STEM Talent Challenge Grants Awarded to 7 Organizations to Drive Innovation and Entrepreneurship
EDA is pleased to announce today that seven organizations from across the United States have been awarded a total of $2 million in grants through the inaugural STEM Talent Challenge, which aims to boost local science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent.
Grant projects are building STEM workforce readiness while fueling innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging and transformative sectors, such as space commerce, aeronautics, digital manufacturing, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity. Click here for more about each project.
The STEM Talent Challenge grant recipients are:
Grantee: Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government, St. Paul Island, Alaska
EDA Grant: $258,535
Sector: Aeronautics
Project Description: Design and implement training for community members that fulfills the STEM talent needs of the emerging aeronautics industry in St. Paul Island. The internship and mentorship opportunities provided will immediately prepare residents for existing jobs, while building the capacity for automated commercial aircraft manufacturing in the region.
Grantee: Expanding Frontiers, Brownsville, Texas
EDA Grant: $299,64
Sector: Space Commerce
Project Description: Launch the NewSpace Entrepreneur in Residence Apprenticeship Program to train and empower entrepreneurs in space commerce and attract space-related companies and jobs to Brownsville. Training will be a mix of apprenticeship and internship models. Project will also build community awareness of entrepreneurship and space commerce.
Grantee: Howard Community College, Columbia, Maryland
EDA Grant: $300,000
Sector: Cybersecurity and IT
Project Description: Expand and scale work-and-learn programs in cybersecurity and IT to fulfill the talent needs of related businesses in Columbia and the surrounding regions. Project will also provide entrepreneurial consulting and support to IT businesses.
Grantee: Maui Economic Development Board, Kihei, Hawaii
EDA Grant: $300,000
Sectors: Renewable energy, artificial intelligence, machine learning, among others
Project Description: Scale up the successful STEMworks program to provide hands-on training for Maui residents in seven different focus areas. These focus areas are considered vital to the future of Hawaii’s economy and include renewable energy, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and agriculture.
Grantee: Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
EDA Grant: $295,643
Sector: Digital manufacturing / Industry 4.0 / Smart factories
Project Description: Create a virtual factory environment and utilize digital tools such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to provide training on Industry 4.0 techniques. Manage factory operations through virtual and hands-on apprenticeships.
Grantee: University City Science Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
EDA Grant: $246,179
Sector: Biotechnology / cell and gene therapy
Project Description: Expand the Building an Understanding of Lab Basics (BULB) program to provide a mix of virtual and on-the-job training to prepare Philadelphia residents for biotech careers. Scale program to fulfill the needs of the cell and gene therapy industry.
Grantee: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
EDA Grant: $300,000
Sectors: Advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity
Project Description: Implement the Advanced Manufacturing Cybersecurity Work-and-Learn Program (AMCP), which combines online instruction and hands-on learning labs to build cybersecurity knowledge within a manufacturing setting. Program fulfills a critical need in Michigan for cybersecurity professionals with specific knowledge of manufacturing equipment.
For more information, visit EDA’s STEM Talent Challenge webpage at https://www.eda.gov/oie/stem/. This challenge builds on the momentum of EDA’s Build to Scale Program, which builds regional economies through scalable startups.
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