace and employer skill demands evolve, it is imperative that community colleges continue to engage in efforts to cultivate students’ ability to learn new skills, such as analytical and creative thinking, as they become increasingly essential. This project features activities designed to broaden the impact of community college leadership in advancing STEM technician education; encourage greater numbers of community colleges to develop or strengthen ATE-related programs; create and support venues for developing and nurturing STEM professional and leadership development opportunities for two-year college administrators, faculty, and students; cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship; support institutional STEM capacity building; and raise awareness of the resources and contributions of community colleges working in STEM technician education. Project activities include: 1) Hosting three national ATE Principal Investigators’ Conferences to provide professional and leadership development for the ATE community, 2) Launching a national application to select cohorts of the MentorLinks activity to enable community colleges to develop new or strengthen existing STEM technician education programs, 3) Leading the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) to foster the development of students’ innovation and entrepreneurship skills through a national team pitch competition and summer Boot Camp modeled on NSF’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, and 4) Developing an ATE Future Leaders Fellows pilot to: (a) enable 12 community college STEM professionals to participate in the AACC Roueche Future Leaders Institute or AACC Future Presidents Institute; (b) contribute to a national dialogue on STEM capacity building and creating a grant culture in support of ATE awards; and (c) raise awareness of the STEM education landscape to help shape the practice and competencies of community college leadership. The project will also conduct national outreach on the role and resources of community colleges in the ATE program and evaluate all grant activities to ensure the activities meet the needs of the two-year community and technical college community. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000193	Expanding Pathways from High School into the Biotechnology Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/09/2022	Jaclyn Madden	jmadden@harford.edu	MD	Harford Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$493,912.00	Pamela Pape-Lindstrom, Susan Walker	401 THOMAS RUN RD	BEL AIR	MD	210.151.627	4.434.122.160	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The nation’s capital region, including Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., is an expanding hub of biotechnology innovation and industry. Consequently, the number of biotechnology jobs is projected to increase in the region, as well as nationally. Despite the growing workforce demand, the public has a limited understanding of the biotechnology field or its promising career options. In addition, high school students, including students from economically challenged, underrepresented, and/or rural backgrounds, have limited exposure to the range of possible college and career choices. This project aims to increase the number and diversity of biotechnicians entering the workforce. To achieve this goal, the project will engage students and their families in workshops to improve their understanding of biotechnology as a vibrant career and to raise awareness of other educational and career opportunities. The project will target high schools with majority-minority enrollment and/or rural status, thus increasing opportunities to enroll students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM and in college-level biotechnology programs. This project has the potential to provide opportunities for upward socioeconomic mobility for the members of underrepresented communities in STEM by equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed in biotechnology careers. To address the growing industry demand, the project specific aims include to: (1) develop an associate degree in STEM with a concentration in biotechnology; (2) refresh the curriculum of an existing biotechnology certificate; (3) increase awareness of biotechnology careers and the number and diversity of students completing biotechnology curricula; and (4) provide summer internships for students to develop employability skills in biotechnology. The project includes partnerships with local public-school districts to recruit students into a newly created associate degree in STEM with a concentration in biotechnology. In collaboration with local industry partners, the project will provide summer internships to help students gain professional, field-specific, and career-readiness skills. The project expects to increase and diversify the biotechnology workforce by engaging high school students and their families in community-based outreach events that use hands-on biotechnology activities. Academic and career information, including degree programs, job descriptions, and salaries, will be disseminated at these events. Additionally, the project will create summer professional development opportunities emphasizing biotechnology for high school teachers and a week-long summer institute on the Harford Community College campus for high school students considering biotechnology as a career option. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1839567	ATE 2.0: Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work	DUE	GVF - Global Venture Fund, Advanced Tech Education Prog	07/30/2020	Ann-Claire Anderson	anderson@cord.org	TX	CORD	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2018	08/31/2024	$3,580,406.00	Richard Gilbert, Michael Lesiecki, Hope Cotner	4901 BOSQUE BLVD	WACO	TX	767.102.302	2.547.418.334	EDU	054y, 7412	1032, 5936, 5952, 9178, SMET	The workplace of today is undergoing a major transformation driven by machine learning, artificial intelligence, the internet-of-things, robotics, and systems-integrated process control. NSF's focus on the Future of Work at the Human Technology Frontier recognizes that technology advances are changing industries at an unprecedented pace. These technological advances promise benefits to the nation by creating new enterprises, occupations, and opportunities for innovation and global leadership while drastically altering the workplace as we know it. As technology evolves, so will tasks and occupations, creating a demand for an expanding array of knowledge, skills, and services. The demand for positions involving tasks that can be automated will decline and, in some cases, disappear, while entirely new occupations will emerge. This transformation is already affecting America's technicians. This project proposes strategies and collaborative regional activities with industry that will enable the NSF-ATE community to prepare technicians for the changing workplace by transforming technician education at the secondary and post-secondary educational levels. This project will convene academic partners, industry leaders, and economic development professionals. These individuals will serve as collaborative thought partners in framing, testing, refining, and supporting strategies that transform technician education to assure regional competitiveness in the evolving workplace. Technological education today generally focuses on industry segments and single sectors. Yet, soon technicians will need skill sets that cross industries and support both core and advanced STEM skills. This project will identify key cross-disciplinary and new disciplinary knowledge and skills needed by technicians in industries that are responding to the changing workplace. Regional networks of academic partners will actively collaborate with industry to strengthen ATE efforts to improve technician education across the US. It is expected that bringing the relevant stakeholders together will facilitate the needed paradigm shift in technician education, and coalesce support around industry expectations for technician education. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1838535	Information Technology Skill Standards, 2020 and Beyond	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	05/23/2023	Ann Beheler	abeheler@collin.edu	TX	Collin County Community College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	09/01/2018	08/31/2024	$3,755,825.00	Peter Maritato, Terryll Bailey, Suzanne Ames, Deborah Roberts	3452 SPUR 399	MCKINNEY	TX	750.698.742	9.727.583.804	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	In 2003, the ATE National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) developed and published the "Building a Foundation for Tomorrow: Skill Standards for Information Technology". This document has not been updated since 2003, and it no longer aligns with current information technology (IT) industry needs. This project will develop a new employer-led and verified IT Skill Standards document for the top eight to ten IT industry job clusters supporting positions requiring a two-year or a four-year applied IT degree. Initial discussions with industry experts have identified at least four new job clusters that did not exist in 2003, along with an additional five to six job clusters that need to be updated. Skill standards make IT careers more accessible as they provide transparency regarding the knowledge, skills and performance standards needed for success in the industry, and educators use skill standards to develop relevant curricular materials to better prepare students for the workplace. This project will develop a future-facing set of IT Skill Standards for the most critical IT job clusters, led by employer subject matter experts. In addition to creating a set of skill standards for each job cluster, the standards within each job cluster will be stratified by the top four to eight critical work functions. The project will also compile a list of the certifications valued by employers as of the date of publication. For each cluster, a national group of educators and Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) members will determine which portions of the standards apply to two-year and four-year programs, to facilitate ease of use in development of employer aligned curriculum. These stratifications will assist both employers and educators to more easily apply the standards. Subject matter experts will be asked to predict trends in IT and the knowledge and skills that will likely to be needed to support emerging trends. It is expected that this effort will increase the use and longevity of the developed standards. Dissemination efforts will use ATE Central and the Convergence Technology Center website, will feature multiple strategies to increase awareness of the skill standards, and will provide tools for their use and application. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301256	Flexible Technical Education Pathways in a Building Automation Technology Program	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/12/2023	Jeffrey Pedelty	jeffrey.pedelty@montcalm.edu	MI	MONTCALM COMMUNITY COLLEGE	Standard Grant	Kalyn Owens	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$631,715.00	Deborah Dawson-Gunther	2800 COLLEGE DR	SIDNEY	MI	488.859.723	9.893.282.100	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	This project aims to serve the national interest by developing a Building Automation Technology program to prepare students for high-demand technical careers in the west-central Michigan region. In collaboration with industry and other academic institutions, courses will be designed and offered to technical education students in SMART HVAC systems, energy storage, production controls in manufacturing, and cybersecurity related to these control systems. The course curriculum will be aligned with industry certifications to better prepare students for the current and future needs of employers in the region. The result will be an increase in the number of skilled building automation technicians that enter the regional workforce each year of the project. Ultimately, this effort aims to fill significant gaps in the availability of customized training programs that meet the needs of industry in today’s data and automation driven society. This project team will collaborate with industry to complete the following activities: 1) create Building Automation Technology courses for Industry 4.0 HVAC systems, including SMART systems and effective data storage, 2) develop energy storage curriculum to support electric vehicles, 3) provide students with practical experience in data and production controls in advanced manufacturing and HVAC systems, and 4) include the creation of cybersecurity curriculum related to controls for advanced manufacturing and municipalities. Course curriculum will prioritize hands-on lab activities and work-based learning experiences as a way to actively engage students in practical and effective skill development. A flexible pathway model with multiple on and off ramps that result in certificates, industry credentials, apprenticeships, degrees, and/or the option to transfer will be implemented. An external evaluation will be conducted to assess project activities and outcomes with a focus on contributing to the body of knowledge on preparing skilled technicians to support the advanced manufacturing industry. A targeted dissemination plan will be carried out that shares project results with other Michigan state two-year colleges and at the national level through presentations to the broader technical education community. This project is funded by the Advanced Technology Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202033	Biofab Explorer: Designing A Dual Enrollment Pathway to Careers in Biofabrication	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/30/2022	Sam Catherine Johnston	sjohnston@cast.org	MA	CAST, Inc.	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	05/01/2022	04/30/2025	$646,526.00	Amanda Bastoni, Daniel Larochelle	50 SALEM ST BLDG B	LYNNFIELD	MA	19.402.600	7.812.452.212	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The project will develop biofabrication career guidance curriculum and materials, situate these within Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms that offer dual enrolment (i.e., college credit during high school), and provide professional development to educators on how to create inclusive and industry-aligned career guidance. Biofabrication refers to the production of human tissues from organic and synthetic sources. The project meets regional industry needs for STEM technicians by targeting the early stages of the biomanufacturing talent pipeline—high school CTE students, for whom internships can be scarce and who lack awareness of STEM technician roles in biomanufacturing. The project will provide career awareness for students and educators of the biofabrication industry, and support skill and knowledge development for a diverse group of students so they can build industry relevant skills, and increase access to STEM technician education in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and North Carolina — all hubs for biomanufacturing. The project provides a model for aligning emerging areas of advanced manufacturing with education and career guidance and addresses critical gaps in career guidance by creating inclusive opportunities for a broad range of students to build self-efficacy beliefs, understand biomanufacturing, and demonstrate industry relevant skills and knowledge. The project brings together CAST, Manchester Community College, Great Bay Community College, Johnston Community College, secondary CTE centers—including guidance counselors, administrators, educators, and the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)/BioFab USA to accomplish three goals. First, the project will identify and validate Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) for STEM technician roles in biofabrication and create career guidance curriculum including a career guidance website, work-based learning simulations, and activities teachers can use to help students explore careers and develop and demonstrate industry skills. Working together, ARMI experts, the Business and Industry Leadership Team, and secondary and post-secondary educator will use Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an approach to designing learning environments and education technologies with all student needs in mind, for curriculum development. Second, Biofab Explorer and the eportfolio technologies developed by CAST will be piloted in two dual enrollment models, one in high school CTE settings taught by high school CTE teachers with community college faculty oversight (Manchester Community College and Great Bay Community College, NH) and one in a CTE secondary program taught by community college faculty and (Johnston Community College, NC). Third, professional development workshops for secondary and postsecondary educators will be delivered to 1) introduce the career guidance curriculum, Biofab Explorer, and the eportfolio, 2) identify ways these digital environments can increase knowledge of STEM technician opportunities, 3) provide hands-on skill building with Work Based Learning (WBL) simulations, and 4) model how UDL strategies can help recruit and support students underrepresented in STEM education and careers. A regional workshop will be offered to educators from across New Hampshire and Massachusetts and a second regional workshop will be offered to educators from across North Carolina. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202076	Automotive Technician Training for Electric Vehicles	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	06/07/2022	Justin Morgan	justin.morgan8747@sinclair.edu	OH	Sinclair Community College	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$602,424.00	John Porter, James Truxal, Thomas Freels	444 W 3RD ST	DAYTON	OH	454.021.421	9.375.124.573	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The transportation sector is in the midst of a major transition to electric vehicles as automotive manufacturers have launched large electric vehicle development programs. Automotive technician training programs will need to adjust to these changes by providing technical education that focuses on electric vehicle technologies. Students need to learn how to diagnose a new set of problems and how to use equipment and tools to maintain these vehicles. This project will develop a new certificate program in hybrid and electric vehicle technology leading to an associate degree in automotive technology. Technician training will focus on the theory, operation, diagnosis, service, and repair of systems related to the propulsion of electric vehicles. Professional development workshops will be provided for postsecondary educators so that they can upgrade their automotive technology programs. During the workshop, participants will learn about battery technology, electric motors, and safety procedures through classroom instruction and hands-on learning experiences with electric vehicles and service equipment. High school students will have the opportunity to learn about careers in automotive technology through summer camps in which students will learn the hands-on basics of vehicle maintenance. The primary goal of this project is to help develop the technician workforce that can support the new infrastructure for electric vehicles. This project aims to increase the capacity of faculty to prepare automotive technicians to repair and service electric vehicles, the number of automotive technician graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to diagnose and repair electric vehicles, and the number of high school students enrolling in automotive technology degree and certificate programs. Faculty in automotive technology programs at two-year institutions will be recruited to participate in a summer workshop on electric vehicle technologies. Workshop participants will have hands-on learning opportunities focused on diagnostics, testing, and repair procedures. The project will develop a new certificate program that will provide students with advanced training in high-voltage safety systems, removing/replacing batteries, servicing electric drive motors, diagnosing electric power convertors, and other skills needed to service battery electric vehicles. Technician training will focus on the theory, operation, diagnosis, service, and repair of vehicle systems. The project will recruit high school students from traditionally underrepresented groups for automotive summer camps designed to increase students’ interest in taking automotive technician courses. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202221	Creating Pathways for Technicians in Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technologies	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/10/2023	Michael Appio	appiomike@deanza.edu	CA	Foothill-De Anza Community College District	Standard Grant	Christine Delahanty	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$525,793.00	Kara Krone, Margaret Bdzil, Roberto Sanchez	12345 S EL MONTE RD	LOS ALTOS	CA	940.224.504	6.509.496.201	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The manufacturing sector is undergoing rapid changes as additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) and robotic automation transform the way products are designed and produced. These changes have created an industry demand for machinists and manufacturing technicians who are capable of applying these technologies in manufacturing facilities. However, the number of graduates from technician programs that are focused on these technologies has not kept pace with the demand. Technical education programs are needed that help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully apply these emerging technologies. There is also an opportunity to increase the number of college instructors who are capable of providing technical education programs in advanced manufacturing. This project will develop new courses and certificate programs related to additive manufacturing and automation, provide industry mentors and student support services to broaden participation in the technical workforce, and provide professional development opportunities for instructors at other institutions. This project will create pathways for students to pursue high paying jobs with career advancement potential in the Silicon Valley region. The goals of this project are to (1) increase the number of qualified technicians who can apply advanced design and manufacturing technologies, (2) improve the retention and success of students from historically underrepresented groups, and (3) increase the number of institutions that are capable of offering technical education in this field. A survey of industry partners in the region will be conducted to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are necessary for advanced design and manufacturing technicians. Based on the survey results, new courses will be developed and existing courses will be revised to incorporate the new content. These courses will be used to create new certificates in multi-axis computer controlled machining and robotic automation that are aligned with industry certifications. In collaboration with industry partners, the project team will develop a professional mentoring program in which professionals from industry mentor a group of students in the program who are from historically underrepresented groups. An instructor professional development curriculum will be developed that focuses on computer-aided design, additive manufacturing, multi-axis machining, and robotic automation. The professional development program will be offered twice a year for college manufacturing faculty from the San Francisco Bay region. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300976	Integrating Data Science and Hands-on Experience into the Community College Biotechnology Classroom with Applications to Antibody Engineering	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/11/2023	Dylan Bulseco	dylan@intofuture.org	MA	INSTITUTE FOR FUTURE INTELLIGENCE, INC.	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	07/01/2023	06/30/2026	$650,000.00	John Berestecky	26 ROCKLAND ST	NATICK	MA	17.605.852	5.083.977.021	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Antibodies are proteins naturally produced by the vertebrate immune system. They are important in biotechnology, serving as reagents in research, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Using antibody engineering as a focus for training, students at Kapi’olani Community College (KCC) will learn practical skills for the biotechnology workforce. Indeed, the biotechnology industry is experiencing a period of growth that requires talented personnel trained across many disciplines, including data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Moreover, the pandemic severely impacted the economy in Hawai’i due to its heavy reliance on tourism. Thus, to diversify the economy and create high-paying jobs in high-tech, knowledge-based, and emerging industries such as biotechnology, the state of Hawai’i is interested in diversifying innovative industries to ensure the state can function in a technologically advanced world. As a minority serving institution, with a native Hawaiian student population of ~20%, KCC contributes to the enhancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. The unique opportunity to introduce antibody engineering into KCC’s regular biotechnology curriculum will contribute to the building of a capable workforce for the growing biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors in Hawai’i. This project will also contribute to the diversification of the economy in Hawai’i and have a positive impact on native Hawaiian students and the biotech industry in the state of Hawai’i and across the nation. This project will introduce new antibody engineering modules to the biotechnology program at Kapi’olani Community College. The first goal is to train students to enter the biotechnology workforce. The second goal is to demonstrate the importance of data science in biotechnology and biomanufacturing and to enhance the undergraduate experience. The third goal is to train students in the design, production, purification, and characterization of antibodies using the Design-Build-Test paradigm. Accomplishing these goals will extend the capabilities of the Monoclonal Antibody Service Facility and Training Center (MASFTC). The specific aims for this project are: (1) Develop classroom and laboratory modules to support experiential-based undergraduate learning and research activities using the Design-Build-Test paradigm as applied to antibody engineering. (2) Develop data science and bioinformatics education modules with a web-based graphical user-interface to guide classroom activities and laboratory components with an emphasis on undergraduate research experiences. (3) Establish the KCC-Antibody Center of Excellence (KCC-ACE) database to record the Design-Build-Test activities carried out by KCC students and faculty. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2201539	Guitar, Robotics, Rocketry ATE (GRRATE) Summer Institutes	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/07/2023	Shellie Banfield	shellie.banfield@sfcollege.edu	FL	Santa Fe College	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2022	08/31/2025	$570,729.00	Calhoun Calhoun, Gina Greenidge, Jennifer Mullis, Latoya Chandler	3000 NW 83RD STREET, F40	GAINESVILLE	FL	326.066.210	3.523.955.000	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Rural students are often faced with low educational attainment, geographic isolation, and negative social dynamics tied to race, class, and economic inequality. For many rural students, majors and careers in STEM fields are undesirable and not encouraged. Research shows that early interventions to shape the perception of STEM to students as early as middle school by developing a sense of belonging can shift the interest of students in technical careers specifically and STEM generally. This project will address technician workforce needs by increasing the number and diversity of students who are interested in entering career and technical education majors and ultimately technician careers in high-tech STEM fields. The Santa Fe College Technician Education programs include: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Automotive, Biotechnology, Building Construction, Computer Networking, Computer Programming and Analysis, Information Systems, Plumbing, and Welding. The project will leverage lessons learned from the Upward Bound summer camp pilot to adapt and implement the Guitar, Robotics, and Rocketry curriculum as a Summer Institute program to attract students to these technician career fields before they graduate high school. The overarching goal of the project is to increase the quantity of students from rural regions and from groups underrepresented in STEM entering technician careers in high-tech STEM fields. This goal will be accomplished through five objectives: 1) Adapt and format curriculum to enhance college preparation mathematics for the Summer Institutes ; 2) Provide faculty, staff, and local secondary school educators professional development to ensure consistent implementation of the curriculum and pedagogical models; 3) Host Summer Institutes at the College’s five educational centers over the project lifetime; 4) Evaluate the effectiveness of project outcomes through a validated pre/post attitude and career interest survey, pre/post comparison of math skills, and follow-up interviews; and 5) Engage local employers in the development of technician career exploration presentations and/or videos. The project will collaborate with community partners including Upward Bound (UB), College Achievement Program (CAP), SF Achieve, and two University of Central Florida and Children’s Home Society Community Partnership Schools (CPS) to recruit students and to provide year-round support for student development. Collaboration with the Florida Local Alliance for Math Literacy and Equity (FLAME) will provide guidance in strengthening the math skills of project participants. Curriculum adaptation will be based on pedagogical practices designed to combat stereotype threats and enhance self-efficacy. Local employers will provide expertise for curriculum improvement based on industry needs and provide information about technician career opportunities and educational requirements for those careers. The project results will be disseminated through project presentations and publications and will be shared with project partners. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2052780	IUCRC Phase I: University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) Site: Center for High-Frequency Electronics and Circuits for Communication Systems (CHECCS)	EEC	IUCRC-Indust-Univ Coop Res Ctr, Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Aly Fathy	fathy@eecs.utk.edu	TN	University of Tennessee Knoxville	Continuing Grant	Prakash Balan	07/01/2021	06/30/2026	$398,755.00	Ozlem Kilic, Husheng Li, Gong Gu, Ryan Glasby	201 ANDY HOLT TOWER	KNOXVILLE	TN	379.960.001	8.659.743.466	ENG	5761, 7412	1032, 5761, 8036, 9178, SMET	The University of Arkansas, University of Tennessee, and Florida International University have established the Center for High-Frequency Electronics and Circuits for Communication Systems (CHECCS), an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). The efforts at the three universities will provide cooperative opportunities to develop new research knowledge to support U.S. competitiveness in wireless communications technologies, including 5G/6G and beyond. CHECCS addresses the potential to increase accessibility to high-frequency circuits and communication-system services. The center’s research will be seamlessly integrated with educational activities, and findings will be incorporated into courses for training undergraduate and graduate students. The center is also committed to broadening participation of underrepresented groups. Underrepresented faculty, graduate and undergraduate students will be actively recruited by each site to work on and participate in the center’s research and educational activities including outreach events. The technical area of high-frequency devices, circuits and communication systems is critically important to U.S. industry, its economy, and national security. CHECCS’ mission is in developing different levels of integrated components for future multi-scale systems on a single chip. CHECCS brings strength and expertise from a wide range of disciplines to significantly advance knowledge and bridge the gap between universities and industry. The research areas cover a broad range of disciplines from electrical engineering, to computer engineering, materials science, transportation, and physics. The center will work closely with industry and government agencies in addressing multidisciplinary research challenges by combining knowledge from participating research groups and creating a culture that links engineering research to technological innovation. This linkage will be achieved through sustained partnerships with industry/practitioner organizations and technology transfer offices. Core strengths of CHECCS include a dynamic team that has both academic and industry research experience, with emphasis on comprehensive electromagnetic modeling, monolithic microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits, radiofrequency high-power components and systems, antenna design, and digital and analog circuit design up to terahertz frequency. The team has access to advanced fabrication, testing, and high-performance computational resources, as well as strong ties to industry that will enable refinement of the research areas. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2331453	Collaborative Research: Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE)	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Kapil Chalil Madathil	kmadath@clemson.edu	SC	Clemson University	Standard Grant	Virginia Carter	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$1,454,932.00	Sudeep Hegde	201 SIKES HALL	CLEMSON	SC	296.340.001	8.646.562.424	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Extended reality (XR) technologies are being rapidly integrated into industry and society, yet their integration into technician education lags. These technologies, which include 360° photography and videography (360), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), have tremendous potential to enhance student learning and are poised to revolutionize the educational experience. This project will create an innovative ecosystem supporting XR technology utilization in technician education, foster new collaborations, develop community standards, and enhance technician workforce pathways to ensure national industry competitiveness. The project will improve STEM technician education through the accelerated integration of XR technologies into technician education programs. The goals of the project are: 1) Assess XR technology adoption and attitudes in NSF ATE program domains and create implementation and dissemination resources for two-year colleges; 2) Develop and implement XR technology faculty professional development for direct instruction; 3) Develop an XR technology website and products repository for ATE projects and Open Educational Resources using XR technology; and 4) Grow and broaden XR implementation by connecting high schools, academia, and industry. It is expected that the project’s findings will contribute to the development of best practices and inform the design of effective XR experiences for technician students, provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of XR technologies in technician education programs, establish design principles for XR simulations, aiming to create inclusive and accessible experiences for all users, including those with disabilities, varied learning styles, and diverse cultural backgrounds, and offer designers best practices to ensure these technologies benefit and impact all learners effectively. The project will fill critical gaps in the current understanding of how to effectively integrate XR technologies into technical education. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2247777	Development of a Stackable Certificate Program for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Technicians	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	Linda Burbidge	Linda.Burbidge@dakotacollege.edu	ND	Dakota College at Bottineau	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$349,159.00	Angela Bartholomay	105 SIMRALL BLVD	BOTTINEAU	ND	583.181.159	7.012.285.440	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	North Dakota established the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site in 2013. In 2015 Grand Sky, the nation’s first commercial UAS-focused business park, opened in Grand Forks, N.D. and in 2020, work began on the nation’s largest statewide UAS network, enabling UAS flights beyond visual line of sight. During this time, North Dakota’s UAS industry has grown from several dozen workers to more than 1,000. Growth in UAS technology, coupled with advancements in UAS applications in agriculture and natural resources management, has created a need for skilled UAS technicians in rural North Dakota. Dakota College at Bottineau proposes to help meet North Dakota’s emerging need for small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) technicians by developing a stackable certificate program that will prepare graduates to enter the sUAS workforce. This project will advance scientific education and increase prosperity for North Dakota farmers, ranchers, state agencies, and businesses via UAS technology. Through education and hands-on training, the proposed project will address North Dakota’s growing need for licensed sUAS pilots in agriculture and natural resources management. The goals of this project include (1) growing the current sUAS curriculum into a stackable certificate program designed to meet the needs of business, industry and state agency partners; (2) training faculty in sUAS, remote sensing, and agricultural and natural resources software applications; and (3) delivering continuing education in sUAS technology to technicians already in the workplace. The project will enhance the efficiency and accuracy of North Dakota’s agriculture operations and natural resources management by putting drone technology into the hands of highly qualified sUAS pilots. Documented student work and internship experiences will contribute to the body of research on sUAS applications in agriculture and natural resources management. Data collected and project results will be disseminated through NCAT and ATE. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301137	Collaborative Research: Development of a Nanofabrication Lab Manual Featuring a Suite of Low-Cost Experiments to Enable Hands-On Training at Community and Technical Colleges	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Zachary Gray	zrg102@psu.edu	PA	Pennsylvania State Univ University Park	Standard Grant	Jill Nelson	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$543,440.00	Osama Awadelkarim, Ishfaq Ahmed	201 OLD MAIN	UNIVERSITY PARK	PA	168.021.503	8.148.651.372	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Semiconductors in the form of integrated circuits (ICs), or chips, are an integral part of our technology-driven world. The need for chips has risen sharply while the supply has fallen short of the demand worldwide. Before the end of the last century the United States (US) led the world in chipmaking. However, the US now provides less than 10% of the world need, and the leadership of chip supply is dominated by other countries. Semiconductor products are critical to our economic and national security and rank the fifth largest US export sector providing approximately 250,000 jobs in the United States. This project will explore an innovative way to increase the chipmaking workforce numbers required to meet this national need by eliminating the expensive and complex infrastructure (e.g., cleanrooms, fabrication equipment) traditionally required to train and educate individuals in this area. This project will develop a lab manual featuring low-cost experiments that closely represent the methods used in the chipmaking industry. The manual will feature experiments for students to demonstrate their learning in a hands-on fashion. The lessons in the manual will specifically be designed to be transferrable to any community college (CC) seeking to offer degree tracks in micro and nanotechnology (i.e., chipmaking) to dynamically meet the local industry demand. Instructor guides will include student assessment rubrics to measure learning outcomes. After development, partnering CC’s will review the manual and evaluate the experiments. The manual will be further optimized and evaluated before widespread dissemination through national conferences and professional development activities. This manual will be used as both an outreach tool and a training resource to help cultivate and develop the workforce required to fill the US chipmaking sector. This project, in response to the Enhancing Engineering Technology and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician Education Dear Colleague Letter (22-120), is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301140	Collaborative Research: Development of a Nanofabrication Lab Manual Featuring a Suite of Low-Cost Experiments to Enable Hands-On Training at Community and Technical Colleges	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Robert Collins	r.w.collins2@sunyocc.edu	NY	SUNY Onondaga Community College	Standard Grant	Jill Nelson	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$36,152.00		4585 W SENECA TURNPIKE	SYRACUSE	NY	132.152.001	3.154.982.581	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Semiconductors in the form of integrated circuits (ICs), or chips, are an integral part of our technology-driven world. The need for chips has risen sharply while the supply has fallen short of the demand worldwide. Before the end of the last century the United States (US) led the world in chipmaking. However, the US now provides less than 10% of the world need, and the leadership of chip supply is dominated by other countries. Semiconductor products are critical to our economic and national security and rank the fifth largest US export sector providing approximately 250,000 jobs in the United States. This project will explore an innovative way to increase the chipmaking workforce numbers required to meet this national need by eliminating the expensive and complex infrastructure (e.g., cleanrooms, fabrication equipment) traditionally required to train and educate individuals in this area. This project will develop a lab manual featuring low-cost experiments that closely represent the methods used in the chipmaking industry. The manual will feature experiments for students to demonstrate their learning in a hands-on fashion. The lessons in the manual will specifically be designed to be transferrable to any community college (CC) seeking to offer degree tracks in micro and nanotechnology (i.e., chipmaking) to dynamically meet the local industry demand. Instructor guides will include student assessment rubrics to measure learning outcomes. After development, partnering CC’s will review the manual and evaluate the experiments. The manual will be further optimized and evaluated before widespread dissemination through national conferences and professional development activities. This manual will be used as both an outreach tool and a training resource to help cultivate and develop the workforce required to fill the US chipmaking sector. This project, in response to the Enhancing Engineering Technology and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician Education Dear Colleague Letter (22-120), is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301139	Collaborative Research: Development of a Nanofabrication Lab Manual Featuring a Suite of Low-Cost Experiments to Enable Hands-On Training at Community and Technical Colleges	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Junhua Xin	amy.xin@bc3.edu	PA	Butler County Community College	Standard Grant	Jill Nelson	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$28,130.00		107 COLLEGE DR	BUTLER	PA	160.023.807	7.242.878.711	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Semiconductors in the form of integrated circuits (ICs), or chips, are an integral part of our technology-driven world. The need for chips has risen sharply while the supply has fallen short of the demand worldwide. Before the end of the last century the United States (US) led the world in chipmaking. However, the US now provides less than 10% of the world need, and the leadership of chip supply is dominated by other countries. Semiconductor products are critical to our economic and national security and rank the fifth largest US export sector providing approximately 250,000 jobs in the United States. This project will explore an innovative way to increase the chipmaking workforce numbers required to meet this national need by eliminating the expensive and complex infrastructure (e.g., cleanrooms, fabrication equipment) traditionally required to train and educate individuals in this area. This project will develop a lab manual featuring low-cost experiments that closely represent the methods used in the chipmaking industry. The manual will feature experiments for students to demonstrate their learning in a hands-on fashion. The lessons in the manual will specifically be designed to be transferrable to any community college (CC) seeking to offer degree tracks in micro and nanotechnology (i.e., chipmaking) to dynamically meet the local industry demand. Instructor guides will include student assessment rubrics to measure learning outcomes. After development, partnering CC’s will review the manual and evaluate the experiments. The manual will be further optimized and evaluated before widespread dissemination through national conferences and professional development activities. This manual will be used as both an outreach tool and a training resource to help cultivate and develop the workforce required to fill the US chipmaking sector. This project, in response to the Enhancing Engineering Technology and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician Education Dear Colleague Letter (22-120), is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301138	Collaborative Research: Development of a Nanofabrication Lab Manual Featuring a Suite of Low-Cost Experiments to Enable Hands-On Training at Community and Technical Colleges	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/15/2023	Justin Starr	jstarr@ccac.edu	PA	Community College of Allegheny County Allegheny Campus	Standard Grant	Jill Nelson	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$41,620.00		808 RIDGE AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	152.126.003	4.122.373.050	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Semiconductors in the form of integrated circuits (ICs), or chips, are an integral part of our technology-driven world. The need for chips has risen sharply while the supply has fallen short of the demand worldwide. Before the end of the last century the United States (US) led the world in chipmaking. However, the US now provides less than 10% of the world need, and the leadership of chip supply is dominated by other countries. Semiconductor products are critical to our economic and national security and rank the fifth largest US export sector providing approximately 250,000 jobs in the United States. This project will explore an innovative way to increase the chipmaking workforce numbers required to meet this national need by eliminating the expensive and complex infrastructure (e.g., cleanrooms, fabrication equipment) traditionally required to train and educate individuals in this area. This project will develop a lab manual featuring low-cost experiments that closely represent the methods used in the chipmaking industry. The manual will feature experiments for students to demonstrate their learning in a hands-on fashion. The lessons in the manual will specifically be designed to be transferrable to any community college (CC) seeking to offer degree tracks in micro and nanotechnology (i.e., chipmaking) to dynamically meet the local industry demand. Instructor guides will include student assessment rubrics to measure learning outcomes. After development, partnering CC’s will review the manual and evaluate the experiments. The manual will be further optimized and evaluated before widespread dissemination through national conferences and professional development activities. This manual will be used as both an outreach tool and a training resource to help cultivate and develop the workforce required to fill the US chipmaking sector. This project, in response to the Enhancing Engineering Technology and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician Education Dear Colleague Letter (22-120), is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300744	Creating Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Program	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	Jonathan Ambs	jonathan_ambs@asun.edu	AR	Arkansas State University - Newport	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	09/15/2023	08/31/2026	$347,969.00	Ken Beach	7648 Victory Blvd	Newport	AR	721.128.912	8.705.127.800	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	In an effort to address the growing regional need for a skilled technical workforce, Arkansas State University Newport (ASUN), a comprehensive two-year community college with three campuses in northeastern Arkansas, will consolidate current insights from employers, ongoing research in career and technical education, and an established credentialing program to strengthen their advanced manufacturing program. The ASUN Creating Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Program (CAMPP) seeks to realign the existing ASUN advanced manufacturing program to meet the current and emerging needs of regional industry. This includes the need to increase the diversity of the regional advanced manufacturing workforce to include students from underrepresented demographic groups. Finally, ASUN will provide reskilling and upskilling opportunities in new technologies for incumbent workers in advanced manufacturing. The plan to realign ASUN’s advanced manufacturing program with the needs of regional industry was partially informed by a survey conducted by the program’s faculty and advisory board. Roughly half the respondents felt that there were educational gaps for new employees, and there was insufficient support for on-the-job training. To address these concerns, ASUN faculty will work with the advanced manufacturing advisory board to identify opportunities for curricular enhancements with a focus on incorporating training on contemporary tools in American manufacturing. To recruit a diverse population of new students, ASUN will integrate an extensive outreach effort to area middle and high schools through invitations to events such as the industry-sponsored annual Manufacturing Day festivities and focused efforts to recruit, mentor, and train students underrepresented in the manufacturing workforce. ASUN will also work with incumbent workers to participate in relevant and convenient courses on topics ranging from automation and robotics to 3D printing and additive manufacturing. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2300641	Training Industrial Technicians for Today and Tomorrow	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/14/2023	William Freuck	wfreuck@np.edu	AR	National Park Community College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$349,892.00	Bill Allison, Robin Pelton	101 COLLEGE DR	HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK	AR	719.139.173	5.017.604.202	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	As manufacturing continues its rapid evolution towards total automation, multiple challenges have surfaced. Regionally, these challenges include emerging and unmet industry demand for technicians skilled in multi-craft technologies, with recruitment falling short for individuals with both the aptitude and desire for the field. The demand for technicians continues to grow with 206 job postings since May 2022 with an average monthly posting of 13 jobs within the area served by National Park Community College (NPCC). This project will fill the employment gaps that currently exist in advanced manufacturing while also preparing students for positions currently unfilled or yet to be created. With guidance from employers through a Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) this project will create stackable credentials and multiple degree paths. These include opportunities for high school students to be introduced to the field initially through a formal education program, then to continue as and/or otherwise enroll new community college students in the same educational field, and finally to integrate incumbent workers in the same skills enhancements programming. Through this project, at least 20 students will be recruited to participate as high school students to earn certifications and pursue opportunities that can help them attain an associate degree. There are three opportunity zones in the vicinity of NPCC where on average 43% of residents live in poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 32% of residents between the ages of 18-24 in the county where NPCC is located have completed some level of postsecondary education compared to the US average of 55%. Since the lack of postsecondary educational attainment is strongly correlated with of families living in poverty, this project offers the potential to ameliorate these conditions by focusing on recruitment of students from these opportunity zones. The goal of the project is to update and expand the current Industrial Technology program to be more aligned with industry needs. The majority of the challenges identified will be addressed and mitigated with the inclusion of industry credentialing and laboratory upgrades that integrate relevant, emerging technologies with the manufacturing industry. Additionally, faculty professional development will be critical in the overall success of these steps. Lastly, this project will also create the opportunity to incorporate alternate delivery modes by creating work-based learning opportunities in the form of internships, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs. In addition to adding newly created credentials into the secondary school sector, thus further advancing the knowledge of high school students, multiple concentrations and “stop out points” will be available for students enrolled in the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) General Technology Degree. Stop out points include academic Certificates of Proficiency (CPs) and a Technical Certificate (TC) that can be applied towards degree attainment. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation and region’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2301202	Implementing Game-Based Learning to Enhance Training for Cybersecurity Technicians and Recruit a Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/13/2023	Mike Libassi	mike.libassi@sinclair.edu	OH	Sinclair Community College	Standard Grant	R. Corby Hovis	10/01/2023	09/30/2026	$646,713.00	Kyle Jones, Eric Renegar	444 W 3RD ST	DAYTON	OH	454.021.421	9.375.124.573	EDU	7412	1032, 9178	This project aims to serve the national interest by producing more qualified technicians to meet workforce demands in cybersecurity. Keeping computers and information systems secure is a critical need and a major challenge in business, industry, and government. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have the knowledge and skills to protect both existing and emerging technologies. The use of challenges, competitions, games, puzzles, and similar highly interactive and team-oriented activities has proved to be an effective means of exciting students about cybersecurity and improving their understanding of cybersecurity concepts. These tools can supplement traditional pedagogical approaches, and they can sometimes engage students that the traditional approaches do not. In this project, educators from Sinclair Community College and Moraine Valley Community College will refine, test, and disseminate a hands-on, minds-on learning game called "Sticker Heist," in which teams of students solve cybersecurity puzzles to complete the shared quest of opening a locked box to retrieve "stickers." This quest is supported by an immersive story that locates the players in an alternate time and identity. This cybersecurity simulation game encourages teamwork, communication, and leadership while it teaches principles and skills in the cybersecurity curriculum. Role-playing and simulation games, especially escape games like "Sticker Heist," are broadly appealing to people of various ages, educational backgrounds, races, and genders and can be used to expose people of all ages to new career fields, especially cybersecurity and other areas of STEM. The learning activities in this project will increase students' engagement, promote learning outcomes, support recruitment into the cybersecurity profession by encouraging participants to picture themselves in a cybersecurity career, and address the critical need to attract more students from underrepresented populations into the cybersecurity workforce. "Sticker Heist" is a hands-on learning game that consists of a self-contained, portable security system protecting a locked box of laptop stickers. The interior box is a simple, locked container containing a number of laptop stickers related to Defcon, hacking events, etc., which are often collectibles to enthusiasts. The surrounding box contains the systems that secure the first -- currently a Raspberry Pi 4, Arduino Uno, network, and other components (RFID, keypad, buzzer, lights). However, the box is not 100% secure; several common security flaws and vulnerabilities have been built in. This allows teams of high school and college students to work together to gather information (reconnaissance) on the system and then use free, open-source tools to expose and exploit the security flaws to access the system, open the box, and collect the prize. In this challenge, students work together as a team and think critically and creatively while learning the basics of cybersecurity. In the project, the investigators will pursue four related goals. First, is to refine the "Sticker Heist" learning tool, ensuring its alignment with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework as well as industry-recognized cybersecurity credentials. Second, is to deliver professional development training on the tool to high school and college faculty so that they can effectively implement the tool in their classrooms. Third, is to promote use of the tool as a means to attract underrepresented students into cybersecurity through demonstrations, recruitment events, and clubs. Fourth, and finally, is to assess the effectiveness of the tool for improving engagement and attracting a broader and more diverse population of students to cybersecurity careers. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
1842071	Collaborative Research: Community College Accelerated CyberCorps Pilot Program	DGE	S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math, CYBERCORPS: SCHLAR FOR SER, Advanced Tech Education Prog	09/13/2023	Kyle Jones	kyle.jones4990@sinclair.edu	OH	Sinclair Community College	Standard Grant	Ambareen Siraj	09/15/2018	03/31/2024	$1,151,721.00		444 W 3RD ST	DAYTON	OH	454.021.421	9.375.124.573	EDU	1536, 1668, 7412	1032, 111Z, 112Z, 7254, 7434, 8212, 8817, 9178, 9179, SMET	Sinclair Community College (SCC; OH), Brookdale Community College (BCC; NJ) and Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC; IL) propose to increase the placement of highly qualified cybersecurity professionals in government positions for the Community College Cyber Pilot Program (C3P). This proposed project is in alignment with the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018. Through cohort-based learning, SFS scholars at each of the four-partner colleges will collaborate on activities and events, including student skills competitions, certification preparation workshops, visits to local federal agencies, and participation in job fairs. Experiential learning will allow students to gain skills from real cybersecurity vulnerabilities and attacks experienced by businesses and organizations. SCC is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense 2-Year Education (CAE-2Y) and MVCC is an Advanced Technical Education (ATE) National Resource Center. The program will be based on several successful adult learning practices: cohort learning, experiential learning, competency-based education, and one-on-one, holistic student support. The objectives are to: 1) research, develop, and document new strategic roles community colleges can play in increasing the number of cybersecurity professionals employed in government sectors; 2) build effective collaborations between educational institutions, business, industry, and government; 3) prepare 24 Scholars For Service (SFS) to help meet government need for highly qualified cybersecurity professionals; 4) disseminate best practice models designed for replication by other colleges across the country, including: new protocols for conducting prior learning assessments to assist veterans in applying their education and experience to cybersecurity disciplines; and best practices for recruiting, selecting, and supporting non-cybersecurity Bachelor degree students through cybersecurity education programs (cohort models and success coaching). Co-funding for this project is provided from the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) and NSF Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) programs, reflecting alignment of the project with major emphases of the ATE program on involvement of community colleges and the S-STEM program on financial and co-curricular support for high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055561	Developing an Industry-led Data Analytics Technician Program for Upstate South Carolina	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/22/2021	Marcia Schenck	Schenckm@sccsc.edu	SC	Spartanburg Community College	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	09/01/2021	08/31/2024	$592,598.00	Renee Cramer	107 COMMUNITY COLLEGE DR	SPARTANBURG	SC	293.034.759	8.645.924.471	EDU	7412	1032, 9150, 9178, SMET	Businesses increasingly use data analytics to make strategic, data-driven decisions. As data analytics becomes a routine business tool, there is an urgent need for data analytics technicians who can work in a wide range of job roles. Currently, only a few Certificate and Associate Degree Programs are available to students who wish to become data technicians. As a result, the number of students pursuing a data analytics career is not keeping pace with workforce demand. This project aims to address the critical need for data technicians in the upstate South Carolina region. It will do so by establishing a Business and Industry Leadership Team that will partner with Spartanburg Community College to define the skills data technicians need to be successful in the workplace. Working with these industrial partners, the College will design and implement a Data Analytics Certificate program that will use online educational approaches to reach students throughout the region. The project will begin by expanding and maintaining a Business and Industry Leadership Team, and then perform a Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) analysis to determine the skills required of data technicians. Information from the KSA analysis will be used to create a certificate program curriculum that can be administered remotely. Once faculty are trained to teach the new courses, the College will recruit students into the certificate program, with an emphasis on recruiting women. Anticipated outcomes of this project include the creation of a new Data Analytics certificate program that supports remote and online synchronous participation, training of faculty members in the new curriculum, and increased recruitment, retention, and graduation of women in data analytics. The results of this project will be made publicly available to advance data analytics technician education and the Business and Industry Leadership Team model nation wide. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2000971	Meeting the Bay Area's Electronics Technician Workforce Need	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	04/01/2020	Nicholas Langhoff	langhoffn@smccd.edu	CA	San Mateo County Community College District	Standard Grant	Paul Tymann	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$592,538.00	Jenny Le, Thomas McCall	3401 CSM DR	SAN MATEO	CA	944.023.651	6.503.586.755	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	In the Bay Area, there are currently over 10,000 job openings for electronics technicians. In addition, the number of electronics technician jobs is projected to grow at a rate of over 20% within the next ten years. This project aims to meet local workforce needs by developing a new engineering electronics technology program. This program will be developed in partnership with local industry to ensure that graduates of the program have the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to meet this critical local workforce need. The new program has the potential to improve the capacity and quality of the electronics technician workforce in the Bay Area and to serve as a model for building new engineering technology programs. This project will adopt, adapt, and develop courses covering DC and AC circuits, math for electronics, electronics test and measurement, schematic entry, custom cabling, printed circuit board design and manufacturing, soldering and printed circuit board rework, and battery technology. The program will align with the eleven elements of high-quality Career Technical Education programs as outlined by the California Department of Education. The project will include an intensive student support program and a funded internship and job placement program with integrated support from industry partners. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2202151	Advancing Precision Agriculture in the Urban Environment	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/21/2022	Trentee Bush	trentee@northeast.edu	NE	Northeast Community College	Standard Grant	Kalyn Owens	07/01/2022	06/30/2025	$545,016.00	Brandon Keller, Brian Anderson	801 E BENJAMIN AVE	NORFOLK	NE	687.010.469	4.028.447.244	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The agriculture industry has seen rapid advances through the development and application of precision agriculture techniques. Horticulture-based jobs are now utilizing these advances such as drones, water-sensing technology, and automated weeding systems. Combining precision agriculture with horticulture in the emerging field of urban agriculture is therefore an expanding filed that needs a skilled workforce. This is particularly true in Nebraska, where one in four jobs is connected to agriculture and many are found in an urban and/or horticulture setting. This project unites the fields of precision agriculture and horticulture to create a technical education program at a two-year college that provides a pathway to urban agriculture careers. Over its 3-year duration, current programming will be expanded to provide micro-credentialed courses related to urban agriculture technology, summer workshops for high school agriculture educators, and continuing education workshops for incumbent workers. These new resources will improve existing high-quality training to enrich student interest and skills in horticulture technology and enhance career pathways for incumbent workers. The following objectives will guide the project: 1) partner with local high schools to introduce students to career options and to provide active learning opportunities using horticulture concepts and precision technologies, 2) design and implement a series of six workshops for agriculture educators to enhance their ability to teach relevant courses in horticulture, precision technology, and urban agriculture, and 3) provide a series of five continuing education workshops for incumbent workers. This program will strengthen partnerships with area high schools and build new relationships within the horticulture and urban agriculture industries. In secondary schools, teachers will be invited to be true colleagues, by co-creating educational pathways that excite, encourage, and prepare students to consider careers in urban agriculture. A three-course modularized curriculum will be developed that can be used to supplement agriculture education courses in local high schools, and in some cases, will result in dual credit for high school students. Overall, the new curriculum will impact students and teachers at five pilot high schools and incumbent workers from around the state. Results of the project and the curriculum will be made available to other community colleges, the community of educators in agriculture education and the broader technician education community. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2055313	Strengthening Community College and Workforce Partnerships in Construction Management	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	08/25/2022	Azhar Mahmood	azhars93@yahoo.com	NJ	Hudson County Community College	Standard Grant	Michael Davis	09/01/2021	08/31/2024	$298,806.00	Catherina Mirasol, Raja Javaid, Khursheed Khan, Shahida Manzoor	26 JOURNAL SQ	JERSEY CITY	NJ	73.064.102	2.017.147.100	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	Employment in construction management is expected to grow 11% over the next ten years. In response to this workforce demand, Hudson County Community College recently developed an Associate in Applied Science degree program in Construction Management. This degree includes transferable general education classes as well as relevant training in construction management. Current construction management students are trained on new construction methods, protocols, testing procedures, engineering drawings, software, cost estimation, and management principles. However, the rapid rate of change in construction technology requires continuous curriculum updates and additional real-world experiences prior to graduation. The project will work to achieve these needs by revitalizing the Industry Education Advisory Board as a Business and Industry Leadership Team. This change is expected to result in increased engagement of potential employers and improved outcomes for students through academic and industrial co-leadership of the project. The goals of this project are to (1) develop structured partnerships with local employers to increase internship opportunities and employment for Construction Management students and graduates, and (2) ensure rigor and relevance of the academic program in partnership with the Industry Education Advisory Board. It is expected that these changes will result in training of qualified employable graduates in 12 to 36 months of project initiation. Hudson County Community College will continually evaluate the success of these initiatives, including the quality and number of partnerships created, as well as the number of internships, apprenticeships, and new job opportunities for Construction Management students. This effort is anticipated to enhance eight courses in the degree program, and enable students to sit for national licensing exams as they proceed. Co-leadership with the Industry Education Advisory Board will allow Hudson County Community College to continually align their academic programs to keep pace with changes in construction management. The project plans to recruit and retain veterans, female students, minority, non-traditional students, students with special needs, and incumbent workers. Hudson County Community College will share the results of their work among the other 19 community colleges in New Jersey and the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
2026262	The Hidden Innovation Infrastructure: Understanding the Economic Development Role of Technician Education in the Changing Future of Work	DUE	Advanced Tech Education Prog	03/23/2023	Michelle Van Noy	mvannoy@rutgers.edu	NJ	Rutgers University New Brunswick	Standard Grant	Connie Della-Piana	09/01/2020	08/31/2024	$1,708,318.00	Marilyn Barger, Renee Edwards	3 RUTGERS PLZ	NEW BRUNSWICK	NJ	89.018.559	8.489.320.150	EDU	7412	1032, 9178, SMET	The roles of technicians and two-year institutions are unrecognized in most traditional approaches to measuring the impact of higher education on economic development. This project aims address this gap by identifying the economic impact of technician education programs and workforce development at two-year institutions. The research will investigate the hypothesis that community college technician education programs and the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program form an infrastructure that creates both a workforce of skilled technicians and an ecosystem of supports that help to increase workplace productivity and innovation, thus spurring regional economic development. The multi-faceted mixed-methods research study will include a national analysis of community college technician education and economic development, as well as in-depth regional case studies of technician education and industries in advanced manufacturing. The national analyses will examine data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics and the U.S. Census County Business Patterns. Case study sites will be selected based on ATE program investments, level of rurality, manufacturing sector, economic context, and economic development region. The project will advance understanding of technician education’s contribution to economic development in two ways. First, the project will develop a more refined conception of the role that community college technician education plays in economic development. Second, the project will provide a deeper examination of workplace outcomes beyond simple employment and earnings models to generate insights on the nature of technician work and on innovation and productivity in the workplace. In addition to a new data collection, two primary datasets will be combined in the analyses: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics data and the U.S. Census County Business Patterns data. Both use the North American Industry Classification System. The Integrated Post-Secondary Education System data and ATE program award data will be used to measure different cognate areas, such as the number of students in higher education. The National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk between Classification of Instruction Program codes with the Standard Occupation Classification codes will be used to link education programs to occupations. The project will examine trends in technician production from community colleges and trends in the technician labor market, which will be augmented with data from the NSF’s National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey. A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences approach will be used to establish causal linkages between technician education/ATE program and innovation/economic and workforce development. On-going work by the Aspen Institute and the State New Economy Index will inform case study measures and analyses. Comparative analysis of the linked case studies will contribute to: identifying the presence or absence of the phenomenon of interest; exploring how the phenomenon varies across conditions; investigating differences in the impact of the phenomenon; testing theoretical and emerging linkages among different phenomena; and examining conditions under which the phenomenon arises. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the